OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East

Geri talks to Amber Ruffin—writer and on-air talent for LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS and the creator and host of the forthcoming NBC Peacock talk series THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW—about the process of writing two shows concurrently, how she crafts jokes out of movie clichés, how wearing MC Hammer pants can teach you to be fearless in a writers room, and much more. Amber Ruffin is a writer and comedian who has written for LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS since its inception. As a writer for LATE NIGHT, she was the first Black woman to write for a late-night network talk show in the U.S., and has also appeared in several of the show's popular segments, such as "Amber Says What?" and "Jokes Seth Can't Tell". In 2018, she hosted the 70th annual Writers Guild Awards New York ceremony, and in 2019, she wrote for the first season of the HBO sketch comedy show A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW. Her new series, THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW, is a levity- and comedy-focused late-night talk show created by and starring Amber, with her fellow LATE NIGHT writer and SECOND CITY alum Jenny Hagel serving as head writer. The show will premiere on Friday, September 25th, and will air on NBC's streaming service Peacock. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ -- Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Season 7 host Geri Cole speaks with Oscar- and Writers Guild Award-winning screenwriter and director Charlie Kaufman about his latest film, how his writing is shaped by fear, finding meaning in his films, the benefits of walking, and much more. Charlie Kaufman is a critically acclaimed screenwriter and director. His writing credits include ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND—for which he received the Academy, Writers Guild, and BAFTA Awards for Best Original Screenplay—as well as BEING JOHN MALKOVICH and ADAPTATION, both of which earned him a BAFTA Award and nominations for the Writers Guild and Academy Awards in their respective screenplay categories. Three of his screenplays were included in the WGA's "101 Greatest Screenplays" project in 2005. Kaufman's feature directorial debut was the 2008 film SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK. His latest project, the Neftlix psychological drama I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, is based on the 2016 novel by Iain Reid. The film is narrated by the unnamed girlfriend of Jake as the new couple travel deep into the country to visit Jake's parents' secluded farm. Upon arriving, she comes to question everything she thought she knew about Jake, and about herself. The film was released in late August and is available to stream on Netflix. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews at www.onwriting.org/ Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin speaks with writer Katori Hall – the creator and showrunner of the Starz drama series P-VALLEY – about the show's journey from theater to TV, the showrunner as changemaker, how creating a show is like climbing a pole, and much more. Katori Hall is an acclaimed playwright whose stage credits include Hurt Village; Tina; and The Mountaintop – a fictionalized account of Martin Luther King Jr.'s last night alive, for which she received the 2010 Olivier Award for Best Play. P-VALLEY is an adaptation of Katori's play Pussy Valley. The series centers on a strip club in the "Dirty Delta" of Mississippi and the people whose lives—and secrets—revolve around it. The show premiered on Starz in July 2020, and was recently renewed for a second season. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin is joined by Kristen Bartlett and Mike Drucker—the Emmy-nominated and Writers Guild Award-winning co-head writers of FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE—to talk about the challenges of writing comedy remotely, how they're taking more creative chances with material and the benefits and responsibilities of being co-head writers of a late night show in 2020. Before their time on the Full Frontal writing staff, Kristen Bartlett wrote on two seasons of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, while Mike Drucker wrote on THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON and BILL NYE SAVES THE WORLD. FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE is a late-night talk and news satire show starring former Daily Show correspondent Samantha Bee, and is now in its fifth season on TBS. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin chats with Ramy Youssef—the writer, creator, Golden Globe-winning star, and frequent director of the Hulu comedy series RAMY—about the importance of representation in crafting his show, what was in his head when he won his Golden Globe, and why if you're going to be weird you have to earn it. Ramy Youssef kicked off his industry career as a co-star in the Nick at Nite comedy SEE DAD RUN, where he shadowed the writers' room. Since then, he's had a recurring role on USA Network's MR ROBOT and an HBO stand-up special. His latest project, RAMY, drops us into the day-to-day life of Ramy Hassan, a millennial Muslim living in New Jersey who's trying to navigate faith, family and being a first generation immigrant while also waiting in the murky waters of sex, love and trying to be good. Seasons 1 and 2 of the series are now streaming on Hulu, and the show was recently renewed for a 3rd season. