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
85 | Getting To The Heart Of Your Story w/ Pat Verducci
Pat Verducci is a celebrated writing coach, story analyst, and produced writer/director, but at her most basic, Pat wants to help every writer planet earth…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
84 | Overcoming "Analysis Paralysis" In Your Writing
Thinking is an essential part of the creative process, but at a certain point, we just have to WRITE. Have you been over thinking? How to leave a review…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
83 | Contests, Fellowships, Labs & Residences: Everything You Need To Know (ft. Lisanne Sartor)
Today we are ENORMOUSLY lucky to be joined by the insanely accomplished writer, director, fellowship export Lisanne Sartor, who in some ways, is the godmother…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
82 | Lorien McKenna On Trusting Her Inner Voice As A Creative & Writer
Actress, playwright, professor, intern, story manager, showrunner. Despite Lorien's multifaceted career, one theme has unified every role she's taken on…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
81 | Why Character "Wants" Matter More Than Almost Anything Else
What is the most common note writers get? It almost ALWAYS relates to character "wants." Today, Meg and Lorien breakdown why character wants matter more than…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
80 | How To Take Care Of Your “Writer Self” When You're Overwhelmed
Hey TSL Family! Lorien is BACK, and as you can imagine, our team had a lot to catch up on. As our conversation evolved, it seems the writing Gods were all…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
79 | Meg LeFauve's Nine Lives In Hollywood (Featuring A Special Guest!)
In today's very special episode, we interview one of Hollywood's most interesting, dynamic, and all around WONDERFUL industry veterans...Meg LeFauve!! And a…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
78 | Character Poles: A Simple but POWERFUL Way To Shape Your Characters
We've mentioned it many times on the show, so it's time we finally dive in; what exactly are character poles? Today is a masterclass from Meg, who dives into…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
77 | Finding, Acquiring, and Keeping A Literary Manager w/ Charlie Gogolak
Writers always have tons of questions when it comes to representation - and who better to answer them than...Meg's manager! Charlie Gogolak has thrived in this…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
76 | How To GIVE Great Notes On Writing
Being a successful creative is all about give and take, and ANYONE who’s gotten feedback knows that paying it forward is an essential part of finding success…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
75 | Finding Your Brand as a Writer w/ Manager Alison Mann
Whether or not we want to admit it, being seen and getting staffed is easier if we can tell others WHO we are as writers. Industry powerhouse Alison Mann…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
74 | Finding Self-Compassion For Your Writing...And YOURSELF w/ Dr. Kristin Neff
There are few jobs more mentally strenuous than that of a writer. Rejection. Writers block. Notes. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. But today, bestselling author and…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
73 | 6 Essential Tips for TV Writers
Hi All! We're BACK with another greatest hits episode featuring some of our industry's best television writers. Today, you'll hear from: TSL TV Writers - best…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
72 | Three-Dimensional Character Toolbox: Wants, Desires, and Agency
Happy Holidays TSL Fam!!! In this greatest hits episode, we provide insight from some of our sharpest guests to help YOU create the most interesting…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
71 | Agency & Writer’s Assistant Jobs: Everything You Need To Know
Today we feature of two of Hollywood’s most exciting up-and-comers, Caitlin Vukorpa and Zoe Cheng, who both have experience in writer’s rooms and agencies to…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
70 | Stephen Karam On Crafting Authenticity In Our Writing
Stephen Karam is the Tony Award-winning author of The Humans, Sons of the Prophet and Speech & Debate. For his work he’s received two Drama Critics Circle…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
69 | Discovering (And Honing) Your Comedic Voice w/ Shantira Jackson & Dewayne Perkins
Emmy-nominated writers Shantira Jackson and Dewayne Perkins are some of comedy's most exciting rising voices, but their journey hasn't been a short one. From…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
68 | Building The Emotional Fortitude To Be A Screenwriter
Beyond craft, one of the most important aspects of building your career is developing emotional agility to really excel through the rejection and feedback that…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
67 | Knowing When To Quit A Project (But Stay On The Path)
Putting a project in the desk drawer to start something new can feel like a betrayal, but sometimes it's the right step. How can we elegantly move on, but…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
66 | Monique N. Matthews On Mentorship and Writing For Hallmark
