All Episodes

August 13, 2019 56 mins

John and Craig tackle the question, “How do you know when you’re ready to write a given script?” They propose a list of details a writer should know before diving in, and look at why starting too soon can be a recipe for failure. (So can waiting too long.)

We also discuss the WGA’s “refusal to negotiate” myth and answer questions about rewrites vs polishes, and whether writing a bad script could put you on a Do Not Hire list.

Links:

  • Myth of No Negotiation
  • Deadline’s “Exclusive” on John’s Blogpost
  • John Milton, Paradise Lost
  • Monsters Creatures: A Young Adventurer’s Guide by Jim Zub
  • Oreo Thins
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Outro by Michael Karman (send us yours!)
  • Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

    You can download the episode here

    Mark as Played

    Advertise With Us

    Popular Podcasts

    United States of Kennedy
    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

    Connect

    © 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.