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin is joined remotely by Tony McNamara—the Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning screenwriter and writer-creator of the satirical Hulu series THE GREAT—to discuss The Great's journey from theater to television, how smart women take on the status quo, and why the show's depiction of sex is so refreshing. Tony McNamara wrote a number of critically acclaimed films and TV series in his native Australia before receiving international attention - as well as an Oscar nomination and a BAFTA win - as the screenwriter for the 2018 period piece/black comedy THE FAVOURITE. His latest project, THE GREAT, is loosely based on the life and times of Russian monarch Catherine the Great. The series, which stars Elle Fanning is the titular Catherine, and Nicholas Hoult as her caddish husband Emperor Peter, is available to stream on Hulu, and was just renewed for a second season. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin chats with Liz Tigelaar – showrunner and head writer for the Hulu miniseries LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE – about the start of Liz's creative journey as a Dawson's Creek writer's assistant, how story arcs around mothers and daughters have evolved, why an intersectional writers' room is essential for all storytelling, and much more. Liz Tigelaar's long career in TV drama includes shows like BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ONCE UPON A TIME, and NASHVILLE, among others. She also created the CW series LIFE UNEXPECTED and ran the Golden Globe-nominated Hulu series CASUAL. Her latest project, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, stars Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon and is based on the novel by Celeste Ng. The series is a meditation on motherhood, race, and the tensions between them in a suburban Ohio town in the '90s. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin is joined via phone by Taika Waititi -- the writer, director, and star of the film JOJO RABBIT, and the producer of the show WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS - both of which have earned him nominations at this year's Writers Guild Awards. Taika chats about writing a Nazi satire, using fear as a creative motivator, writing comedy when you aren't attracted to comedy writing, how he engages with the Indigenous filmmaking community worldwide, and more. Taika Waititi's filmmaking career started in the early 2000s and gained international attention when he received an Oscar for his 2004 short film TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT. Since then, he has written and directed films like EAGLE VS. SHARK, BOY, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, and THOR: RAGNAROK, which have all been met with widespread critical acclaim. His latest project, JOJO RABBIT, is a dark comedy based on Christine Leunens's book Caging Skies. Set in Nazi Germany, the film follows Johannes "Jojo" Betzler, a Hitler Youth member who finds out that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Jojo must then question his beliefs, while dealing with the intervention of his imaginary friend -- a fanciful version of Adolf Hitler (played by Taika himself). It has received nominations at this year's Writers Guild Awards, as well as six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin sits down with writer, director, and actor Greta Gerwig – the writer and director of the 2019 film LITTLE WOMEN – to talk about why the world needs a new version of the classic story; how Greta cuts down her 400-page first drafts; the intersection between women, money, and writing; and much more. Greta Gerwig started her film career with a small acting role in the 2006 film LOL. She went on to act in, co-write, and co-direct several mumblecore films over the subsequent years, and has been a frequent collaborator of writer and director Noah Baumbach since 2010. She made her solo screenwriting and directorial début with the 2017 film LADY BIRD, for which she was nominated for both a Writers Guild and an Oscar. LITTLE WOMEN is an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical 1868/1869 novel by Louisa May Alcott. The film follows the four March sisters – Amy, Jo, Beth and Meg – as they come of age during the aftermath of the Civil War. The film will be released in theaters on December 25, 2019. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin is joined by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, co-writers of A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, to talk about the eternal battle between cynicism and kindness, the gravitational pull of Tom Hanks, and how keeping bankers' hours keeps them sane. Before their most recent project, Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster were writers and producers on the recently concluded Amazon series TRANSPARENT, for which they won a Peabody Award and were nominated for Emmy, Writers Guild, Golden Globe, and GLAAD Awards. The duo are also co-writers of MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL, the 2019 sequel to the 2014 film MALEFICENT. Inspired by the Esquire Magazine article "Can You Say… 'Hero'?," A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD is based on the true story of a friendship between renowned children's television host and educator Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

