Episode notes
Why is it so satisfying to watch a highly-skilled character complete their goals? And why can it be equally hilarious to watch an incompetent character bumble through a slew of screw-ups? In this episode, John and Craig discuss how to play with competence in your characters. We also say goodbye to our producer Drew Marquardt with a thoroughly embarrassing exit interview, and reveal our new producer. However, it's not really goodbye, because Drew will be staying on to work with John on an upcoming project (TBA). In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig deliberate on the…
Scriptnotes Podcast
by John August and Craig Mazin · English · Film & TV
Screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin discuss screenwriting and related topics in the film and television industry, everything from getting stuff written to the vagaries of copyright and work-for-hire law.
More from Scriptnotes Podcast
-
S15 · E743 · 7 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
743 - Thinking on Your Feet with Ryan Condal
John and Craig sit down with Ryan Condal, showrunner of House of the Dragon , just as its third season airs. They dive into Ryan's late start in Hollywood, spec scripts, the anatomy of a writers room, and thinking as a product of movement. They also answer a listener question about the mechanics of writing a sequel. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John, Craig and Ryan discuss perhaps the most popular fictional creatures ever: dragons! Links: I Solved My Mystery Fatigue with AI by Amy Deng Myst by Cyan, Rand Miller & Robyn Miller Dimhaven by Zadbox Entertainment NordVPN yU+co –…
-
S15 · E742 · 30 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
742 - Obsession with Curry Barker
John and Craig welcome Curry Barker, the writer-director behind this summer's surprise blockbuster, Obsession. It's a rom-com, a horror film and a great example of trusting your audience. We discuss Curry's roots, his writing process, learning from YouTube, as well as the pressure to follow up a hit. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John and Craig pose the #1 most important question for all filmmakers to consider: What will the popcorn bucket be? Links: Aaron Sorkin Masterclass The Chair by Curry Barker Milk & Serial by Curry Barker Humans Veer Left by Rachel Nuwer (NY Times)…
-
S15 · E741 · 23 Jun 2026 · 49 min
741 – Craig Takes Questions
This week, Craig answers listener questions about rewriting on set, AI coverage, when and how to kill off characters, sizing up producers, and more. There's also an extra-special guest appearance for this week's One Cool Thing. In the bonus segment for premium subscribers, Craig discusses how to be wrong—something he feels he knows all too well. Links: "Widow's Bay" Games: Daddy's Home & Teeth "L.A. Law" Elevator Scene Ed Wood (1994) Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member , or gift a…
-
S15 · E739 · 9 Jun 2026 · 57 min
739 - The One with David E. Kelley
John and Craig welcome writer and showrunner David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, Ally McBeal) to look at his process for adapting books to TV, particularly with his latest series Margo's Got Money Troubles. They explore where to find your act breaks, crafting complicated tones, and when to trust the writer of the book. We also look at how TV has changed over David's storied career, how he runs a writers room, creating story engines, the difference between writing for broadcast TV and streaming, and the one thing a TV show should never be. In our bonus segment for premium members, David coaches…
-
S15 · E738 · 2 Jun 2026 · 58 min
738 - Building Your Audience with Courtney Kemp
John welcomes writer and showrunner Courtney Kemp (Power, Nemesis) to ask, how do you find an audience and build momentum on television? They look at how writers can match their voice to an underserved audience, the pitfalls of being boxed in by a niche, and what new writers can do to get people excited about their work. We also chart how Courtney built her career from magazine writer to creating the television franchise Power, look at the exciting success of Obsession and Backrooms, and answer listener questions on talking to your reps about financial struggles, and how to find your…
-
S15 · E737 · 26 May 2026 · 1 hr
737 - Studio-Adjacent
John welcomes back Phil Hay (Destroyer, The Invitation) to ask, how do you get a movie made with independent financing? They look at how indie movies get made, where you get the money, deciding when to go indie, and whether streamers complicate the picture. We also follow up on testing movies with focus groups and answer listener questions on how to navigate the editing room, daily routines, and what to do when your story has too many themes. In our bonus segment for premium members, we look back on what Phil learned about D&D from his documentary The Dungeon Masters. Links: Phil Hay…
-
S16 · E755 · 6 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 28 minNew
755 - Directing Your Writing
What changes when you take off your writer hat and put on your director hat? In this compendium episode, John, Craig, and Scriptnotes coordinator Lauren Loesberg review directing advice previously given on the podcast. John and Craig offer Lauren pointers on directing her next project. They also answer a listener question about directing actors "on the page." In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, we discuss film festivals. Why would writers go? And what can you expect to get out of the experience? Links: Three Page Challenge Fruit Fly by Josh Silver Mailbox Toluca Lake Forgotten…
-
S16 · E754 · 29 Sep 2026 · 54 min
754 - East of Eden with Zoe Kazan
John welcomes writer and actress Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks, The Big Sick, She Said) to talk about her sweeping and thorough reimagining of East of Eden, releasing on Netflix on October 1st. They discuss her approach to period piece dialogue, the process of adapting such an expansive novel, and the family history behind this particular project. Rich with biblical parallels, East of Eden is a perfect story for a discussion of archetypes. John invites Zoe to pull cards from the upcoming Character Creator Kit in a conversation about the iconic East of Eden antagonist, Cathy. In our bonus segment…
-
S16 · E753 · 22 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
753 - The One with Aaron Sorkin
Today, we welcome longtime fantasy guest, Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing, The Social Network) to talk through his writing process and tease his upcoming film, The Social Reckoning. Does Aaron Sorkin use outlines? Where does he begin? And does he have any more ideas? All these questions and more will be answered. John also presents a couple of Sorkin's own scenes as a case study on writing conflict. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, we discuss Sorkin's projects that never got produced. Now you see it… now you don't. Links: The West Wing – Donna & Josh Conversation The…
-
S16 · E752 · 15 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
752 - General Meetings
Think of this as a crash course in general meetings. In this compendium, John, Craig and Scriptnotes intern, Lauren, mine previous episodes for advice on the bewildering "general." They aim to answer every question you've had about general meetings, over the years: What are they? What's discussed? And how do you get one? In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John and Craig swap stories about their best, worst, and first general meetings. Get your copy of The Scriptnotes Book and become a Scriptnotes Premium member today! For more content on the craft of writing check out Inneresting…
Take it with you
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
