Why is it so satisfying to watch a highly-skilled character complete their goals? And why can it be equally hilarious to watch an incompetent character bumble through a slew of screw-ups? In this episode, John and Craig discuss how to play with competence in your characters.

We also say goodbye to our producer Drew Marquardt with a thoroughly embarrassing exit interview, and reveal our new producer. However, it's not really goodbye, because Drew will be staying on to work with John on an upcoming project (TBA).

In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig deliberate on the question: Should you quit LOUDLY?

Links: * The attack on competence by Iris Meredith * Scott Tenorman Must Die (South Park – Season 5, Episode 4) * Bartosz Ciechanowski's Curves and Surfaces * Rhubarb Breakfast Dessert by Melissa Clark * Easiest Citrus Roasted Rhubarb by "Kate Cooks" * 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 * Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok * John August on Bluesky and Instagram * Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!) * Scriptnotes is produced by Meredith Stedman and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Our intern is Lauren Loesberg.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome writer and showrunner David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, Ally McBeal) to look at his process for adapting books to TV, particularly with his latest series Margo's Got Money Troubles. They explore where to find your act breaks, crafting complicated tones, and when to trust the writer of the book.

We also look at how TV has changed over David's storied career, how he runs a writers room, creating story engines, the difference between writing for broadcast TV and streaming, and the one thing a TV show should never be.

In our bonus segment for premium members, David coaches John and Craig on how to survive a long running series.

Links:

• David E. Kelley on IMDb
• Margo's Got Money Troubles on AppleTV
• Harvard Alcohol Project: Designated Driver
• The Painful Truth About Long Covid by Alan Levinovitz for WIRED
• Salmon
• 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
• Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
• John August on Bluesky and Instagram
• Outro by Nick Moore (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Our intern is Lauren Loesberg.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John welcomes writer and showrunner Courtney Kemp (Power, Nemesis) to ask, how do you find an audience and build momentum on television? They look at how writers can match their voice to an underserved audience, the pitfalls of being boxed in by a niche, and what new writers can do to get people excited about their work.

We also chart how Courtney built her career from magazine writer to creating the television franchise Power, look at the exciting success of Obsession and Backrooms, and answer listener questions on talking to your reps about financial struggles, and how to find your project's "why now?"

In our bonus segment for premium members, Courtney shot her new show Nemesis entirely in Los Angeles, and you can too!

Links:

• Courtney Kemp on Instagram and Wikipedia
• Nemesis on Netflix
• 'Obsession' Makes History With Biggest Second-Weekend Spike in Modern Times by Pamela McClintock and Lexi Carson for The Hollywood Reporter
• The 'Pitt' Effect: A Scramble to Get Shows Back on Air Faster by Lesley Goldberg for Ankler Media
• Ryan Walker hotel reviews
• Star City
• 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
• Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
• John August on Bluesky and Instagram
• Outro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John welcomes back Phil Hay (Destroyer, The Invitation) to ask, how do you get a movie made with independent financing? They look at how indie movies get made, where you get the money, deciding when to go indie, and whether streamers complicate the picture.

We also follow up on testing movies with focus groups and answer listener questions on how to navigate the editing room, daily routines, and what to do when your story has too many themes.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we look back on what Phil learned about D&D from his documentary The Dungeon Masters.

Links:

• Phil Hay
• Scriptnotes Episode 244, Episode 377, and Episode 505
• The Dungeon Masters
• The Answering Machine Meltdown from Swingers
• John's daily to-do template
• Pamela Ribon's One Act documentary
• Petey USA's The Yips
• KOXY College Radio
• 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
• Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
• John August on Bluesky and Instagram
• Outro by Craig Good (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome back Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) to explore the timely questions about art and human labor posed by her long-awaited sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2. We'll warn you now: Spoilers ahead!

We also look at what AI knitting podcasts can tell us about the future of industrially-produced slop, and answer a listener question on how to approach the engine of a TV show.

In our bonus segment for premium members, what would a hypothetical Scriptnotes Screenplay Club look like? Aline weighs in to make sure the design is impeccable.