In the season 5 premiere, Kaitlin sits down with Writers Guild Award- and Oscar-nominated writer and director Noah Baumbach to talk about his latest film, MARRIAGE STORY. They discuss how a film about divorce is really a film about love, what New York and LA mean on screen, when you know you're ready to open that final draft file and really write, and much more. Noah Baumbach made his feature film debut with his critically acclaimed 1995 film KICKING AND SCREAMING, and has gone on to write and direct such films as FRANCES HA, THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES, and THE SQUID AND THE WHALE – the script for which was nominated for both a Writers Guild Award and an Oscar. MARRIAGE STORY follows actor Nicole Barber and her stage director husband Charlie as they struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them both to their personal and creative extremes. The film now streaming on Netflix. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Over the past five years, podcasts have exploded in popularity. You listen to them, and with over 700,000 active podcasts out there, chances are you or someone you know has a show of their own. A 2019 report by Edison Research found that 70% of the U.S. population has heard of podcasts and over 50% have listened to one. Fictional or scripted podcasts represent a small but steadily growing subset of the podcast industry. The Guild – and our members – have a lot of questions about this new frontier of scripted podcasting. Is it a lower-cost way to get a story known to the public… and to TV producers? Is it a viable, fulfilling way to create stories in its own right? What are some ways writers can protect ourselves as we explore this new form of work? To answer these questions, we spoke to writers and producers who have made a name for themselves in the scripted podcast industry – some who are just starting out, and some whose podcasts have gone on to become TV shows. In Part One, LIMETOWN co-creator Zack Akers, HOMECOMING producer Alicia Van Couvering, and WGA East executive director Lowell Peterson talk to us about the industry's business side: what the market looks like, how to break in, and how to protect yourself once you're there. In Part Two, we'll take a deep dive into the creative side of the industry, from recruiting talent to necessary skillsets to creative satisfactions and beyond. Learn more about the Guild's work in the scripted podcast industry: wgaeast.org/podcasting. -- The OnWriting Guide to Scripted Podcasting, Part One was written & produced by Molly Beer; hosted by Kaitlin Fontana; sound design, mixing, and tech production by Stock Boy Creative; with special thanks to River Donaghey, Danielle Trussoni, Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, Alicia Van Couvering, Lowell Peterson, Jason Gordon, and Marsha Seeman. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ -- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

When you're a screenwriter moving to TV or a novelist moving to screenwriting or even a comedy writer moving to drama, you'll have questions about how this new territory differs from what you're used to. Questions like... how does breaking a script work? Or... how do I write character development over the course of a two hour film rather than over a full TV season? Questions are normal. But typically, there are at least some factors that are givens – things that have been established over the course of decades. Problem is, since podcasts are new territory for pretty much everyone, those sorts of rules and standards about the most basic issues don't exist yet. There's no consensus about how to format a podcast script, let alone any popular beliefs about things like whether you need a writer's room. To find answers for some of these questions, we spoke to writers and producers who have made a name for themselves in the scripted podcast industry – some who are just starting out, and some whose podcasts have gone on to become TV shows. In Part One, we heard from LIMETOWN co-creator Zack Akers, HOMECOMING producer Alicia Van Couvering, and WGA East executive director Lowell Peterson about the industry's business side: what the market looks like, how to break in, and how to protect yourself once you're there. Now, in Part Two, we'll take a deep dive – with the help of Zack and Alicia, as well as Danielle Trussoni (CRYPTO-Z), and River Donaghey (AMERICAN AFTERLIFE) – into the creative side of the industry – from recruiting talent, to necessary skillsets, to creative satisfactions and beyond. Learn more about the Guild's work in the scripted podcast industry: wgaeast.org/podcasting. -- The OnWriting Guide to Scripted Podcasting, Part Two was written & produced by Molly Beer; hosted by Kaitlin Fontana; sound design, mixing, and tech production by Stock Boy Creative; with special thanks to River Donaghey, Danielle Trussoni, Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, Alicia Van Couvering, Lowell Peterson, Jason Gordon, and Marsha Seeman. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ -- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin chats with writer, director, producer, and actor Edward Norton about his many screenwriting jobs, how he gets past writer's block, his 20-year journey taking his latest film - MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN - to the big screen, and much more. Edward Norton had his film debut in the 1996 film PRIMAL FEAR, and within three years had risen to prominence for his starring roles in AMERICAN HISTORY X and FIGHT CLUB. Since then, he has received critical and cult acclaim – as well as numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award and three Academy Award nominations – for his roles in films like RED DRAGON, THE ILLUSIONIST, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, MOONRISE KINGDOM, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, BIRDMAN (just to name a few). He has also directed or produced films like KEEPING THE FAITH and THE PAINTED VEIL. MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN is an adaptation of Jonathan Letham's 1999 novel of the same name. The film follows Lionel Essrog, a lonely private detective living with Tourette Syndrome, as he ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend, Frank Minna. The film was released in theaters on November 1. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin is joined by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, co-creators of the Netflix series Patriot Act, to talk about how they joined forces to create their headline-making series, the importance of a unique take on the news, and why you can never have enough late night shows. Hasan Minhaj is a comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. Before starting his time as host of PATRIOT ACT WITH HASAN MINHAJ, you may have recognized him from - among other things - his four-year stint as a correspondent on THE DAILY SHOW, or as the host of the 2017 White House Correspondents' Dinner. Since the premiere of PATRIOT ACT, Hasan has won a Peabody Award and two Webby Awards, and was listed of one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2019. Prashanth Venkataramanujam is a writer, actor, comedian, and producer who is currently the head writer and executive producer for PATRIOT ACT. In 2016, Prashanth wrote Minhaj's host speech for the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner which was televised on C-SPAN – the recording of which subsequently went viral and now has over 1.3 million views on YouTube. In 2017, he became a writer for Netflix's BILL NYE SAVES THE WORLD, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and wrote Hasan's speech for that year's WHCA Dinner. PATRIOT ACT WITH HASAN MINHAJ explores the modern cultural and political landscape with depth and sincerity. In each weekly episode, he uses his unique comedic voice and storytelling skill to investigate the larger trends shaping the fragmented world. Episodes are released weekly on Netflix, and the fifth season will premiere on November 10, 2019. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin sits down with novelist, screenwriter, and showrunner Tom Perrotta to discuss his creative process, writing about sexual awakening, porn, adapting his latest novel into his latest TV show, and much more. Tom Perrotta is the bestselling author of nine works of fiction, including Election and Little Children, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films, and The Leftovers, which he and Damon Lindelof adapted into a Peabody Award-winning HBO series. MRS. FLETCHER, Perrotta's new HBO series, is based on his latest novel, and tells the story of a single mom who attempts to start a new life after her son heads off to college. It premieres on October 27th. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin sits down with Lorene Scafaria to discuss her latest film, HUSTLERS, as well as her writing processes for both adapted and original projects, the importance of portraying women and their relationships in a dynamic way, the work in sex work, and much more. Lorene earned her first Writers Guild credit with the acclaimed teen comedy NICK AND NORA'S INFINITE PLAYLIST. Since then, she's written and directed three films: SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, THE MEDDLER, and - most recently - one of this year's most buzzed-about films, HUSTLERS. Inspired by the New York magazine article "The Hustlers at Scores," HUSTLERS follows a group of strippers, when the 2008 economic collapse, devise a scheme to scheme to take their lives back by turning the tables on their Wall Street clients. The film was released in theaters on September 13, 2019. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Kaitlin sits down with writer, showrunner, director, and playwright Warren Leight to discuss his career from stand-up comic to playwright to showrunner of IN TREATMENT and LAW & ORDER: SVU, running writers' rooms, how to shift the focus of a show with such a powerful legacy, the importance of having your work - and your writing team - reflect the real world, and much more. Warren Leight got his start in the entertainment industry with credits on features like MOTHER'S DAY and THE NIGHT WE NEVER MET (the latter of which he also directed). He also wrote for the female stand-up comic quartet the "High Heeled Women." From there, he eventually moved to the stage, penning plays like MAYOR and the Tony Award-winning, Pulitzer Prize finalist SIDE MAN. Warren joined the writing staff of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT for its second through seventh seasons, when he left to be the showrunner for the HBO series IN TREATMENT. He returned to the LAW & ORDER roster in 2011, when he became showrunner for LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT. He worked as showrunner for SVU for its 13th-17th seasons, and is returning to the helm for its 21st. LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT is chronicles the lives of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, a squad of detectives who investigate crimes of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence. The NBC series - which is now the longest-running live-action television series in the United States - will premiere its 21st season on September 26, 2019. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Season 4 host Kaitlin Fontana talks with Lauren Ashley Smith about being the Head Writer for the HBO series A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW, her writing process, the importance of having diverse voices in entertainment, how she runs her writers' room, and much more. Lauren is a writer, actor, comedian, and producer, and the first black woman to be the Head Writer of a sketch television show. Before her work on "A Black Lady Sketch Show," Lauren was Head Writer of the critically acclaimed late night show, "The Rundown with Robin Thede." As a comedian, Lauren hosted the Zagat webseries, "Chefs Eating Tacos," and has appeared on VH1.com, The Scene, Refinery29, and the Netflix original series, "The Characters." A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW is, as its name implies, is a sketch-comedy series with a cast, writers' room, and directing roster comprised entirely of black women. The series, created by Robin Thede and co-executive produced by Issa Rae, premiered on HBO in August and was recently renewed for its second season. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Caroline spoke with Solvan "Slick" Naim—writer, director, rapper, actor, and creator of the Emmy-nominated Netflix series IT'S BRUNO!—about the ways that music informs and shapes his work, the importance of diversity-focused mentorship programs in the entertainment industry, his advice to those who are just starting to try launch their careers in film & TV, translating his love of his dogs into his show, and much more. Solvan "Slick" Naim is an Award winning Algerian-American writer, director and rapper who was born and raised in New York City. Slick's filmmaking career started by way of his music career: as a rapper, he wrote treatments to his songs and began directing his own music videos. His debut feature, FULL CIRCLE, won 5 festival awards including the Audience Award at the 2013 HBO Urbanworld Festival and was acquired by EOne. His short film "Stanhope" was one of five shorts selected by HBO for their 2015 HBO Short Film Competition and took home the grand prize for Best Film. The film won several other festivals including NBC Universal's Short Fest, receiving the Best Director and Audience Awards. In 2015, Slick was selected by Sony Pictures as a finalist in their Diverse Directors TV Program. He was a second unit director for several episodes of the Netflix series THE GET DOWN. Slick was later selected for FOX and NBC for their TV Director programs, and eventually went on to direct shows for them as well. IT'S BRUNO! is his debut as a series creator. IT'S BRUNO! - which premiered on Netflix in May - follows a Brooklyn native and his Puggle dog, Bruno, through the small adventures they encounter every day as they navigate their native Bushwick. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Caroline spoke with playwright, screenwriter, and showrunner Gary Lennon about embracing rejection; the elements of a successful writers' room; his philosophy on putting real life in your fiction; the new seasons of POWER, HIGHTOWN, and EUPHORIA, and much more. Gary Lennon's somewhat tumultuous childhood paved the way for the start of his writing career: his first screenplay, for the 1995 film DRUNKS, was an adaptation of his stage play, BLACKOUT – a series of semi-autobiographical monologues about alcoholism. Since then, he has been a consistent fixture in the film and television worlds, with writing credits on shows like THE SHIELD, JUSTIFIED, and ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. He's currently the co-showrunner of the Starz crime drama POWER, and is an executive producer on the forthcoming Starz drama HIGHTOWN and the HBO teen drama EUPHORIA. POWER tells the story of James St. Patrick, a ruthless drug-dealer under the nickname "Ghost", who wishes to leave the criminal world in order to support his legitimate business interests as a nightclub owner. The sixth and final season will premiere in August. EUPHORIA, which premiered last month, follows a group of high school students as they navigate drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship. HIGHTOWN follows federal Fishery Service Agent Jackie Quinones, whose life of partying and less-than-enthusiastic relationship to her job are upended after she discovers a body in Cape Cod Bay, and finds herself at the center of the Cape's gruesome heroin epidemic. It's tentatively set to premiere in early 2020. