The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
Welcome to The Screenwriting Life, a podcast where Oscar-nominated writer Meg LeFauve and Emmy-nominated writer Lorien McKenna discuss not only the craft and business of Screenwriting, but also the emotional life: the ups and downs of being a creative, to remind you that you are not alone and to keep writing.
Episodes
Fresh off the massive critical and commercial success of FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, friend of the show Sheila Hanahan Taylor is back to share the ins and outs of producing a studio movie. What can writers do to develop a good relationship with a producer? How does a producer serve both the studio's voice and the writer's voice? On today's episode, Sheila unpacks it all!
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June 12, 2025 • 62 mins
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This week, we’re joined by Kim Rosenstock (DYING FOR SEX) to explore how a complicated protagonist with a simple goal drives interesting, rich, and emotionally resonant storytelling.
Through the lens of her deeply personal and genre-blending show, which she co-created with Liz Meriwether, Kim shares how clarity of objective gave DYING FOR SEX its emotional depth, tonal range, and...
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What’s it like to collaborate creatively with your spouse — and still want to have dinner together after? This week, we’re joined by Joe Forte, screenwriter (Firewall) and longtime writing partner (and husband!) of Meg LeFauve.
We talk candidly about the unique dynamics of working with your life partner — the communication hurdles, the unexpected benefits, and how to protect both...
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When you’re pitching — whether it’s on studio IP or your own original idea — what sets you apart is your take. But what does that actually mean?
This week, Jac Schaeffer (WandaVision, Agatha All Along) breaks it down. For Jac, a great take starts with the emotional core — “what is the deep down” that connects you to the material. From there, it’s about delivering a pitch only you...
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May 22, 2025 • 94 mins
In this special roundtable, we’re joined by three working screenwriters — Nic Curcio, Kristen Tepper, and Julia Yorks — who have each built successful writing careers while also growing authentic, engaged followings online.
We talk candidly about the growing pressure for writers to maintain a social media presence. From expanding your network to attracting opportunities, social media can help. But it can also complicate your creat...
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Trey Edward Shults is an inspiration to directors everywhere — including Jeff. His debut feature, KRISHA, was a no-name psychological drama shot in his own home on a shoestring budget under $30K. Against all odds, it won SXSW, screened at Cannes, and eventually sold to A24. KRISHA stands as a beacon for anyone looking to make a personal, ambitious feature with limited resources.
...
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May 8, 2025 • 69 mins
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In this special edition of our mailbag series, we’re flipping the script. Instead of questions from newcomers, today we hear from working, professional screenwriters—people already inside the industry, navigating the real-world challenges of a creative career. From handling difficult notes to sustaining momentum between jobs, Meg and Lorien dig into what it means to grow and surv...
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May 1, 2025 • 67 mins
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BUY ROB'S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/FILM-DIRECTORS-FIELD-MANUAL-Filmmaking/dp/1662850549
Whether you're on set or on the page, great storytelling relies on clarity, efficiency, and emotional truth. This week, veteran director Rob Spera joins us to discuss his new handbook on the fundamentals of directing—and how those same principles can elevate your screenwriting. From workin...
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April 24, 2025 • 69 mins
Emily Brundige was tired of waiting around for gatekeepers to say yes. So, she stopped asking.
In this candid conversation with Lorien, Emily shares how her frustration with the traditional hurry-up-and-wait pitch process pushed her to self-produce an animated short. That project — born from passion, resourcefulness, and a refusal to wait — eventually became GOLDIE, a series now on Apple TV+.
They dive into what it actually takes...
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April 17, 2025 • 65 mins
Carla Banks-Waddles (BEL-AIR) has lived many lives as a writer. From being a valued member of multi-cam half hour rooms, to pivoting towards single cam serialized family dramas, Carla has had a wonderfully diverse career. How? She wrote her way there. Enjoy Carla's insightful, optimistic, and sometimes obsessive approach to how we can craft our dream career as writers. Whip out your swobes, and get ready to slork!
Learn more about ...
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April 10, 2025 • 73 mins
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TAKE BRENT'S CLASS: https://www.brentforrester.com/webinar
Brent Forrester wasn't naturally funny, and he's the first person to admit it. And yet, when Brent was in his early 20s, he studied comedy like a science, and it has fostered one of the most successful comedy writing careers of anyone working today. Listen to some of Brent's inside tips when it comes to cracking the code ...
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April 3, 2025 • 56 mins
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You are not alone, and keep writing.
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WATCH LOS FRIKIS: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Los-Frikis/0H49M436MMS223JUKJ26Q95EKJ
READ ALONG: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a3QojbCeXG11xowk5u6y-RONQhCSguwG/view?usp=drive_link
Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz are the first to admit "they're not the cool kids." Their widely celebrated debut THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON was bootstrapped by grit, hard work, and a ferocious commitment to making something authentic, and that ...
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March 24, 2025 • 34 secs
We are launching a brand new monthly BONUS show this Thursday in feed, hosted by our producer Jeffrey Crane Graham. Don't miss it!
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Whether you're on your billionth draft, or stuck in post on a docuseries, finding a connective THEME to tell your story is one of the most valuable ways to create a cohesive and satisfying story. Today's guest, John Henion, understands that better than anyone. His impressive career as an episodic documentary filmmaker includes shows like CHEF'S TABLE and WELCOME TO WREXHAM, but wh...
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March 13, 2025 • 83 mins
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The Molyneux Sisters (BOB’S BURGERS, THE GREAT NORTH) believe that character is at the center of all great comedy. For Wendy and Lizzie, specificity, character quirks, and close observations about the friends (and strangers) around them will always provide the cocktail for a great character. Hear about how these two found their voice, honed their craft, and became important voice...
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March 6, 2025 • 76 mins
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George Saunders is a writer of novels, short stories, and non-fiction, whose work has amassed a collection of awards, including The Booker Prize for his debut novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. His essay collection A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, which focuses on the storytelling prowess of four Russian masters, was not only a bestseller, but invited passionate responses from his readers,...
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February 27, 2025 • 63 mins
Dana Fox offers an incredibly generous admission in today's conversation: "I find writing REALLY torturous." And yet, she's one of Hollywood's most successful writers, having written on major franchises like CRUELLA and recently WICKED, which has earned her countless industry award nominations. What's her secret? Tune in as she discusses why writing can feel so hard and how she pushes through those blocks - or perhaps more fittingl...
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For decades, if you wanted to make it as a Hollywood writer, the first step was simple: move to Hollywood. But increasingly, screenwriters have found that they're able to create and foster screenwriting careers outside of Los Angeles. Two folks who have done that successfully, Will Fetters and Chris Sparling, join us today to talk about the practical logistics of making your Hollyw...
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It's no secret that plays and movies are entirely different mediums, so how do you give the cinematic treatment to a play as celebrated as "The Piano Lesson" by Pulitzer Prize-winning August Wilson? From the start, co-writer and director Malcom Washington came in with a very specific take on the material, and was incredibly grateful when Oscar-nominated "Mudbound" co-writer Virgil ...
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