734 - A Box Full of Teeth
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig welcome back Katie Dippold (Widow’s Bay, Ghostbusters) to ask, what advice would you give to your younger self? They revisit the writers they used to be, offer specific guidance to each one, and demystify everything from “Why isn’t a producer calling me back?” to “Should I join that sorority?” Most importantly, we look at how Katie turned her former writing sample into the hilarious and spooky new show, Widow’s Bay. We also answer listener questions on calling out stolen ideas and how to pitch yourself when your past work doesn’t line up with your voice. In our...
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733 - Learning Comedy
Scriptnotes Podcast
John welcomes five-time Emmy-winning writer Ali Barthwell (Last Week Tonight) to ask, can writers learn to be funny? Drawing from her time as a teacher at The Second City, they look at what writers can learn from sketch and improv, and how to reliably find ways to make an audience laugh. We also celebrate the WGA membership’s ratification of the 2026 MBA, the educational future of the Scriptnotes book, and answer listener questions on the first scene of a comedy and when to stop taking assistant gigs and bet on yourself. In our bonus segment for premium members, Ali shares how she built a...
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732 - Something Very Bad is Going to Happen
Scriptnotes Podcast
on Netflix Read along with an by Gina McIntyre for LA Times by Carol J. Clover by The Comet is Coming , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Gloom Canyon () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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731 - Avoidance and Other Anti-Quests
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig flip the idea of motivation on its head and ask, what are your characters running from? Using examples across film and TV, they look at the psychological underpinnings of discomfort, and how to use avoidance as a driving force of character and story. We’ve also been away for a minute, so there’s a lot to catch up on! We follow-up on where the heck we’ve been, locked pages, a Scottish rap duo, and a new scientific answer for whether one page of script really equals one minute of movie. We also answer listener questions on the afterlife of residuals and writing with a...
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SC39 - Sidecast: The 2026 MBA
Scriptnotes Podcast
There’s a brand new agreement between the WGA and the AMPTP! And since John was the co-chair of the negotiating committee, he’s excited to share all the details of the 2026 MBA. Links: John August on and Scriptnotes on and Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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89 - Writing effective transitions (Encore)
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig connect the dots on transitions and how they can be just as important as the scenes themselves. They look at how to get your scenes flowing into one another, the many different types of transitions, when to use “CUT TO,” and how to use your cuts to tell your story. We also discuss those shots we no longer need to see in movies, and use a lawsuit filed by two GI Joe writers to examine some common issues created by prewriting. In our bonus segment for premium members, the Olympics are coming to Los Angeles and we have conflicting feelings! Links: from That Mitchell and...
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730 - A Frank Conversation About Screenwriting
Scriptnotes Podcast
John sits down with the Northwest Screenwriters Guild at an event to promote the Scriptnotes book, and ends up having a poignant conversation about how the career of screenwriting has changed, missteps John made throughout his career, and how his approach to screenwriting has evolved over time. He also answers questions on kicking bad writing habits, screenwriting careers outside of Hollywood, what to look for in the projects you choose, whether age matters in a screenwriting career, writing your calling card movie, the sidekick problem, and the real story behind the Prince of Persia movie. In...
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729 - Endings Compendium, Part II
Scriptnotes Podcast
In our first sequel compendium, John and Craig revisit four of their best segments dedicated to crafting a satisfying and emotional ending to your story. They look at rooting your ending in character, the function of the denouement, what makes a memorable farewell, how and why our endings can change, and how to bring everything full-circle. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and producer Drew continue a discussion that Drew Goddard started on character sides and the process of casting minor characters. Links: Our first endings compendium, with Aline Brosh McKenna...
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728 - Beats to Scenes with Drew Goddard
Scriptnotes Podcast
John welcomes back Drew Goddard (Project Hail Mary, High Potential) to ask, how do you turn the beats of your story into full scenes? Using Drew’s script for The Martian, we look at how he translates moments in a book into scenes in a movie, the freedom Drew finds in a beat sheet, how beats are approached in a TV writers room, and his advice to a staff writer struggling with a draft. We also dig into Drew’s process for adapting Project Hail Mary, choosing what to cut, and his eloquent defense of double-spacing in a screenplay. He’s even kind enough to help answer listener questions on...
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197 - How do bad movies get made? (Encore)
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig revisit a favorite episode focused on a single topic: bad movies and how they happen. Using first-hand experience, they look at how bad ideas make it to the screen, how good ideas go wrong, and the range of patterns that end in terrible movies. We also make a list of our then-dream guests for the podcast (many of whom have now been on the show). And fast-forwarding to 2026, we announce an exciting new feature for Highland Pro. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Drew ditch the texts and emails and to pick up the phone and make a call. Links: has...
info_outlineJohn and Craig flip the idea of motivation on its head and ask, what are your characters running from? Using examples across film and TV, they look at the psychological underpinnings of discomfort, and how to use avoidance as a driving force of character and story.
We’ve also been away for a minute, so there’s a lot to catch up on! We follow-up on where the heck we’ve been, locked pages, a Scottish rap duo, and a new scientific answer for whether one page of script really equals one minute of movie. We also answer listener questions on the afterlife of residuals and writing with a significant other.
In our bonus segment for premium members, we go through their feedback on our first ever video podcast and announce our plans for the future of the show.
Links:
- Does one page of a screenplay really equal one minute of screen time? by Stephen Follows
- California Schemin’ trailer
- Indistractable by Nir Eyal
- Explanation of Disbursement of Residual Payments After Death from the WGA West
- Parseword
- Frankenstein’s Regrets by Ben Tarnoff for The Nation
- The AI Paradox: How to Make Sense of a Complex Future by Virginia Dignum
- Indigo Girls Tour featuring Jessie Mazin!
- 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 subscription
- Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube
- Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
- John August on Bluesky and Instagram
- Outro by James Ashley McLaren (send us yours!)
- Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com
You can download the episode here.