Shows / The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
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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Episodes
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 314 | From The West Wing to The Diplomat: Debora Cahn's Masterclass in Storytelling
This week on The Screenwriting Life, Meg LeFauve and Joe Forte sit down with Debora Cahn, creator and showrunner of Netflix's The Diplomat, for a fascinating…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 313 | From Pitch to Netflix: How Felicia Pride Reimagined A Different World
What does it take to bring one of television’s most beloved shows back to life while making it resonate with an entirely new generation? This week on The…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 312 | Your LAVA Is Not Your PLOT
You know what your story is about. You know why it matters to you. You might even have a deeply personal, emotionally powerful idea at its center. But here's…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 311 | The Quintessential PITCHING Crash Course w/ Jessica Sharzer
Jessica Sharzer joins Meg and Lorien to give an in depth look into pitching. Not only does she get incredibly specific. Her generosity with her time and her…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 310 | Bringing Your Phyiscal Life To Your Writing w/ Coach Khatchig Chouljian
Today Joe Forte is join by fitness coach, Khatchig Chouljia for a very different way of attacking the writing process. Coach Khatcho is s the founder and head…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
EP. 309 | The Deepest Dive Into STRUCTURE w/ John Yorke
Meg LeFauve is joined by fellow story junkie and world-leading expert in narrative and a winner of multiple awards, including BAFTAs and a Golden Globe, John…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 308 | WRITING EXERCISE: Go DEEPER With Your Characters
Lorien McKenna is joined by TSL producer Alex Alcheh for a really exciting exercise. Get out your pen and paper, make 4 quadrants and follow along. Lorien asks…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 307 | Inside THE PITT'S Writers Room w/ Simran Baidwan
Meg LeFauve is joined by Simran Baidwan, former power house lawyer turned brilliant writer and executive producer of HBO's hit show, THE PITT. Simran's…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 306 | The Importance Of Being A Writer Advocate w/ Betsy Beers
Betsy Beers is a stallwart producer of film and television having been the creative partner of Shonda Rhimes at Shondaland since its inception, shepherding…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 305 | Overcoming The Dreaded ACT TWO
Act two is every emerging AND professional writers white whale. It is consistently the most challenging part of writing a screenplay and yet the most critical…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 304 | A Tapesetry of World Building and Characters w/ Jennifer L. Armentrout
Jennifer L. Armentrout, the phenomenal New York Times Bestselling author of the Flesh and Fire Series, The Blood and Ash Series and so much more, dives deep…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 303 | How To Welcome The Mess! (Ultimate Adventures In Screenwriting)
Meg, Joe and Lorien have another round of The ULTIMATE Adventures In Screenwriting. Diving into their weeks which always leads to deep thoughts and important…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 302 | Finding The Authenticity & Tone Of Margo's Got Money Troubles w/ Eva Anderson
Meg LeFauve is joined by co-showrunner of the hit Apple series, Margo's Got Money Troubles, Eva Anderson, to talk all things crafting one of the best series of…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 301 | The Shakespearean Level Stakes of NEMESIS w/ Courtney A. Kemp
Lorien McKenna is joined by Co-Creator and showrunner of the hit Netflix Series Nemesis. Courtney talks about seeing her protagonists in ACTION, how she…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 300 | SHOP TALK: Can You And SHOULD You Work On Multiple Projects?
