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Writer Emergency Pack, now in pre-launch

October 22, 2014 Story and Plot, Writer Emergency, Writing Process

As I mentioned on the podcast yesterday, we’re getting close to launching a new project called Writer Emergency Pack.

The cover looks like this:

header graphic

As the name suggests, it’s designed as a survival tool for writers. It’s not an app or a book. It’s more like a crowbar for getting unstuck. It’s for screenwriters, novelists, playwrights, students, writing teachers — anyone who deals with story.

We’ve actually been developing it on-and-off for four years, but it became real in the last six weeks. We’ve had a fun time showing prototypes to other writers and gathering feedback. It’s gonna be cool.

Because it’s a physical thing, we’ve had to plan and budget much more carefully than we do with our digital stuff. Atoms scale differently than bits. Make too few, and you run out. Make too many, and you’re sitting on boxes of inventory. Figuring out how to actually make and ship something like this is easily half the job.

When we launch — sometime after Halloween — there will be a short order window to get into the initial run. To make sure no one misses out, we’ve set up a mailing list to let writers know the moment it’s available.

If you’re at all curious, I’d advise you to sign up at [Writer Emergency](http://writeremergency.com) today.

You can also follow on Twitter, [@writeremergency](http://twitter.com/writeremergency). (Tweet ‘Help’ for a teaser.)

A Cheap Cut of Meat Soaked in Butter

Episode - 161

Go to Archive

September 9, 2014 Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, Words on the page, Writing Process

To celebrate the third anniversary of Scriptnotes, John and Craig invite Aline Brosh McKenna and her limitless analogies back to discuss box-office journalism, scene geography, emotional IQ and flipping the script.

It’s a jam-packed episode. In fact, there was so much we cut part of it out as a bonus Overtime show that will show up for premium subscribers later this week. In it, we make predictions, re-invent Spanx, and detail our love of D&D. If you want to sign up for the premium edition of Scriptnotes, head over to scriptnotes.net.

If we hit 1000 premium subscribers, we promise to do an NC-17 show that you should definitely not play in the car with your kids.

Tickets are available now for the Slate Culture Gabfest Live on October 8th. John and Craig will be guests, and it should be swell. Links below.

Links:

* [Aline Brosh McKenna](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0112459/) on episodes [60](http://johnaugust.com/2012/the-black-list-and-a-stack-of-scenes), [76](http://johnaugust.com/2013/how-screenwriters-find-their-voice), [100](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-100th-episode), [101](http://johnaugust.com/2013/101-qa-from-the-live-show), [119](http://johnaugust.com/2013/positive-moviegoing), [123](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-holiday-spectacular), [124](http://johnaugust.com/2013/qa-from-the-holiday-spectacular) and [152](http://johnaugust.com/2014/the-rocky-shoals-pages-70-90)
* [Joan Rivers](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/arts/television/joan-rivers-dies.html)’s obituary in The New York Times
* [Get tickets now](http://www.slate.com/live/la-culturefest.html) for October 8th’s live Slate Culture Gabfest with guests John and Craig
* [Why do people throw tomatoes?](http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/fresh-ideas/dinner-food-facts/why-do-people-throw-tomatoes1.htm) from How Stuff Works
* [the-knowledge.org](http://the-knowledge.org/en-gb/) teaches you how to rebuild the world from scratch
* About [Global Entry](http://www.cbp.gov/global-entry/about)
* [Movies Have Worst Summer Since 1997](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/30/movies/movies-have-worst-summer-since-1997.html?_r=1) by Brooks Barnes
* Mimeographs on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimeograph) and [eBay](http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xmimeograph&_nkw=mimeograph&_sacat=0)
* [Maguire Watch](http://everythingisterrible.blogspot.com/p/maguire-watch.html) on Everything is Terrible!
* Get premium Scriptnotes access at [scriptnotes.net](http://scriptnotes.net/) and hear our 1,000th subscriber special
* [The Honourable Woman](http://www.sundance.tv/series/the-honorable-woman) on Sundance.tv
* [This Movie Will Require Dinosaurs](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0399167706/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) by C. W. Neill, and details on the [September 15th live read](https://www.facebook.com/events/560093127430494/)
* [N3TWORK](http://www.n3twork.com/) is the first personal TV network
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes listener Robert Hutchison ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_161.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_161.mp3).

**UPDATE 9-11-14:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2014/scriptnotes-ep-161-a-cheap-cut-of-meat-soaked-in-butter-transcript).

Summer Re-run: Psychotherapy for Screenwriters

August 5, 2014 Follow Up, Psych 101, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, Writing Process

John and Craig revisit one of their favorite episodes, in which they sit down with screenwriter-turned-psychotherapist Dennis Palumbo to discuss writer’s block, procrastination, partnerships and more. It’s a can’t-miss episode for aspiring writers and professionals alike.

LINKS:

* [Dennis Palumbo](http://dennispalumbo.com/), author and psychotherapist
* Dennis’s book [Night Terrors: A Daniel Rinaldi Mystery](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CKUTZGS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003O34OL6&linkCode=as2&tag=johnaugustcom-20) on Amazon
* [Impostor Syndrome](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome) on Wikipedia
* [The Imposter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Imposter_(2012_film))
* [Paper Karma](https://www.paperkarma.com/) helps you control your mailbox
* [The Secret in Their Eyes](http://www.sonyclassics.com/thesecretintheireyes/)

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_156.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_156.mp3).

The transcript of the original episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-99-psychotherapy-for-screenwriters-transcript).

Two Writers, One Script

July 29, 2014 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).

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