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Caroline sat down with the one and only Tom Fontana (for his very first podcast!) to discuss his writing process, running less-than-traditional writers' rooms, mentoring writers, his latest series - CITY ON A HILL, and much more. Tom Fontana's extensive résumé includes writer, producer, showrunner, and (co-)creator credits on several groundbreaking television series, including OZ, HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET, THE PHILANTHROPIST, COPPER, and Netflix's BORGIA. He has received international recognition for his writing, including five Writers Guild Awards (three for Episodic Drama and three of the East's honorary awards), three Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, and four Television Critics Association Awards. He is currently the showrunner for CITY ON A HILL, the crime drama series created by Chuck MacLean which recently premiered on Showtime. CITY ON A HILL—a fictional account of the 1996 "Boston Miracle" that changed the city's reputation for violent criminals, racism, and corrupt law enforcement—follows Brooklyn-raised Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward as he and forms an unlikely alliance with corrupt yet venerated FBI veteran, Jackie Rohr. Together, they take on a family of armored car robbers in a case that grows to involve, and ultimately subvert, the entire criminal justice system of Boston. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Caroline was joined by writing team Robert and Michelle King—creators of THE GOOD FIGHT, their new series, EVIL, and the Writers Guild Award-winning show, THE GOOD WIFE—to discuss the upcoming seasons of THE GOOD FIGHT and EVIL, the difference between writers' rooms in LA and NYC, life as a married writing team, and more. Before their work on THE GOOD FIGHT and EVIL, the Kings co-created the political satire/science fiction BRAINDEAD and the police procedural IN JUSTICE. THE GOOD FIGHT- a spin-off of the Kings' award-winning series THE GOOD WIFE - follows attorney Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) as she loses her employment after an enormous financial scam destroys both the reputation of her goddaughter Maia (Rose Leslie) and Diane's savings, leading them to join Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) at one of Chicago's preeminent law firms. The show's third season premiered on CBS All Access earlier this spring, and was recently renewed for a fourth season. EVIL is the Kings' upcoming series which follows a skeptical female clinical psychologist who joins a priest-in-training and a blue-collar contractor as they investigate supposed miracles, demonic possessions, and other extraordinary occurrences to see if there's a scientific explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org/-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Caroline was joined by writer and director Alex Ross Perry to discuss his upcoming film HER SMELL (which is in theaters on Friday, April 12), their shared Philly roots, his Kim's Video alum-heavy list of frequent collaborators and much more. HER SMELL follows '90s punk rock superstar Becky Something as she grapples with motherhood, exhausted bandmates, nervous record company executives, and a new generation of rising talent eager to usurp her stardom - and eventually must retreat from the spotlight to try to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success. Alex's career kicked off with the 2009 feature film IMPOLEX - an absurdist comedy inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel Gravity's Rainbow. Since then, he has written seven other features - five of which he also directed - including indies like THE COLOR WHEEL and QUEEN OF EARTH, as well as the 2018 Disney film CHRISTOPHER ROBIN. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Caroline spoke with David Mandel - the showrunner of the HBO hit series VEEP - about his amazing career trajectory, his strong opinions on writers' rooms, and their mutual obsession with Robert Caro. VEEP follows Selina Meyer, the Vice President (and, later, President) of the United States, and her team as they attempt to make their mark and leave a legacy without getting tripped up in the day-to-day political games that define the American government. The Emmy- and WGA Award-winning series – which is an adaptation of the BBC satire THE THICK OF IT – is currently in its seventh and final season. Before David Mandel's tenure as VEEP showrunner, he was a writer, director, and executive producer for CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. Prior to that, he wrote for the seventh, eighth, and ninth seasons of SEINFELD; for the 18th, 19th, and 20th seasons of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the 2003 film adaptation of THE CAT IN THE HAT, and was a writer and co-creator for CLERKS: THE ANIMATED SERIES. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Caroline and WGAE Indie Film Caucus Director Jenna Bond sat down to speak with writer, director, and comedian Bo Burnham about his feature film debut, EIGHTH GRADE, which received a Best Original Screenplay nomination in this year's Writers Guild Awards. EIGHTH GRADE follows Kayla - an anxious thirteen-year-old - as she tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before graduating to high school while simultaneously hosting a video blog on YouTube in which she gives life advice. Bo's own career also started on YouTube, where he published a number of viral comedic music and skits starting in 2006. His online popularity quickly translated into an IRL career when he signed with Comedy Central Records in 2008. Since then, he released a series of comedy albums and stand-up specials, appeared in a number of feature films, and co-created, wrote, and starred in the MTV comedy series ZACH STONE IS GONNA BE FAMOUS. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Caroline spoke with Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, co-creators of the Comedy Central series THE OTHER TWO. THE OTHER TWO follows two older siblings who navigate and struggle to find success in their 20s, as their much younger brother becomes a mega star thanks to a viral video he made for a song called, 'I Wanna Marry You at Recess'. Chris and Sarah were staff writers on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE starting in the show's 37th season, and were co-head writers for its 42nd season. Before their careers at SNL, Chris was a staff writer and director at Funny or Die and Onion News Network. His first feature film, OTHER PEOPLE, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Sarah was a writer and actor for CollegeHumor, where she starred as a fictionalized version of herself in the sitcom THE COLLEGEHUMOR SHOW. She has also written for the Netflix comedy MASTER OF NONE. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