Lorien McKenna and Joe Forte hop into the shop to get specific and about their work. Answering the question of multiple projects. How many projects are too…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 299 | Lessons From Judd Apatow & Being In The Cut! w/ Andrew Jay Cohen
Joe sits down with Writer/Director/Producer Andrew Jay Cohen who is in the thick of post production on his latest directorial offering, Soapbox written by Max…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 298 | The Layers That Build The Muppets Special w/ Albertina Rizzo & Kelly Younger
The Muppets are beyond iconic and have over 50 years of canon to draw from. Meg chats with showrunner of The Muppets Special, Albertina Rizzo & writer on the…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Ep. 297 | The Craft Of Creating An IP Based Action Film w/ Jeremy Slater
Mortal Kombat II is out in theaters this weekend! Joe Forte chats with writer Jeremy Slater about taking on the second installment of an iconic video game…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
296 | The ULTIMATE Adventures In Screenwriting
This week we have an old school Meg and Lorien dive deep into the life and world of screenwriting. The day to day life stuff. The bucket of S*it stuff. The…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
295 | What Are The Elements Of A Good Scene? SUPERCUT
Lorien and Meg have asked numerous guests the same important questions, What are the elements of a good scene? You will hear different ideas from the…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
294 | TSL Workshops Check In w/ Danicah Waldo & Emily Roberson
TSL Workshops are one of the two tent poles of The Screenwriting life. Folks a part of the TSL Workshops community participate in two live zooms with Meg and…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
293 | The Wild World Of Verticals Feat. Shelby Farrell
With the industry in a contraction, writers are trying to figure out how to find steady work. ENTER - VERTICALS! Lorien is joined by writer and creator Shelby…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
292 | What "Finding Your People" Really Means In This Business w/ Maggie Gottlieb, David F.M. Vaughn & Sean Presant
Lorien is joined by Maggie Gottlieb, Sean Presant & David F.M. Vaughn, colleagues and friends from the writers room of the Tabitha Brown led Youtube show, Tab…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
291 | MAILBAG! Meg And Lorien Answer YOUR Questions
On this edition of TSL, Meg and Lorien giving a wonderful mix of answers to some phenomenal listener questions, from detailed craft questions, to the business…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
290 | Aaron Tracy On Building An Audio Drama
Lorien is joined by founder of Parallax Audio, writer of audio fiction and television, Aaron Tracy. Aaron is incredibly well spoken and clear on his process…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
289 | Crafting A High Concept Pixar Film w/ Hoppers Writer Jesse Andrews
Pixar's Hoppers writer, Jesse Andrews, joins Meg to dive into all things Pixar process. They start with Jesse's intriguing journey into writing, from Art…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
288 | Bridgerton Showrunner & Head Writer Jess Brownell On The Dazzling Season 4
*BRIDGERTON SEASON 4 SPOILER WARNING* Lorien is joined by the fabulous and uber talented showrunner/writer Jess Brownell. Jess has been showrunning Bridgerton…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
287 | Oscar Nominees Joachim Trier And Eskil Vogt On Doing It Your Way
Joe Forte dives DEEP this week with the singular and brilliant Oscar nominated duo behind Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt. The two discuss…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
EP. 286 | The Magic And Challenges Of Creative Partnership w/ Meg LeFauve & Joe Forte
An incredibly fun episode today! Lorien is in the host driver seat, chatting with Meg and her husband and writing partner Joe Forte about the art of…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
285 | Train Dreams Writer/Directors Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley On Daring To Slow Down
The fabulous duo behind Sing Sing and this years Oscar nominee, Train Dreams, Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley join TSL to talk about their inspiring partnership…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
284 | "Oh. What. Fun." Writer Chandler Baker On Going From Novel To Screenwriting
Chandler Baker joins us to talk about her hilarious and heartfelt Christmas adventure, "Oh. What. Fun." Chandler has worn many hats in her life. She walks us…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
283 | The Art of the Character Introduction
In this special craft supercut, we gather wisdom from recent guests on one essential question: how do you introduce a character? From subtle entrances to…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
282 | In Your Dreams Writer/Directors Alex Woo & Erik Benson on Writing Animated Features
IN YOUR DREAMS writer/directors Alex Woo and Erik Benson join us to talk about writing animated features - from storyboarding as a form of rewriting to…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
279 | Rian Johnson on Writing High-Concept Stories with Deep Emotional Stakes
Rian Johnson (KNIVES OUT, LOOPER, STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI) joins Meg for a deep craft conversation about balancing bold, high-concept ideas with intimate…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
280 | Noah Baumbach & Emily Mortimer on Creative Partnership, Process, and Permission
Noah Baumbach (MARRIAGE STORY, FRANCES HA) and Emily Mortimer (THE PURSUIT OF LOVE, DOLL & EM) join Lorien to talk about co-writing their new Netflix film JAY…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
281 | Wicked: For Good Writer Dana Fox on High-Concept Movie Ideas
Dana Fox (WICKED, WICKED: FOR GOOD) returns to talk about high-concept movie ideas and why the premise matters more than ever. Dana breaks down what makes an…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
278 | The Screenwriting Life: Joy, Frustration, Advice & Pride (TSL 2025 Supercut)
As we close out 2025, we’re sharing a special supercut of our 2025 guests answering the Big Questions we ask every writer: What brings you the most joy when it…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
277 | Scriptnotes Hosts John August & Craig Mazin: The Craft Lessons That Matter Most
John August and Craig Mazin - hosts of the legendary Scriptnotes podcast - join us for a wide-ranging conversation inspired by their new book, Scriptnotes: A…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