That's all.

Links:

• The Devil Wears Prada 2
• Aline Brosh McKenna on Instagram and IMDb
• The Sheep Detectives
• Knitting Bullshit by Kate Davies
• Inception Point AI
• How many E's are in Seventeen? on YouTube
• Inserting yourself into Game of Thrones on Instagram
• One Move God Mode vertical by NetShort
• New York Times Issues Stern Warning to Its Freelance Writers About AI Use by Maggie Harrison Dupré for Futurism
• Jared Freid on TikTok
• The Feed Is Fake by Lane Brown for New York Magazine
• Indigo Girls
• 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
• Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
• John August on Bluesky and Instagram
• Outro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig go back to the beginning to examine the mechanics of the flash-forward opening — or as it's known on this podcast, the "Stuart Special." They look at what makes a strong flash-forward, when to avoid them, and how to pay back the narrative debt they incur.

We also follow up on the Scriptnotes survey and answer a massive grab-bag blitz of listener questions including the potential pitfalls of child protagonists, "unfilmable" elements, and how to end a scene.

In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you socialize at Hollywood parties? We've made all the mistakes so you don't have to.

Links:

• The script for episode one of Chernobyl
• Scriptnotes episode 493: Opening Scenes
• Greta Gerwig's Little Women screenplay
• The Sheep Detectives
• Scriptnotes episode 731: Avoidance and Other Anti-Quests
• Sorkinisms – A Supercut by Kevin T. Porter
• My journey to the microwave alternate timeline by Malmesbury
• Solasta 2
• 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
• Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
• John August on Bluesky and Instagram
• Outro by Nick Moore (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

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 bonus segment for premium members, with the rise of AI, will there still be be movies and TV shows in ten or twenty years? Our best guesses lie just behind the paywall.

Links:

• Widow's Bay on AppleTV
• Katie Dippold on Instagram and IMDb
• Scriptnotes listener survey
• Katie as the Babadook
• The last time Katie was on Scriptnotes, Episode 272
• The Sheep Detectives
• Wolf's Belly Publisher's Weekly starred review (preorder the book here!)
• Oscar Rule Changes by Clayton Davis for Variety
• Weekend Read 2
• Watch Haley Z. Boston read her script for Something Very Bad is Going to Happen
• Captain Disillusion
• Homemade Heating Pad
• This Treatment Could Reverse Osteoarthritis Joint Damage With a Single Injection by Javier Carbajal for Wired
• 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
• Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
• John August on Bluesky and Instagram
• Outro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

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 thriving writing career without ever having to live in New York or LA.

Links:

• Ali Barthwell
• Preorder Ali's new book, Reality TV for Snobs
• The Second City
• Pre-inked star stamps
• The Padilla Pause: How the Breakout Star of SNL Nails Comic Timing by Jason Zinoman for NYTimes
• Funnier by Anne Libera
• 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
• Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
• John August on Bluesky and Instagram
• Outro by Matt Gillespie (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John welcomes writer/showrunner Haley Z. Boston for a post-mortem on her terrifying new series, Something Very Bad is Going to Happen. They look at how the series evolved from initial idea through production, her experience as a first-time showrunner, the special relationship between women and horror, and how she constructs terror on the page.

We also chart her early career, and answer listener questions on splitting scenes and how to handle an overwhelming amount of development notes.

In our bonus segment for premium members, it's spoiler territory as we look at what we can learn from the clever red herrings and misdirects of the series.

Links:

• Haley Z. Boston on Instagram
• Something Very Bad is Going to Happen on Netflix
• Read along with an excerpt from the pilot
• Saying 'I do' is supposed to be joyous — unless something very bad happens by Gina McIntyre for LA Times
• Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film by Carol J. Clover
• Tasting Day
• Freaks Only
• Atomic Wave Dance by The Comet is Coming
• 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 Gloom Canyon (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

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 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 [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

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:

• The 2026 MBA agreement memorandum
• John August on Instagram and Bluesky
• Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.