John August

Transcribed

Fantasy Worldbuilding

Episode - 416

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Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig welcome Alison Luhrs, a senior narrative designer at Wizards of the Coast to talk about fantasy world-building as a profession. It is a great conversation about what is probably a lot of listeners’ dream job.

We also follow up on the WGA elections, John’s decision to cast a blind actress, and the universality of ice-cream truck wars.

Links:

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 9-12-19: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

The Veep Episode

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig welcome Julia Louis-Dreyfus and David Mandel, two of the executive producers of HBO’s award-winning comedy series Veep. They discuss the writing process from blue-sky brainstorming to the final edit, how the show has evolved over the seasons, and striking the right tone during an unpredictable political climate.

We also take a look at why unlikeable characters are important for conflict and what we can take away from the ending of Seinfeld.

Links:

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here

UPDATE 9-12-19: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Mushroom Powder

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig host How Would This Be a Movie with four stories in the news covering ice-cream truck wars, female rangers, con-artists, and deadly in-laws, imagining how they could become feature films.

We also answer listener questions about narrators, personal crises, and song titles.

Links:

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here

UPDATE 8-27-2019 The transcript for this episode can be found here.

Ready to Write

News, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig tackle the question, “How do you know when you’re ready to write a given script?” They propose a list of details a writer should know before diving in, and look at why starting too soon can be a recipe for failure. (So can waiting too long.)

We also discuss the WGA’s “refusal to negotiate” myth and answer questions about rewrites vs polishes, and whether writing a bad script could put you on a Do Not Hire list.

Links:

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here

UPDATE 8-27-2019 The transcript of this episode can be found here.