276 | The Naked Gun Writers Doug Mand & Dan Gregor on Fearless Comedy and Trusting the Process
In this episode, THE NAKED GUN writers Doug Mand and Dan Gregor take us inside the making of one of the boldest studio comedies in years. They break down how…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
275 | How Holiday Movies Get Made (ft. Screenwriter Maggie Lane & Producer Eric Jarboe)
This week we’re celebrating one of our favorite genres: holiday movies! Screenwriter Maggie Lane (HOTEL FOR THE HOLIDAYS) and producer Eric Jarboe (FALLING FOR…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
274 | Derek Kolstad (John Wick, Nobody): How to Craft Character and Action on the Page
In this episode, JOHN WICK creator Derek Kolstad joins us to break down how he crafts character-driven action on the page. Derek shares how he thinks about…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
273 | The Roots of Imposter Syndrome - Part 2
In Part 2 of our conversation with counselor and healer Madaline Blau, we move from understanding imposter syndrome to learning how to work with it in the…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
272 | The Roots of Imposter Syndrome - Part 1
In Part 1 of our deep dive into imposter syndrome, counselor and healer Madaline Blau helps us understand where creative insecurity really comes from - and why…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
271 | Melissa Rosenberg (Jessica Jones, Dexter): Finding Your Creative Center
Melissa Rosenberg - creator of JESSICA JONES, head writer of DEXTER, and screenwriter of the TWILIGHT films - joins Lorien to talk about what it takes to stay…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
270 | Jenny Han (The Summer I Turned Pretty): Writing Love, Longing & Coming of Age
Jenny Han - creator, showrunner, and bestselling author of THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY - joins Lorien to talk about the art of writing love, longing, and…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
269 | Writing Horror with the Carved Creative Team (REBROADCAST)
With Halloween around the corner, we’re revisiting one of our favorite spooky episodes. Join us for a conversation with the team behind Hulu’s CARVED —…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
268 | Where to Begin as a Screenwriter (REBROADCAST)
So you want to be a screenwriter… now what? In a rebroadcast of one of our most popular episodes, we dig into the essential questions every writer should ask…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
267 | The Elevator Pitch + Austin Film Festival Prep Workshop (REBROADCAST)
JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so With the Austin Film Festival coming up next week, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes to help…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
266 | Emmy-Winner Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere) on the Myth of the “Big Break”
JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so Meg was already a fan of Jeff Hiller from his Emmy-winning performance in SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE, but after…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
265 | KPop Demon Hunters Directors: Maggie Kang & Chris Appelhans on Balancing Heart, Humor & Music
JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so This week, we’re joined by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the writer-directors of KPOP DEMON HUNTERS, to…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
264 | Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, I Am Legend, Star Trek): Turning Writing Into a Job (and a Life)
JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so We’re thrilled to welcome Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman for a masterclass on making writing sustainable. For…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
263 | Feature Film Story Engine Checklist: 8 Elements to Turn a Situation Into a Movie (REBROADCAST)
Check out our premium TSL WORKSHOPS program here: https://tslworkshops.circle.so STORY ENGINE. Two words we so often dread, but let's be honest: the engine of…
The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKennaIndie Film Craft 5 | How a Celebrity-Free Microbudget Feature Premiered at SXSW (ft. GG Hawkins)
What does it take to make a celebrity-free, microbudget feature and premiere at one of the most competitive festivals in the world? Filmmaker and No Film…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
262 | Writing (and Directing) Intimate, Personal Films That Feel Cinematic (ft. Sorry, Baby's Eva Victor)
Join TSL Workshops: https://tslworkshops.circle.so In this episode, Meg sits down with writer, actor, and filmmaker Eva Victor to discuss their debut feature…
The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKennaIndie Film Craft 4 | How to Make Your Script Undeniable to an Indie Producer (ft. Julie Waters)
Join TSL Workshops: tslworkshops.circle.so Every writer dreams of getting their script into the right hands — but what actually makes a producer want to fight…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
261 | Clarity, Subtext, and Want vs. Need: Kaz Firpo on Crafting Great Screenplays
JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so In this episode, Meg and Lorien sit down with Kaz Firpo (Marvel’s ETERNALS, RUIN) to talk about the timeless…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
260 | From Barf Draft to Next Draft: 5 Steps to Take Now
Join TSL Workshops: https://tslworkshops.circle.so In this episode, Meg and Lorien dive into a messy, magical stage of screenwriting: the barf draft — your…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
259 | Costume As Character: What (& What Not) To Include in Your Screenplay (ft. Courtney Hoffman)
Join TSL Workshops: https://tslworkshops.circle.so Costume designer turned writer/director Courtney Hoffman has worked on some truly iconic films (THE HATEFUL…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
258 | From Assistant to Executive Producer: Frida Perez on Co-Creating The Studio
Join TSL Workshops: https://tslworkshops.circle.so Apple TV+’s THE STUDIO is both a razor-sharp satire and a surprisingly heartfelt love letter to Hollywood —…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
257 | Getting Repped in a Post-Strike Industry - Part 2 (ft. Daniela Gonzalez & Garrett Greer)
Join TSL Workshops: https://tslworkshops.circle.so In part two of this incredible conversation, literary managers Daniela Gonzalez (Good Fear Content) and…