Script Magazine

John Vorhaus is best known as the author of The Comic Toolbox: How to be Funny Even if You’re Not. This seminal book on writing comedy for television and film is now available in four languages, and continues to be a definitive source of information and inspiration for writers from Santa Monica to Scandinavia. An international consultant in television and film script development, Vorhaus has worked for television networks, film schools, and production companies in 30 countries on four continents. Vorhaus’ own screenwriting credits include Married… with Children, Head of the Class, The Sentinel,The Flash and many overseas television shows and films, including the sitcoms House Arrest and Pretty, Sick and Twisted, and the movie Save Angel Hope. John is also the author of the six-volume Killer Poker series, plus miscellaneous other books on the subject, including the novel Under the Gun, a “how-to whodunit” set in the world of high stakes tournament poker. His other novels include The California Roll and its upcoming sequel, The Albuquerque Turkey. Vorhaus is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University and a member of the Writers Guild of America. He has taught writing at Northwestern University and the American Film Institute, and lectured for such disparate groups as Mensa and the New Jersey Romance Writers Association. Discover more about John at his website: http://johnvorhaus.com Follow John on Twitter: @TrueFactBarFact CONTEST: buy Ross Brown's book, Byte-Sized Television: Create Your Own TV Series for the Internet, read it, and submit questions to mail@tvwriterpodcast.com by January 1st. If you win the random draw, you'll receive a copy of Troy Devolld's book, Reality TV: An Insider's Guide to TV's Hottest Market. Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide.

The doctor is in! This week features none other than the TV Script Doctor herself, Sarah McLaughlin, who also happens to be a successful comedy writer on shows such as That 70′s Show and Drop Dead Diva. Growing up in New York, Sarah McLaughlin wasn’t allowed to watch television… fascinated by the forbidden fruit, she pursued journalism at the University of Colorado, and before long she was in Los Angeles working as a production assistant on the final season of Home Improvement. On Home Improvement, she fell in love with scripted television, but didn’t know anything about the industry. She used her time there wisely, talking to as many people in different TV jobs as she could, and reading as many scripts as she could get her hands on. After taking a course at UCLA and writing some spec scripts, she landed a spot in the Warner Brothers Writers Workshop. Though tremendously helpful, it didn’t directly land her a writing gig. However, she was able to use her position as a writer’s assistant on That 70′s Show to pitch and write her own episode, and her writing career took off! After a few short stints on other shows, she ended back on That 70′s Show, where she worked her way up for several seasons. She went on to work on South Park, and sell pilots to MTV and Sony Television, before landing work on her current show, Drop Dead Diva. Between her staff experience, and her work as a script evaluator and creative consultant for the Warner Bros. Writers Workshop and The Disney/ABC writers fellowship, Sarah understands what it takes to have your script go from the “reject” pile to the “yes” pile. In this podcast, she shares many great tips on how to improve your spec or pilot script, as well as sharing how a TV episode goes from idea to finished product. Sarah works as a consultant to both new and working writers through her website: http://tvscriptdoctor.com Follow Sarah on Twitter: @tvscriptdoctor

Screenwriter Richard Curtis is a legend in romantic comedy writing -- Bridget Jones's Diary, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually to name a few. So, how did one amazing rom-com writer get to adapt a period drama about a boy separated from his horse during World War I? He got a call from Steven Spielberg, that's how. "I wanted to see if I could do it before I agreed to it," Curtis says of being asked to co-write War Horse, Spielberg's Christmas-opener, starring Jeremy Irvine and Emily Watson. The script is co-written by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot and Gabriel & Me), and adapted from the children's novel, of the same name, by Michael Morpurgo. The War Horse experience is one Curtis will always remember. Script sat down with the famed screenwriter to get some insight into his process. Podcast highlights: How to overcome writer's block ... "At every point, we try to work out what's the richest thing you can do ..." "I'll do a day on plot, a day on scenes, a day on character, do the different bits separately ..." "Lil' piece of advice: Call your girl characters by girl names and your boy characters by boy names ..." Click below to listen:

Screenwriter Kieran Mulroney knows the best way to  handle a fight with his writing partner Michele Mulroney (who is also his wife): Michele wins. All kidding aside, when your wife’s your writing partner, how do you deal with a tie break? Michele gives the answer: "We always say the person with the most conviction wins." "That's Michele," says Kieran. They laugh and comment on the immensely fun, but extremely emotional, experience of being a husband and wife writing team assigned to the new action comedy Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (the sequel to the successful 2009 Sherlock Holmes, starring Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr.).  The film releases December 16. Script sat down with this witty husband and wife writing team to get some clues on how they wrote one of the most anticipated sequels of the year. Podcast highlights: "There's a burden of expectations ..." "It was a really honest group of filmmakers ..." (Robert Downey Jr., Guy Ritchie) "They gave us full permission to say, 'No,' if we didn't see a way to make their notes work ..." "Your first draft, no matter how long you spend on it, is never as good as you think it is ..." "In a classic Sherlock Holmes story, you have to start at the end and work to the beginning ..." Click below to listen:

Final Draft, Inc.'s Big Break™ judge Michael Kuciak is a literary manager with his own firm, Samurai MK. When he read scripts in 2011 for the prestigious contest, known for hooking writers up with industry folks, he found two screenplays that he just couldn't put down. Cut to: Kuciak with two new clients. Script sat with Kuciak to hear about how he discovered Paul Gavin and Matthew Gayne, what drew him to their scripts, and what he's going to do next for their careers. Podcast highlights: "[Both writers] created their own luck by being extremely hard working and having talent." "[Both writers] have very sharp and distinct voices." When looking for clients, Kuciak wants talent, commerciality and hunger. Click below to listen:

He was born on the first day of the Great Depression, did competitive ski racing in Europe, and went to spy school to became a special agent. But a passion for writing led Eric Kaldor to Hollywood, and he has many stories to tell about his journey! After spending some time as a sports producer, Eric Kaldor landed his first TV writing gig. He then went on to write for some of the most well known hits of the 1970s: Emergency, Kojak, The Rockford Files, and The Incredible Hulk. You'll love hearing about how TV writing worked in the 1970s, and how much it differs from the group writing of today. Also, Eric is full of amusing anecdotes about his path to and through Hollywood. After 1980, Eric left TV writing to raise his family and build a successful family business with his wife. He started acting, and has had parts in films, like 2006's Hollywoodland, and many recent shows, including ER and House. Eric never stopped writing … he is currently working on a novel, and publishing it a chapter at a time on his website at erickaldor.com. Follow Eric on Twitter: @EricKaldor Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide. Subscribe: iTunes (Video) • iTunes (Audio) • PodBean (Audio)

How do you balance comedy and plot? Several comedic voices and big action sequences? Veteran screenwriters Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Terminal, Rush Hour 2) and Ted Griffin (Ocean's Eleven, Matchstick Men, Killers, Rumor Has It) sat down with Script to talk about their new action comedy, Tower Heist, releasing November 4. The film is about an uptight building manager and his team of misfit friends who decide to rob a millionaire in order to win back their stolen pension money. Tower Heist stars Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Tea Leoni, and Gabourey Sidibe. Podcast highlights include: "The key to writing is rewriting and revisions ..." "That first draft is most likely five to six drafts away from being that final draft ..." How to avoid writing to the joke. How to track multiple characters in plot and comedy. Click below to listen:

Comedy writer Kristin Newman spent almost 10 years writing on very well-known comedies, and had her own pilot shot and picked up to series (though not aired). She now brings her talents to a one-hour drama, on NBC's Chuck. Kristin Newman got an early break, with a production staff job on Everybody Loves Raymond. She graduated to writer's assistant on Nikita, Mad About You, and That 70s Show. She ended up stuck in the 70s (in a good way!) for the next seven years, rising up from staff writer to supervising producer. Moving on to How I Met Your Mother as co-executive producer, she also landed an overall deal at Fox … which was unfortunately cut short when the 2007 writers strike happened. Because of an injury, Kristin was not able to walk the picket lines. What could she do? She wrote the pilot Single With Parents, which was shot with Alyssa Milano and Beau Bridges, and picked up to series … though it unfortunately never aired. Then came NBC's Chuck. She entered the staff as co-executive producer in its fourth season, and is currently breaking the series finale. Make sure to watch the final season, when Chuck returns on Friday, October 28th! Didn't get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for several hundred TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com. Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide. Subscribe: iTunes (Video) • iTunes (Audio) • PodBean (Audio)

Famed action-thriller screenwriters Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (Wanted, 3:10 to Yuma, 2 Fast 2 Furious) take it up a notch to direct and produce their new thriller The Double. Starring Richard Gere, Topher Grace, and Martin Sheen, the film is about an ex-CIA agent who is suddenly pulled back onto a case he thought was long dead. Brandt makes his directorial debut with the script co-written Haas, and Haas produces. Script sat down with the writing team to talk about tackling a thriller, staying true to their genre, and producing a passion project from the ground up. Podcast highlights: "You have to infuse every single scene in a thriller with conflict and tension ..." "The tension has to come organically from the premise of the movie ..." "Too much outlining might mean you're afraid to start writing your script ..."

