Transcribed

John and Craig investigate why some scenes are so much harder to write than others, with strategies for tackling (or surrendering) to the difficulty.

We also follow up on virtual rooms, act breaks, and diversity workshops. Listener questions this week include introducing twists, getting elbowed out of your project, and whether it’s possible to be too meta?

In our bonus segment for premium members, Megana shares her experiences attending the Austin Film Festival for the first time.

Links:

* [MoviePass Executives Charged with Fraud](https://deadline.com/2022/11/moviepass-executives-charged-fraud-doj-1235164324/)
* [Warner Bros. Discovery Says It Will Keep Writers and Directors Workshops Alive, But Evolve to Conglomerate-Wide DEI Oversight](https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/warner-bros-discovery-writers-directors-workshops-alive-1235401368/)
* [The Six Hour Scene](https://johnaugust.com/2008/the-six-hour-scene) from John’s Blog
* [Doug McGrath](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0569790/) Austin Film Society [Honoree Speech](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqmaguUe9Gc)
* [The Past Within – Rusty Lake](https://www.rustylake.com/adventure-games/the-past-within.html)
* [The Fablemans](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14208870/)
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
* [Check out the Inneresting Newsletter](https://inneresting.substack.com/)
* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
* [Craig Mazin](https://twitter.com/clmazin) on Twitter
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Holly Overton ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by [Megana Rao](https://twitter.com/MeganaRao) and edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/574standard1.mp3).

**UPDATE 12-1-22** The transcript for this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2022/scriptnotes-episode-574-difficult-scenes-transcript).

In our first live show since 2019, John and Craig welcome guests Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island), Ike Barinholtz (History of the World, part 2), Megan Ganz (Mythic Quest), and Aline Brosh McKenna (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). They discuss writing scripted comedy vs. standup, representation, and the difficulties of being the boss.

They’re joined by The Manager We Told You to Fire, who has some choice words for the guys.

Megana asks audience questions on storyboarding, pet peeves, and advice/inspiration for aspiring writers.

Big thanks to our live audience, the staff of Dynasty Typewriter, and everyone at Hollywood Heart for putting the event together.

Links:

* Learn more and donate to [Hollywood Heart!](https://www.hollywoodheart.org/)
* [Joel Kim Booster](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5527841/) on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ihatejoelkim) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ihatejoelkim/?hl=en)
* [Ike Barinholtz](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0054697/) on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ikebarinholtz), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ikebarinholtz/), and [Celebrity Jeopardy!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CjwlUK4ITxt/)
* [Megan Ganz](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3836955) on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/meganganz) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/meganganz/)
* [Aline Brosh McKenna]() on [Twitter]() and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/abmck/)
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
* [Check out the Inneresting Newsletter](https://inneresting.substack.com/)
* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
* [Craig Mazin](https://twitter.com/clmazin) on Twitter
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Matthew Chilelli ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by [Megana Rao](https://twitter.com/MeganaRao) and edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/571.mp3).

**UPDATE 11-11-2022** the transcript for this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2022/scriptnotes-ep-571-scriptnotes-live-in-la-transcript).

John and Craig welcome back Liz Alper (Day of the Dead, The Rookie) and Brittani Nichols (Abbott Elementary, A Black Lady Sketch Show) to discuss how much progress has been made on issues from #MeToo, #PayUpHollywood, and depictions of police on screen. We look at common threads between the movements, and the difficulty of maintaining momentum once the initial impetus has passed.

We also answer listener questions on how to deal with ethically complicated projects and why there’s still so much copaganda on television.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John tells Craig a real life fairy tale about ‘The Writer Who Left his Reps.’ It’s magical and full of hope.

Links:

* [Liz Alper](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3225554/) on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lizalps)
* [Brittani Nichols](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4575382/) on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BisHilarious)
* Buy Tickets for our first Live Show post-pandemic – [Dynasty Typewriter Livestream](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scriptnotes-live-tickets-412411342427?aff=ebdsoporgprofile) October 19 at 7:30pm PT
* Are you going to Austin Film Festival? Submit to the AFF [Three Page Challenge](https://johnaugust.com/threepage)!
* [List of Female Run Restaurants in Austin, TX](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wo4lV2vUacQb7QhcmBEkZD1jSz8k2HOjcAlLmnfyt1A/edit) from Melissa
* [Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html) by Jodi Kantor and Meghan Twohey and [Alyssa Milano’s Tweet](https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/919659438700670976?s=20&t=k-vvSWG6CmgL6NbP3GeJ2A) and [From Aggressive Overtures to Sexual Assault: Harvey Weinstein’s Accusers Tell Their Stories](https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/from-aggressive-overtures-to-sexual-assault-harvey-weinsteins-accusers-tell-their-stories) by Ronan Farrow for The New Yorker
* [#MeToo, Five Years Later: Accusers Reflect](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/me-too-five-years-later-1235228665/) by THR Staff
* [#MeToo, Five Years Later: No One’s Fully Returned From “Cancellation”](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/metoo-five-years-later-cancellation-comebacks-1235228191/) by Gary Baum for THR
* [Check out the new survey results at the brand new #PAYUPHOLLYWOOD website](https://www.payuphollywood.com/)
* Read the [full update](https://johnaugust.com/2022/payuphollywood-progress-an-update-from-christian) from ‘Christian’
* [How 70 Years of Cop Shows Taught Us to Valorize the Police](https://www.vox.com/culture/22375412/police-show-procedurals-hollywood-history-dragnet-keystone-cops-brooklyn-nine-nine-wire-blue-bloods) by Constance Grady for Vox
* [Studio Response to Showrunners for Abortion Rights](https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/showrunners-group-studios-abortion-safety-variety-ad-1235381785/)
* [The Enduring Allure of Choose Your Own Adventure Books](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/19/the-enduring-allure-of-choose-your-own-adventure-books) by Leslie Jamison for The New Yorker
* [Why Your Hate Your Job](https://www.currentaffairs.org/2022/09/why-you-hate-your-job) by Aravind “Vinny” Byju
* Follow journalist [Cerise Castle](https://cerisecastle.me/) on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/cerisecastle)
* Checkout [Tallowtalk](https://www.instagram.com/tallowtalk/?hl=en) soaps on [Etsy!](https://www.etsy.com/shop/TallowTalkSoapCo)
* [Support the Writer Emergency Pack XL Campaign on Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/johnaugust/writer-emergency-pack-xl/posts)
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
* [Check out the Inneresting Newsletter](https://inneresting.substack.com/)
* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
* [Craig Mazin](https://twitter.com/clmazin) on Twitter
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Holly Overton ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by [Megana Rao](https://twitter.com/MeganaRao) and edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/570standard.mp3).

**UPDATE 11-3-22** The transcript for this episode can now be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2022/scriptnotes-ep-570-how-much-progress-transcript).