248 | Working Writers Ask Us Questions: An Industry Mailbag
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In this special edition of our mailbag series, we’re flipping the script. Instead of questions from newcomers, today we hear from working, professional screenwriters—people already inside the industry, navigating the real-world challenges of a creative career. From handling difficult notes to sustaining momentum between jobs, Meg and Lorien dig into what it means to grow and survive as a writer at the professional level.
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1:09:25
247 | Directing Fundamentals That Make You a Better Writer (ft. Rob Spera)
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BUY ROB'S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/FILM-DIRECTORS-FIELD-MANUAL-Filmmaking/dp/1662850549
Whether you're on set or on the page, great storytelling relies on clarity, efficiency, and emotional truth. This week, veteran director Rob Spera joins us to discuss his new handbook on the fundamentals of directing—and how those same principles can elevate your screenwriting. From working with actors to mastering visual storytelling, Rob shares actionable insights that will sharpen your craft and help you write with a director’s eye.
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1:07:33
246 | Do I Need to Self-Produce to Sell My Writing? (ft. Emily Brundige)
Emily Brundige was tired of waiting around for gatekeepers to say yes. So, she stopped asking.
In this candid conversation with Lorien, Emily shares how her frustration with the traditional hurry-up-and-wait pitch process pushed her to self-produce an animated short. That project — born from passion, resourcefulness, and a refusal to wait — eventually became GOLDIE, a series now on Apple TV+.
They dive into what it actually takes to make your own work, how festivals and buzz helped build momentum, and why animation is such a powerful space for self-starters. If you've ever felt stuck in development limbo, this episode might just give you the spark (and strategy) to make your move.
CHECK OUT EMILY'S BOOK HERE: https://www.emilybrundige.com/
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1:09:33
245 | How To Pivot Genres and "Re-Brand" Yourself As A Writer (ft. Carla Banks-Waddles)
Carla Banks-Waddles (BEL-AIR) has lived many lives as a writer. From being a valued member of multi-cam half hour rooms, to pivoting towards single cam serialized family dramas, Carla has had a wonderfully diverse career. How? She wrote her way there. Enjoy Carla's insightful, optimistic, and sometimes obsessive approach to how we can craft our dream career as writers. Whip out your swobes, and get ready to slork!
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1:05:00
244 | Brent Forrester's (The Office, The Simpsons) Comedy Writing Masterclass
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TAKE BRENT'S CLASS: https://www.brentforrester.com/webinar
Brent Forrester wasn't naturally funny, and he's the first person to admit it. And yet, when Brent was in his early 20s, he studied comedy like a science, and it has fostered one of the most successful comedy writing careers of anyone working today. Listen to some of Brent's inside tips when it comes to cracking the code on comedy. And focus on plosives. Always plosives.
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Sobre The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Welcome to The Screenwriting Life, a podcast where Oscar-nominated writer Meg LeFauve and Emmy-nominated writer Lorien McKenna discuss not only the craft and business of Screenwriting, but also the emotional life: the ups and downs of being a creative, to remind you that you are not alone and to keep writing.
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