Monique N. Matthews is many things - a producer, a respected screenwriting professor, a social justice advocate, but mostly, she's a brilliant writer. Dive…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
65 | Discussing The Work/Life Balance Of Screenwriting
One of the most frequent discussions in our business is the discussion around achieving a work/life balance. Things get personal as Meg, Lorien, and Jeff share…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
64 | Balancing Characters, Humor, and Action w/ Nicole Perlman
Among many astounding achievements, Nicole Perlman wrote the first Guardians Of The Galaxy film, which many culture critics (and fans) consider to be one of…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
63 | LIVE From The Austin Film Festival: Story Workshop
WE DID IT. Join Meg and Lorien, and their wonderful audience, as they workshop with three very brave and brilliant writers to get to the core of their story in…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
62 | How To Find Truth in Comedy w/ Sam Bain
Sam Bain is one of our industry’s premiere comedy writers, having co-created multiple beloved sitcoms including the UK’s cult hit Peep Show. But today Sam…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
61 | Writing Across Multiple Genres And Finding Your Voice w/ Sean Presant
Longtime TV vet Sean Presant has an eclectic resume includes features, shorts, and TV in ALL genres from multi-cam sitcoms, to reality competition, to prestige…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
60 | How To Break Into A TV Writer's Room w/ Stacy Rukeyser
If anyone knows her way around a writer's room, it's producer Stacy Rukeyser, who has worked at every level from staff writer, to creator/showrunner. Stacy has…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
59 | LIVE From the London Screenwriter's Festival: Why Do We Write?
Every writer inevitably faces this painful question somewhere along their journey: "why the hell am I doing this?" Today, we answer that question. Hosted on…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
58 | LIVE From the MCX Screenmaker's Conference: Marrying Lava With Craft
Enjoy the LIVE conversation from the MCX Screenmaker's Conference! For its seventh edition, the national MCX Screenmakers Conference program of panel sessions…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
57 | Million Dollar Ideas w/ Matt Lieberman
All great works of art start with ideas, and ideas STILL reign supreme in Hollywood. In today's conversation w/ celebrated writer Matt Lieberman we discuss how…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
56 | BONUS: Ask Meg Anything About Writing
We've had some AMAZING guests on this show, but the truth is, one of our greatest secret weapons is Meg herself! Today, she dives into some of the MANY…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
55 | You Got Your First Big Writing Win...Now What?
Most of us assume that once a writer sells that spec or books that job or secures representation, they've "made it." Now all they need to do is ride into the…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
54 | Showrunning: Anything & Everything You Need To Know
We're back! Meg, Lorien, and Jeff have all been traveling, producing, and on set, and oh, do we have UPDATES. Lorien - who is now entering post on the project…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
53 | Honor Your Calling As A Creative & Screenwriter (Create Out Loud w/ Jen Louden)
FOR MORE CREATE OUT LOUD: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-out-loud-with-jennifer-louden/id1559415253 What would it take for you to turn down an…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
52 | Screenwriting: The Joys, The Rage, The Legacy
Writing isn't just about craft and science. It's about translating the highs and lows of being a human being into art, and that journey can be a roller…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
51 | Vanessa Taylor On Non-Verbal Storytelling Secrets
Not only is Oscar-nominated writer Vanessa Taylor's resume impressive, it's beautifully varied. Vanessa has written on serialized network TV shows…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
50 | The Day To Day Process Of Screenwriting
50 Episodes! How did we get here? Hard work EVERY DAY. Today, we're focusing on the day-to-day, minute-by-minute process of writing. How to we title our…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
49 | Michael Arndt's Act 1 Masterclass
Little Miss Sunshine's script, penned by our guest Michael Arndt, won almost every major industry award, and for good reason. Its warmth, humor, and surefooted…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
48 | Connecting Craft To Money And Career (As Screeenwriters)
To enter contests, or NOT to enter contests? Do I need to live in LA? What if I'm not your run-of-the mill white dude writer? What if I'm OLDER than my…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
47 | Nine Writing Secrets From Our A-List Guests
It's a GREATEST HITS Episode. We've had such amazing guests, that we wanted to curate some of their best moments. Enjoy! 1:20 - John August on Important Rules…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
46 | Writing Great TV Characters w/ Javier Grillo-Marxuach
Though best known as one of the Emmy Award-winning writer/producers of Lost, Javier Grillo-Marxuach is a prolific writer of television shows, comic books…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