In this episode, Caroline was joined by Jenna Bond, who leads the WGAE Indie Film Caucus, and screenwriter and director Barry Jenkins to discuss Jenkins's film IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK. Barry Jenkins had his feature film debut with the 2008 independent film MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY, starring Wyatt Cenac and Tracey Heggins. Eight years later, in 2016, he released his second feature film, MOONLIGHT, which won the Writers Guild Award for Best Original Screenplay and two Oscars - including Best Picture. His latest film, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, is an adaptation of the 1974 novel by James Baldwin. The film follows Tish, a newly engaged Harlem woman who races against the clock to prove her lover's innocence before the birth of their first child. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Caroline spoke with David Magee about his screenplay for MARY POPPINS RETURNS—the highly anticipated and ambitious sequel to the 1964 Walt Disney classic. Prior to MARY POPPINS RETURNS, David wrote the screenplays for FINDING NEVERLAND, MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY, and LIFE OF PI. He received Academy Award nominations for his work on both NEVERLAND and PI, and is currently at work on a project about the life of famed author Hans Christian Andersen. MARY POPPINS RETURNS follows the magical nanny as, decades after her original visit, she returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael's children through a difficult time in their lives. It opens in theaters everywhere tomorrow, December 19. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

In this episode, Caroline sat down to chat with John Krasinski—the screenwriter, director, producer, and star of one of this year's most frightening features (and one of AFI's Top 10 Films of 2018), A QUIET PLACE. The film follows the Abbott family as they attempt to silently navigate a post-apocalyptic world plagued by ruthless monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. It was released in April 2018 to widespread critical acclaim and quickly became a box office success. You probably know John Krasinski from his eight-year stint playing Jim Halpert in the NBC comedy THE OFFICE, or else from his more recent turn starring as the eponymous hero of Amazon Prime's JACK RYAN, but Krasinski has also made a name for himself behind the camera. He made his feature film screenwriting and directorial debut in 2009 with BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN, based on the short story collection by David Foster Wallace, and he wrote the screenplay for the 2012 film PROMISED LAND, directed by Gus Van Sant. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org-- Follow us on social media:Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

It's season two of the podcast, and we're hitting the ground (front-)running. In this episode, our season 2 host Caroline Waxler sat down with THE FRONT RUNNER co-writers Matt Bai, Jay Carson, and Jason Reitman. The film, based on a book by Matt Bai, explores how, in 1988, Senator Gary Hart's presidential aspirations were derailed after an affair became national news, and chronicles the moment when politics crossed over into entertainment. Matt Bai is a journalist, author, and screenwriter. He's currently the national political columnist at Yahoo News. Before that, he was chief political correspondent for the New York Times Magazine. You may also recognize him from his recurring role as himself in season two of HOUSE OF CARDS. Jay Carson is an international and American policy advisor and strategist. Throughout his career, he's been the press secretary for Hillary Clinton, a senior staffer for several other elected officials - including President Bill Clinton, and Chief Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles. He was also the supervising producer and political consultant for HOUSE OF CARDS. Jason Reitman is an Oscar- and Writers Guild Award-nominated screenwriter, director, and producer. In addition to THE FRONT RUNNER - which, in addition to co-writing, he also directed - his screenwriting credits include UP IN THE AIR and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org -- Follow us on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