This week we hear from another animation writer / story editor. Christopher Yost has been working on animated TV series, comics, and features for almost 10 years, for well-known Marvel and D.C. franchises. After a number of years as an advertising producer in Detroit, Michigan, Christopher Yost decided he needed to make the jump to Hollywood. He attended the Peter Stark Producing program at USC, but realized while there that writing was really his passion. An internship at Marvel Studios led to his first break, writing a script for Marvel’s animated property X-Men: Evolution. Soon he was writing such well-known titles as D.C.’s The Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and eventually became head writer and story editor on Fantastic Four, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. During this time he also wrote two animated DVD features, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, and Hulk vs. Wolverine. Yost also works in comic books, writing for Marvel’s X-Men and Spider-Man franchises, DC’s Batman franchise, and the adaptation of the sci-fi classic Ender’s Game. His first creator-owned original graphic novel Killer of Demons debuted in March of 2009 to critical acclaim. Yost is currently working in the Marvel Writers Program, helping develop potential live-action feature properties for Marvel Studios as well as handling additional writing and reshoot scenes for the Marvel Studios film Thor. Follow Christopher on Twitter: @Yost Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for several hundred TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com. Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide. Subscribe: iTunes (Video) • iTunes (Audio) • PodBean (Audio)

Known for his strong political views, actor George Clooney had been looking for a political thriller to write with screenwriter Grant Heslov since their collaboration on Good Night, and Good Luck. When they stumbled upon a play of presidential ambition, Farragut North, by Beau Willimon, they knew they found their project. The play became the basis for the film, The Ides of March, about an idealistic young political staffer who discovers just how corrupt the system can be. The all-star cast includes Clooney, who also directs, Ryan Gosling as the idealist, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, and Paul Giamatti. Script sat down with Heslov to find out what it's like to churn out pages with one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Podcast highlights: "We wrote one of the final scenes first ..." "You need to know if your main character starts here, you need to know where he ends ..." "Our formula is to explain the minimal amount that the audience needs ..."

Screenwriter John Gatins calls himself a "failed actor." He came to Hollywood, like many young actors, hoping to make it big. He stared in several independent horror movies, including Witchboard 2: The Devil's Doorway and Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, to name a few. He was doing alright, but not great. That is, until he got a call from Steven Spielberg. The famed writer/director/producer was looking for the perfect guy to write his passion project about robot boxing. Gatins was that guy. The idea -- which would become the movie Real Steel staring Hugh Jackman -- was based on the short story, "Steel," by Richard Matheson. Spielberg buffs will recognize Matheson as the author who wrote the source material for Spielberg's first film, Duel. A passion project it was, and Gatins took the reigns. The film is set in a futuristic world where human boxing is illegal. Robot boxing, via remote control, has become the new sport of choice. Script sat down with Gatins to hear about this extraordinary journey from B-movie horror star to A-class screenwriter for Steven Spielberg. Podcast highlights: "Everyone has a good movie in them, you just have to do it ..." "Write what you know ..." "Go for it! When I started, I didn't even know how to type ..."

Want to shoot a showcase film? Web series? Crowd fund a project? This week Gray talks to Koo -- a Webby Award winner, DIY filmmaker, and the creator of NoFilmSchool.com and its excellent free DSLR Cinematography Guide. Koo co-wrote, directed, shot, and edited the "urban western" web series The West Side, which won the Webby Award for Best Drama Series. Filmmaker Magazine heralded the series as "ingenious low-budget independent filmmaking that just happens to be viewable only on the web," and named him one of their 25 New Faces of Film. Koo has shot for Focus Features, The Workbook Project, and Ralph Lauren; he has written for Filmmaker Magazine and Weblogs, Inc.; and he has served as Senior Designer for Rhapsody and MTV. His films have been official selections at several film festivals nationwide, and he was the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. His website NoFilmSchool.com focuses on DIY filmmaking and independent creativity, and won Total Film's Best Creative Blog award. He is in pre-pre-production on his first feature film, Man-Child, which is being funded through a crowd funding Kickstarter campaign. Follow Koo on Twitter: @ryanbkoo Visit Koo's web site: NoFilmSchool.com Didn't get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for several hundred TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com. Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide. Subscribe: iTunes (Video) • iTunes (Audio) • PodBean (Audio) Koo PR photo by Mario Torres.