45 | Overcome Dry Spells In Your Writing w/ Self-Compassion (Jen Louden)
Find yourself asking the question 'Why bother” when it comes to your writing? Creative people are asking that question now more than ever, but bestselling…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
44 | Drawing Boundaries For Yourself And Your Characters
Even though pop culture often draws artists as free-spirited goofballs that "go-with-the-flow" true artistry lies in the art of self-discipline, self-esteem…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
43 | Pitching & Meetings: EVERYTHING You Need To Know (Sheila Hanahan Taylor Pt. 2)
This topic comes up ALL the time on our Facebook group, and finally, we have definitive answers, and LOTS of them. How long should my pitch be, what should it…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
42 | Rookie Mistakes & The Power Of Genre (Sheila Hanahan Taylor Pt. 1)
After decades working with writers in this business, Sheila Hanahan Taylor - A-List producer behind many beloved edge-of-your seat genre films like the Final…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
41 | Your Screenwriting Emergency Toolkit
Feeling blocked, stuck, uninspired, or just BLAH? We're here to save the day! We were initially going to run an episode on boundaries (don't worry, we still…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
40 | Marti Noxon On TV Writing (EVERYTHING You Need To Know)
Marti Noxon is a force in our business. Known for her sharp voice, social commentary, and darkly funny writing, all of which is tied together by a knack for…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
39 | Andrew Stanton's Storytelling Master Class
Do you have a pen and paper? Might want to grab them now... Andrew Stanton wrote and directed Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, and Wall-E, all of which consistently…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
38.5 | Minisode: Why Character Problems Are Your Solution
We had SUCH a great tangent on last week's episode, that we wanted to feature this conversation as it's own short MINISODE. Do you have a great character want…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
38 | Writing Antagonists (And Why They're Really About Your Hero)
What do Voldemort, Regina George, and Hans Gruber have in common? They're great antagonists, of course! Whether it's an action movie, a comedy, or even a…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
37 | LIVE From The London Screenwriter's Festival: Writing Emotion
Emotionally rich writing has always been a Hallmark for both Meg and Lorien in their writing, and on today's show, we dig into the meat of what makes it work…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
36 | Oscar-Nominated Screenwriter Kemp Powers On Adaptation
Kemp Powers is a playwright, screenwriter, and co-director, and this year, he's one of the most talked about writers in our business. Kemp has not one, but TWO…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
35 | John August On Worldbuilding In Your Writing
John August? Yes. THAT John August. We're thrilled to feature Screenwriting PODfather John August, famous for many things. Among them, award-nominated studio…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
34 | Putting Yourself (And Your Writing) OUT There
Emily Dickenson's poetry, The Girl w/ The Dragon Tattoo, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, these are all works we ALMOST didn't see because the authors…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
33 | Anne Lamott: Make Your Writing Fears Work For YOU
Anne Lamott is one of culture's most celebrated voices when it comes to creativity and writing. Her book Bird By Bird is a modern classic (Ed Solomon says it's…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
32 | Writer Ed Solomon (Bill & Ted, MIB): Finding Emotional Truth In Every Story
Ed Solomon is one of Hollywood's most recognizable writers, who represents a rare intersection of critical and commercial success. His 16 feature films have…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
31 | Finding INSPIRATION In Your Writing
Maybe your facing the blank page, maybe you're facing the second act, or maybe your facing your millionth rewrite; EVERY writer has hit that wall where there's…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
30 | 5 Crucial Questions On Craft + Writing
It's your turn! For this week, we've gathered some of our most frequently asked CRAFT related questions for a deep dive on how to fix, tweak, tinker, and…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
29 | The Long Road For Writers
As a writer, you're in it for the long haul. And that's NOT a bad thing! It's a beautiful journey, filled with ups, down, highs, and lows, and it's made all…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
28 | Getting Perspective: Taking The 30,000 Foot View Of Your Writing
The details of your writing are a beautiful thing. They provide the nuance, voice, and texture that make your writing special. But the details can be crippling…
- The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
27 | Self Talk Your Way Into Loving Your Own Writing
Why is it so easy for us to love, trust, and nurture our characters, but so hard for us to do that for ourselves? Positive self-talk is an essential part of…