The Writers Panel

Michael Jamin (Tacoma FD; Maron) discusses his new collection of personal essays, A Paper Orchestra, sharing versus oversharing, what he learned about art from David Bowie and Pharrel, and more. Buy A Paper Orchestra and see Jamin on his live reading tour! Info here: https://michaeljamin.com/product/a-paper-orchestra/ Come see Retrospecs on Sunday, April 21, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we dig those old scripts by established writers out of their drawers and expose them to the warm light of the stage. Starring actors you know and love from TV, film, comedy, and the stage. From Girls to Gilmore Girls, from the Big Bang Theory to Buffy, get NEW EPISODES of your favorite shows, written by writers who never wrote for those shows! The April 21 show features a West Wing from by Marc Guggenheim (co-creator, Arrow) and a Big Bang Theory written by Helen Shang (Hawaii 5-0). Starring Sherry Cola (Joy Ride), Katie Cassidy (Arrow), Olivia Scott Welch (Fear Street), John Ross Bowie (Big Bang Theory), Hrishikesh Hirway (West Wing Weekly; Song Exploder), Ricardo Hurtado (School of Rock), Kiran Deol (Destroy All Neighbors), and more Live or streaming/VOD tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/Retro421 THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan Waite (Family Guy; The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) discusses the kinds of comedy he enjoys, breaking in by taking chances, his new book Life Wants You Dead: A Calm, Rational and Totally Legit Guide to Scaring Yourself Safe, and more. Come see Retrospecs on Sunday, April 21, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we dig those old scripts by established writers out of their drawers and expose them to the warm light of the stage. Starring actors you know and love from TV, film, comedy, and the stage. From Girls to Gilmore Girls, from the Big Bang Theory to Buffy, get NEW EPISODES of your favorite shows, written by writers who never wrote for those shows! The April 21 show features a West Wing from by Marc Guggenheim (co-creator, Arrow) and a Big Bang Theory written by Helen Shang (Hawaii 5-0). Starring Sherry Cola (Joy Ride), Katie Cassidy (Arrow), Olivia Scott Welch (Fear Street), John Ross Bowie (Big Bang Theory), Hrishikesh Hirway (West Wing Weekly; Song Exploder), Ricardo Hurtado (School of Rock), Kiran Deol (Destroy All Neighbors), and more Live or streaming/VOD tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/Retro421 THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melanie Marnich (creator, Apples Never Fall; The OA; Big Love) discusses pursuing projects that explore personal questions, casting her room for their strengths, pitching her perspective on Lianne Moriarty's novel, the Apples cast's secret text chain, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abe Sylvia (creator, Palm Royale, George and Tammy; Dead to Me; Nurse Jackie) discusses making discoveries on set, healthy debate vs story breaking, working with frequent collaborators, how not outlining "reintroduces writerly delight," and more. Come see Retrospecs on Sunday, April 21, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we dig those old scripts by established writers out of their drawers and expose them to the warm light of the stage. Starring actors you know and love from TV, film, comedy, and the stage. From Girls to Gilmore Girls, from the Big Bang Theory to Buffy, get NEW EPISODES of your favorite shows, written by writers who never wrote for those shows! The April 21 show features a West Wing from by Marc Guggenheim (co-creator, Arrow) and a Big Bang Theory written by Helen Shang (Hawaii 5-0). Live or streaming/VOD tickets here: https://www.elysiantheater.com/shows/retrospecs0421 THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Orloff (creator, Masters of the Air) discusses scripts as selling tools vs scripts as production tools, integrating research into scenes, writing a nine-hour movie, Band of Brothers, and more. Come see Retrospecs this Sunday, March 17, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we dig those old scripts by established writers out of their drawers and expose them to the warm light of the stage. Starring actors you know and love from TV, film, comedy, and the stage. From Girls to Gilmore Girls, from the Big Bang Theory to Buffy, get NEW EPISODES of your favorite shows, written by writers who never wrote for those shows! The March 17 show features a Mad About You from 1997 by Ben Blacker and a Girls written by Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz (Brooklyn 99). Live or streaming/VOD tickets here: https://www.elysiantheater.com/shows/retrospecs THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