Ever heard of someone who didn't live in L.A. or New York landing a staff TV writing gig? How about sight unseen, hired from a phone interview? Meet Mike Alber, who sold many pitches to a major network, wrote on a web series, and even landed a staff writing gig while not even living in the same state! Mike & writing partner Gabe Snyder met in high school, and clicked right away. Despite going to different colleges in different cities, they wrote together constantly. Mike was on track to be a doctor, but after starting med school he realized that writing was his passion, so he switched his masters studies to creative writing. Gabe moved to L.A. in 2006, but Mike continued his studies in Ohio. They placed in several screenplay competitions, but it was through an honorable mention at a trackingb.com contest that they got their first option. They were on the map! One relationship led to another, and soon they sold several pitches to Spike TV, worked on the web series Ultradome, signed for management and representation, and were taking meetings all over town. Mike tells the amazing story of how his newborn daughter kept him away from L.A., yet he was able to land his first TV staff gig, on MTV's Death Valley, with a phone call from the hospital waiting room! Mike finally did move to L.A. this year, and does advise that everyone else should move to L.A. first -- his luck is not easy to repeat! Mike and Gabe are idea machines, and Mike has great advice on how you can be one too! Follow Mike on Twitter: @malber Didn't get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for several hundred TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com. Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide. Subscribe: iTunes (Video) • iTunes (Audio) • PodBean (Audio)

Within seven years of graduating from film school, Sheri Elwood had not only created her own successful TV series, but had written and directed a feature film starring Kirsten Dunst and Lynn Redgrave. Fast forward to the present: her current series, Call Me Fitz, which was inspired by her own family, has just won seven Gemini Awards. After graduating from Ryerson University’s Film Program in Toronto, Sheri Elwood was awarded the National Apprenticeship Award from the Academy of Canadian Film and Television. This launched her to many seasons of comedy writing for networks such as Disney, Fox, The Family Channel, and YTV. By 1999, she had created her own series for tweens, I Was a Sixth Grade Alien, which went two seasons. In the off season, Sheri wrote and directed a Gemini nominated short film, Eb and Flo, and her first feature film, the romantic teen drama, Deeply, starring Lynn Redgrave, Kirsten Dunst and Brent Carver. Deeply premiered to a four-star review at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was also nominated for four Genie Awards. Elwood teamed with Lionsgate TV to create the comedy series Beta Males for the CW Network, and also wrote for the 1-hr ABC/CTV drama Defying Gravity for Fox Television Studios with creator James Parriott (Grey’s Anatomy). Fulfilling a dream to capture the spirit of her loving and unique family on TV, Elwood created the edgy cable series Call Me Fitz, starring Jason Priestly, for TMN/Movie Central. They have just begun shooting season three, with Elwood writing, directing, and showrunning. You can catch Call Me Fitz on HBO Canada, or in the U.S. on Netflix or DirecTV. Elwood has just signed a blind development deal with Jerry Bruckheimer Television. Sheri splits her time between Los Angeles and Nova Scotia, where she and her family spend time at their century-old schoolhouse and love to ring the bell. Follow Sheri on Twitter: @elwoodink Didn't get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for several hundred TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com. Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide. Subscribe: iTunes (Video)

We have another Harvard grad this week … comedy writer Dan Goor, currently supervising producer of the hit sitcom Parks and Recreation. Click image to play video; more details are below. Though Dan actually studied biochemistry at Harvard, he spent his free time doing improv and theatre. He was accepted to med school, but deferred his admission, as he got an amazing travel grant for a one-year trip around the world. When he returned, his friend Charlie Grandy was applying for writing jobs, and Dan asked if they could apply together. Their application was approved at The Daily Show, and the rest was history! After writing for several years on The Daily Show, Dan & Charlie decided to break up their writing partnership, and Dan went on to write for Last Call with Carson Daily, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Office, and now Parks and Recreation. In this long interview, Dan goes into great detail about the process of writing Parks and Recreation, with very helpful tidbits from behind the scenes, including how to build a story, how to get the most out of the various departments, and the role of improv in the performances. He also gives very practical advice on writing your own pilots and spec scripts. You don't want to miss this one! Make sure you check out the TV Writer Podcast Summer Contest, with some amazing prizes! Find out more at tvwriterpodcast.com. Didn't get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for several hundred TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com. Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide. Subscribe: iTunes (Video) • iTunes (Audio) • PodBean (Audio)

Writer-producer Ari Posner delivered a humorous valedictorian speech to his Harvard class in 1986, and has been making us laugh ever since! Click image to play video; more details are below. After graduating from Harvard, Ari worked as a reporter for numerous publications such as the Miami Herald, The Boston Phoenix, and The New Republic. However, he found himself continually drawn toward writing comedy. Awarded a full scholarship to study at USC, Ari moved to L.A., and soon after graduating was on his first sitcom staff, Fox's Partners. Since then he has worked on numerous multi-camera sitcoms, hour-long dramas, and single camera comedies, including such titles as Popular, Reba, Mental, and Call Me Fitz, which was recently nominated for 16 Gemini Awards. He has also written and developed many pilots, for such companies as Sony Pictures Television, Happy Madison Productions, Gary Sanchez Productions, CBS, and Disney Channel. In this interview, Ari takes us on an entertaining look at his journey through the industry, and gives incredibly helpful tips on writing pilots and other original material, and how to use that material to break in. Make sure you check out the TV Writer Podcast Summer Contest, with some amazing prizes! Find out more at tvwriterpodcast.com. Didn't get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for several hundred TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com. Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide. Subscribe: iTunes (Video) • iTunes (Audio) • PodBean (Audio)

Writer-producer-author Sheldon Bull was challenged by friend and co-writer Blake Snyder to write a Save the Cat for sitcom writing. Thus was born Elephant Bucks: An Inside Guide to Writing for TV Sitcoms. Click image to play video; more details are below. Sheldon Bull has earned Elephant Bucks as a highly successful TV writer and producer for 30 years. He has held positions from story editor to executive producer on 11 different primetime network situation comedies, working with and writing for stars like Bill Cosby, Alan Alda, Danny DeVito, Bob Newhart, Henry Winkler, Craig T. Nelson, Loni Anderson, Betty White, and Melissa Joan Hart. Sheldon has produced a string of hit series including Newhart, A Different World, Coach, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. He lives in the Los Angeles area … You can visit his website at www.sheldonbull.com. Make sure you check out the TV Writer Podcast Summer Contest, with some amazing prizes! Find out more at tvwriterpodcast.com. Didn't get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for several hundred TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com. Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide. Subscribe: iTunes (Video) • iTunes (Audio) • PodBean (Audio)

Writer Tamiko Brooks grew up in Detroit, but knew from an early age she wanted to work in the entertainment industry. She was not only the first Nickelodeon live action fellow, but was also accepted to the Disney/ABC writing fellowship. Tamiko Brooks earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College Chicago. After graduation, she headed west to L.A., and got a job as an assistant on the TV sitcom, Moesha. Under the mentorship of some of the writers, Tamiko began writing spec sitcoms and ultimately received her first writing credit in 1999 with an episode of Moesha. Soon after, Tamiko was accepted to the first year of the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship, along with former podcast interviewee Courtney Lilly. She was relocated to Orlando, FL to work on the Nick sitcom, Taina. After that, she became an ABC/Disney writing fellow. As a result, she was placed on the sitcom, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. The head writer was so impressed with her that he hired her on staff, and she was with the show for two seasons until its cancellation. Tamiko was then hired as a writer on Half & Half. Additionally, Tamiko has written freelance assignments for The Proud Family and the daytime drama One Life to Live. You'll learn a lot from Tamiko about navigating the industry, and dealing with the ups and downs and cyclical nature of TV schedules. Make sure you take part in the TV Writer Chat this Sunday night, as it will feature the launch of the first TV Writer Podcast contest, with some amazing prizes! Get the details about the chat at tvwriterchat.com. Follow Tamiko on Twitter: @TamikoBrooks Didn't get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for several hundred TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com. Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information in print and on the web; and by Final Draft scriptwriting software, the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting worldwide. Subscribe: iTunes (Video) • iTunes (Audio) • PodBean (Audio)

When screenwriters Gabrielle Allan and Jennifer Crittenden read the book 20 Times a Lady, about a woman who is afraid she's slept with too many men to be able to find the right one, they knew they had to get involved. The book turned out to be a great starting place for a movie they would title What's Your Number? Starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans, this romantic comedy takes a look at one woman's sexual dating history. Thanks to programming like Sex and the City and box-office hits like Bridesmaids, studios no longer shy away from women leads talking, with candor and humor, about their sex lives. Script sat down with Allan and Crittenden to find out how they brought the taboo topic of multiple partners to the big screen, with tons of laughs and a whole lot of heart. Podcast highlights: "We wanted to find an edgy female comedy ..." "We had pitched TV but we didn't realize how different features are ..." "What their true number really is ..."