Scriptnotes Podcast

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 for premium subscribers, John asks Zoe about her experience growing up with two screenwriter parents.
Links:
Writer Emergency Pack: Character Creator Kit
why I can't stop thinking about Papua New Guinea by Daniel Frank
Download the episode here!
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 our weekly-ish newsletter about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters.
Scriptnotes is produced by Meredith Stedman and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Our coordinator is Lauren Loesberg.
Outro by Adam Pineless (send us yours!)
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

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 Social Network – Do I have your full attention?
Surf Dracula
Download the episode here!
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 our weekly-ish newsletter about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters.
Scriptnotes is produced by Meredith Stedman and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Our coordinator is Lauren Loesberg.
Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

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 our weekly-ish newsletter about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters.
Scriptnotes is produced by Meredith Stedman and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Our coordinator is Lauren Loesberg.
Outro by Nick Moore (send us yours!)
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

What if you zigged when you thought you should have zagged? As an actress, a writer, a showrunner, and a host, Erin Gibson's career has been unpredictable. But look closer and you see it's driven by consistent values, smart timing, and the universal currency of comedy. John seeks her insight on going with the flow.
John and Erin answer listener questions about connecting with reps, sorting through your idea bank, and managing your emotions while writing. They also encourage listeners to praise colleagues and strangers. Just send the email!
In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John talks to Erin about moving out of LA "before it was cool."
Links:
Attitudes! Podcast
Gay of Thrones
Feminasty
Zach Cregger's "Elf Draft" Concept (11:43)
Tuffy's Tug-O-War Dog Toy
Agnes Pelton
The Wax Child by Olga Ravn
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 our weekly-ish newsletter about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters.
Scriptnotes is produced by Meredith Stedman and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Our coordinator is Lauren Loesberg.
Outro by Matt Gillespie (send us yours!).
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

The year was 2011. We had Occupy Wall Street, Hangover II, 50 Shades of Grey… and a podcast named Scriptnotes. On this episode, John and Craig celebrate their podcast Quinceañera, marking fifteen years together on mic.
They reflect on their very first episode, the content and cultural moments that marked 2011, and everything that's changed since.
In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John and Craig look forward fifteen years to make predictions on the year 2041.
Links:
Walgreens with Mom Playlist by Danny Carney
First Blossom in the Orchard by John Stokes
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 our weekly-ish newsletter about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters.
Scriptnotes is produced by Meredith Stedman and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Our coordinator is Lauren Loesberg.
Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!).
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com