We're bringing you a special episode of OnWriting all about the Made in NY Writers Room—a fellowship program from the WGA East, the NYC Department of Small Business Services, and the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. The fellowship elevates emerging writers with diverse backgrounds and view points by providing career development training from established showrunners and television industry leaders. For this episode, showrunner and Made in NY Writers Room mentor, Michael Rauch will be our guest moderator. He'll be in conversation with New York City Commissioner, Julie Menin, and the Writers Guild of America East Executive Director, Lowell Peterson. You can learn all about the program and how to apply by visiting wgaeast.org/writersroom -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org -- Follow us on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

For the 6th and final episode of Season 1, Jordan spoke with David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, the brilliant minds behind the award-winning Showtime/BBC series EPISODES, which recently concluded its fifth and final season. David and Jeffrey both got their start writing on the legendary late-night HBO sitcom DREAM ON. From there, Jeffrey went on to write and co-produce the hit series MAD ABOUT YOU, while David co-created the sitcom FRIENDS. EPISODES follows a British husband-and-wife comedy writing team who travel to Hollywood to remake their successful British TV series with FRIENDS' alum Matt LeBlanc. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org -- Follow us on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

For episode 5 of the show, Jordan was joined by Emmy Blotnick to talk about her career writing late-night comedy. Emmy was the head writer for THE PRESIDENT SHOW on Comedy Central and is currently writing for THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT.She kicked off her late-night career writing for the MTV talk show NIKKI AND SARA LIVE. After that, she wrote for Comedy Central's internet-themed game show, AT MIDNIGHT, and for the hit CBS late-night segment CARPOOL KARAOKE. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org -- Follow us on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

For episode 4, Jordan spoke with Sybil Rosen and Ethan Hawke about their film BLAZE. BLAZE is inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film explores Blaze's love affair with Sybil Rosen; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact of his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes. Sybil Rosen is a writer and actress whose memoir about her eight-month period living with Blaze Foley in a wall-less tree house in West Georgia—Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze—provided the source material for the film. Ethan Hawke is an Academy Award-nominated writer, actor, and director. He has starred in a number of films over the course of his career, including DEAD POETS SOCIETY, TRAINING DAY, the BEFORE trilogy, BOYHOOD, and FIRST REFORMED. Prior to BLAZE, he co-wrote the screenplays for BEFORE SUNSET and BEFORE MIDNIGHT. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:www.onwriting.org -- Follow us on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

For episode 3 of the show, Jordan spoke with Sofia Alvarez about her latest project, the romantic comedy TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, which was released on Netflix on August 17. The film was adapted from Jenny Han's 2014 novel of the same name. It follows 16-year-old Lara Jean Song Covey, whose life is thrown through a loop when someone exposes the secret love letters she wrote to—you guessed it—all the boys she's loved before. Sofia Alvarez is a playwright and screenwriter. Before TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, she was a staff writer on FXX's MAN SEEKING WOMAN and USA Network's SIRENS. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org -- Follow us on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

For episode two of OnWriting, Jordan spoke with Alec Berg and Bill Hader about their Emmy-nominated HBO series, BARRY — a dark comedy starring Hader as a low-level hitman with aspirations of becoming an actor. Bill Hader's eight-year stint on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE turned him into something of a household name. He's also written on SOUTH PARK for the last decade, and he co-created the mockumentary series DOCUMENTARY NOW with his fellow SNL alums, Seth Meyers and Fred Armisen. Alec Berg wrote for SEINFIELD and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM before working as a showrunner for SILICON VALLEY. He has also written on LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, and co-wrote the screenplays for films like EUROTRIP and THE DICTATOR. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org -- Follow us on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

For the first episode of OnWriting, we spoke with Academy Award-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt about his video lecture, ENDINGS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE INSANELY GREAT. Michael's first feature-length screenplay – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE – earned him the Oscar and the Writers Guild Award for Best Original Screenplay. His other credits include TOY STORY 3, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE, and STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. His video lecture, ENDINGS, explores how great film endings work through a close analysis of the climaxes of STAR WARS, THE GRADUATE, and LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. You can watch ENDINGS, for free, here: www.pandemoniuminc.com/endings-video -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org -- Follow us on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast