On The Page

Writer/Directors Emily Dell and Hannah Macpherson talk about their productive year creating horror/thriller content and their interesting advice to "come at storytelling sideways."

Announcement of the deadline and rules for the 2019 Logline Competition. Plus 10 patterns to help build your logline.

Writer/Directors Etta Devine, Barbara Stepansky and April Wright return to talk about a year writing on Outlander, getting a blacklist script produced, creating an award winning documentary and much more.

Writer and television journalist Michael Grebb returns to discuss "Five Big Trends Writers Should Know About" including a new take on "peak TV," the death of the television season and the fact that almost everything in the industry is motivated by CYA.

Kelsey Calaitges, development executive at Frederator Studios (Adventure Time, The Fairly Odd Parents) and writer on GO! Cartoons Bravest Warriors shares wisdom about pitching and writing for character-driven animation.

Pilar and writer Jake Morgan discuss ways to combine genre, tone and intention to create the perfect "genre mash" television show.

Hear how, after seventeen years of stops and starts, Matt Harris's script "The Starling" was produced with actors Melissa McCarthy, Kevin Kline, Chris O'Dowd, Timothy Olyphant and director Ted Melfi.

Pilar offers "Five Easy Rewrites" and writers on social media add over 40 more! Take notes on this one.

Writer Anne Kruse shares five concepts that build writer perseverance.

David Wright, writer/producer on Star Trek: Lower Decks, discusses the storytelling legacy of Star Trek.

Acting coach Crystal Carson reveals the ways she helps actors analyze story, discover characters and interpret meaning from feature and TV scripts.

Writer/Producer Christy Stratton shares her love of act structure and enthusiasm for the new FOX animated show "Bless the Harts."

The writers of A Quiet Place discuss their upcoming film Haunt, their long-standing writing partnership and their process of discovering story and characters on the page.

Pilar guides you through a few lazy ways to brainstorm, outline and write your TV pilot. E-mail for the handout!

Leon Gittens, a character animator for movies and video games, talks about the different kinds of animators needed to create one product, the role of the script in that product and the ways in which he personally brings emotion to a character.

Aadip Desai has gone from On the Page Podcast producer to ABC/Disney fellow to staff writer on The Goldbergs. Hear about his journey to get there and what he's learned - and is still learning - along the way.

Writer Taylor Vaughn Lasley talks about her exciting summer pitching two series; one with Damon Wayans Jr. and one withFunny or Die.

David Skelly (The Muppets, Splash and Bubbles, Word Party) and Jennifer Skelly (My Little Pony, The Lion Guards, Motown Magic) return to the podcast to talk about writing and creating TV for pre-school and elementary age audiences.

Maura Chanz, Michelle Flowers and Clarissa Kern have turned their jobs assisting show-runners and producers into major stepping stones to a writing and producing career.

Writer Rachel Kaplan talks about what she's learned in the writer's room of the popular, animated comedy BoJack Horseman.

Writer and editor Ayser Salman returns to talk about how she turned real life experiences into a comic memoir and pitch for a tv series.

Filmmakers Sterling Macer Jr, Chris Molinaro and Jeremy Walton share their "dos" and "don'ts" about making movies cheaply, independently and with integrity.

Years of creating high quality content is paying off for writer Jude Roth. Hear what she's learned from taking meetings and obtaining high quality representation.

Filmmaker Alex Ferrari talks about the "hustle" of independent filmmaking and the personal experiences that led him to write his new book, Shooting for the Mob.

Shaun Cassidy (New Amsterdam, Emerald City, American Gothic) went from pop star to rockstar writer. Here he digs into the process of the writers' room and reveals his personal inspiration for finding story. A must-listen.

TV executive Rev. Karen Frost talks about her path in Hollywood and her current role as creative executive at Viola Davis's JuVee Productions.

Carnegie Mellon graduates Tommar Wilson and Beth Crosby reunited in an On the Page screenwriting class. Although Tommar performs on Broadway and Beth performs sketch and improv, they also united in their observations about writing and acting.

The Sixth Sense, Election, Being John Malkovich, Magnolia … Tonight we're gonna write like it's1999! Special assistance from Pat Francis and Azul Nino (also produced in 1999).

Writers Jason Director and Ayla Harrison are happily married and constantly moving forward in their writing career. They've also developed a list for finalists and fellows to help them make contacts and get work .

Pilar is joined by writer Melissa Cassera to discuss ways to create and show the emotional progression of on-screen characters.

Canadian writers Michelle Muldoon and Geordie Sabbagh talk about the daring steps they've taken to seek out contacts and make their own movies.

Ashleigh Powell (The Nutcracker and the Four Realms; one of Variety's 10 Screenwriters to Watch) talks about her love of writing, genre, and world building.

David Matillo wrote seven unproduced scripts before his feature spec "Bare Knuckle" made the 2015 Blacklist. He discusses the projects he's written since then and what he's learned along the way.

Manager/Producer Markus Goerg (Heroes and Villains Entertainment) describes a writer's career as, "never boring, never easy and never a straight line."

Playwright / screenwriter Christy Hall (I Am Not OK With This on Netflix), discusses her approach to writing for the stage and screen.

Organizer Tracy McCubbin, author of Making Space, Clutter Free, discusses ways to declutter your writing space and organize your writing time.

Author/ USC Professor Pamela Douglas discusses the changes to genre, structure and the international market addressed in the fourth edition of her classic book Writing the TV Drama Series.

Hilliard Guess, writer on Deadly Class, talks about asking for what you want, changing perception and his personal steps toward becoming the next J.J. Abrams.

Ryan O' Connell talks about writing on Will and Grace and Awkward and discusses his upcoming Netflix series Special, inspired by his experiences as a gay man navigating the world with cerebral palsy.

Eight days. Thirteen states. Thirty drivers. Pilar's husband Pat Francis talks about his new documentary in which he traveled across country using only the ride-share service Lyft.

Kendra Jordan and Racquel Baker discuss the new B.E.T. show Boomerang and the way they find episodes and break story in the writers' room.

Psychiatrist Laura Erickson-Schroth and general practitioner Justin Young are also writers who crave a more realistic depiction of the medical profession on screen. Listen to their advice about myth vs. truth in the medical world.

Pilar and her friends Brian Pope, Mike Musa and Nancy Noever get together for their annual discussion/argument about the best screenplay and best adapted screenplay Oscar nominees.

Story analysts Mark Chandley (HBO), Holly Sklar (Warner Bros.) and Daniel Livnat (UTA) discuss their approach to reading and covering scripts and books for production companies, studios and agencies.

Writer / director Meredith Danluck discusses the thought and effort that went into her independent thriller State Like Sleep and her four-screen narrative film North of South, West of East.

Stop working so hard! In a quick tutorial, Pilar guides you through some lazy ways to brainstorm, outline and write your screenplay.

Jade Branion and Darren O'Hare made some fascinating life choices that influenced and energized their writing.

Kristin Overn, Executive Director of the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards, talks about the world of writing competitions and provides insight into the ways judges read and evaluate scripts.

David Rabinowitz's first feature-length script got the attention of Jordan Peele and was directed by Spike Lee. He discusses the writing and pitching process and what he's learned along the way.

Pilar and Aadip evaluate log lines sent in by listeners. Who will win ... and who will end up on the "But List?"