John August

Transcribed

Two Writers, One Script

Episode - 155

Go to Archive

Film Industry, Follow Up, QandA, Scriptnotes, So-Called Experts, Transcribed, Writing Process

John and Craig look at the trend towards hiring two writers to work on separate drafts of the same project. Is it better to have writers in parallel than serially? Or does it end up with studios ordering off a Chinese menu: this scene, that character, that other set piece?

Both Craig and John just started new first drafts, so we talk about the difference between the Map and the Territory, and how outlines can’t always anticipate the discoveries made while writing.

Finally, we answer a bunch of listener questions ranging from the Peter Stark Program to loving your day job.

Links:

* John Gary on [spec sales, lightning strikes, and making the NFL](https://twitter.com/johngary/status/491658703821475840)
* [Hot Hollywood Trend: Two Scripts, One Movie](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hot-hollywood-trend-two-scripts-720224)
* [On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1439156816/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) and [Making Movies, by Sidney Lumet](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0679756604/?tag=johnaugustcom-20)
* [Screenplay, by Syd Field](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385339038/?tag=johnaugustcom-20), [The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936891026/?tag=johnaugustcom-20), [Sex, Lies and Videotape, by Steven Soderbergh](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0571202896/?tag=johnaugustcom-20), and [The First Time I Got Paid For It](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0306810972/?tag=johnaugustcom-20)
* [The Peter Stark Program](http://cinema.usc.edu/producing/)
* [The Total Film-Maker, by Jerry Lewis](http://cinearchive.org/post/72674722317/the-total-film-maker-jerry-lewis-book-on) on cinearchive.org
* [What Writers Can Learn From Goodnight Moon](http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/19/what-writers-can-learn-from-good-night-moon/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0) by Aimee Bender
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes listener Sir Funkytown ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_155.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_155.mp3).

**UPDATE 8-4-14:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2014/scriptnotes-ep-155-two-writers-one-script-transcript).

Making Things Better by Making Things Worse

Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed

John and Craig talk structure and escalation. Structure is simply what happens when. Escalation is how things get tougher.

In features, characters are usually going on a journey that can only happen once, so you need to make sure that the events in your story are constantly challenging your heroes in new ways so they can continue to grow.

In television, you’re often telling stories in which the character themselves don’t change much, yet the sequence of events within the episode (and in the season) needs to feel like it’s pushing forward.

Along the way, we discuss Intro to Journalism’s Five W’s, and what people mean when they say a two-hander.

John and Craig are headed back to the Austin Film Festival again this year for a live show and other special events. Use the code SCRIPTNOTES to get $25 off our Conference and Producers Badges.

Links:

* Badges for the 2014 Austin Film Festival [are available now](http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/shop/badges/)
* Scriptnotes archives are available on [scriptnotes.net](http://scriptnotes.net/) or at [the John August Store](http://store.johnaugust.com/)
* [Two-handers](http://screenwriting.io/what-is-a-two-hander/) on screenwriting.io
* Scriptnotes, Episode 152: [The Rocky Shoals (pages 70-90)](http://johnaugust.com/2014/the-rocky-shoals-pages-70-90)
* [The Five Ws](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Ws) on Wikipedia
* [John Robbins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Robbins_(illustrator)) on Wikipedia
* Scriptnotes, Episode 150: [Yes, screenwriting is actually writing](http://johnaugust.com/2014/yes-screenwriting-is-actually-writing)
* [In Dreams Begin Responsibilities and Other Stories](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0811206807/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) by Delmore Schwartz
* [The Answer to the Riddle is Me](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1907595163/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) by David Stuart MacLean
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes editor Matthew Chilelli ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_154.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_154.mp3).

**UPDATE 7-24-14:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2014/scriptnotes-ep-154-making-things-better-by-making-things-worse-transcript).

Selling without selling out

Apps, Film Industry, Highland, Producers, QandA, Screenwriting Software, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, Words on the page, Writing Process

In their first-ever live streaming episode, John and Craig open the mailbag to answer a bunch of listener questions.

– What research should a writer do before soliciting an agent or manager?
– What should a writer be willing to give up in order to make her first sale?
– Does a Mormon writer face special challenges in drink-and-drugging Hollywood?
– Why doesn’t Highland exist on Android?
– What determines “Story by” credit on a feature?
– How did we like DungeonWorld? (John asked this question.)

All this, plus the Fermi Paradox in this episode of Scriptnotes.

Links:

* [Scriptnotes, 76](http://johnaugust.com/2013/how-screenwriters-find-their-voice), with Three Pages by James Topham
* Scriptnotes, 115: [Back to Austin with Rian Johnson and Kelly Marcel](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-back-to-austin-with-rian-johnson-and-kelly-marcel)
* David Lynch [on the iPhone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKiIroiCvZ0)
* Björk, [Human Behavior](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCGveA39VYA)
* [Dungeon World](http://www.dungeon-world.com/)
* Scriptnotes, 142: [The Angeles Crest Fiasco](http://johnaugust.com/2014/the-angeles-crest-fiasco)
* [Action Jackson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AvMn2Vh0fQ) trailer
* David Kwong at TED2014: [Two nerdy obsessions meet — and it’s magic](http://www.ted.com/talks/david_kwong_two_nerdy_obsessions_meet_and_it_s_magic)
* The Fermi paradox on [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox), [Wait But Why](http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/fermi-paradox.html) and [Praxtime](http://praxtime.com/2013/11/25/sagan-syndrome-pay-heed-to-biologists-about-et/)
* Neil deGrasse Tyson [on chimps, humans and aliens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ro9aebFZhM)
* John is [hiring a new UI designer](http://johnaugust.com/2014/hiring-a-ui-designer)
* Our USB drives [now have the first 150 episodes](http://store.johnaugust.com/collections/frontpage/products/scriptnotes-100-episode-usb-flash-drive)
* Archives are also [available on scriptnotes.net](http://scriptnotes.net/)
* This episode was broadcast live on [Mixlr](http://mixlr.com/scriptnotes/)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes listener Jeff Harms ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_153.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_153.mp3).

**UPDATE 7-18-14:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2014/scriptnotes-ep-153-selling-without-selling-out-transcript).

The Rocky Shoals (pages 70-90)

Psych 101, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, Words on the page, Writing Process

Aline Brosh McKenna joins Craig and John to talk about the difficult journey through pages 70-90 of your feature. After that, we talk about procrastination, the Panic Monster and our inner Instant Gratification Monkeys.

Screenwriting books always talk about structure, but never about tone, which is much more important for distinguishing great writing. So we spend some time looking at what tone feels like on the page.

Finally, we talk mentors. Aline has specific suggestions for young women.

Update: The post was linking to the previous week’s audio. Fixed.

Links:

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 7-11-14: The transcript of this episode can be found here.