J Blakeson (showrunner/director, Culprits; writer/director I Care a Lot) discusses creating his inadvertent signature film with The Disappearance of Alice Creed, why a law abiding citizen writes crime stories, finding the "what if" in a pitch, why he dislikes Final Draft, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zoe Lister Jones (creator, Slip; writer/director, How It Ends, The Craft: Legacy) discusses writing, directing, and acting, putting herself into every project, when to be precious, remaining true to her voice, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed Solomon (Full Circle; Bill & Ted; Men in Black) discusses objective and subjective storytelling, choosing a career path and switching gears from comedy to crime, rewriting, listening to the voice of your inner GPS, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Somebody Somewhere creators Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen (High Maintenance) and writer/star Bridget Everett (Inside Amy Schumer) discuss the creation of the show, telling big stories in small moments, what they learned in the first season, the midwest, and lots more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil Druckmann (co-creator, The Last of Us; Uncharted) discusses previous stabs at adapting his games, balancing action and character, serving different mediums, Uncharted, and how The Last of Us changed his life. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Jenkins (creator, Our Flag Means Death and People of Earth) discusses his background in theater, how he thinks of comedy, stakes, staffing his shows, people touching his face, and more. Come to a live recording of DEAD PILOTS SOCIETY, Ben Blacker's other podcast. In Dead Pilots Society, scripts that were developed by studios and networks but were never produced are given the table reads they deserve. On Sunday, January 21, 3-5pm, at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles we're recording readings of great pilots by Open Mike Eagle (The New Negroes) & Mike Benner (Bob's Burgers) and Tommy Johnagin (That 90s Show). Starring Tawny Newsome (Star Trek: Lower Decks), Paul F. Tompkins (Bojack Horseman), Langston Kerman (Insecure), and lots more! GET TICKETS NOW! THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Samy Burch (May December) discusses breaking through with her first produced screenplay after a decade of writing, receiving notes from producers at Gloria Sanchez, Natalie Portman, and director Todd Haynes, "the endurance of failure," writing the shelved (for now?) Coyote vs Acme for Warner Brothers, and why her vision for her writing future is the motto for LA restaurant The Apple Pan. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two episodes for the price of one today! (The price is zero dollars). First up, Ben Nedivi & Matt Wolpert (creators/ahowrunners, For All Mankind) discuss season 4 of their alternate history space-race series, trusting their decisions, addressing and adjusting tone, killing off characters, and more. Then, Brian Helgeland (writer/director Finestkind; writer, LA Confidential, Mystic River, lots more) discusses his new movie--written 25 years ago--as well as some of his greatest hits, including the unlikely story of LA Confidential getting made and the sequel that he couldn't get made, the spark that led to A Knight's Tale, getting his start in horror, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two episodes for the price of one today! (The price is zero dollars). First up, Ben Nedivi & Matt Wolpert (creators/ahowrunners, For All Mankind) discuss season 4 of their alternate history space-race series, trusting their decisions, addressing and adjusting tone, killing off characters, and more. Then, Brian Helgeland (writer/director Finestkind; writer, LA Confidential, Mystic River, lots more) discusses his new movie--written 25 years ago--as well as some of his greatest hits, including the unlikely story of LA Confidential getting made and the sequel that he couldn't get made, the spark that led to A Knight's Tale, getting his start in horror, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hannah Rosner (Legacies) and feature writer Erica Schreiber of the Untitled Female Driven Podcast discuss mistakes they made early in their careers, from learning what to say in meetings to when to turn down a project. Listen to the first half of this conversation in which Hannah and Erica interview The Writers Panel's Ben Blacker on this week's episode of the Untitled Female Driven Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Live Zoom Q&A with Marc Guggenheim (Arrow; Legends of Tomorrow) on Sunday 12/17! Join the Substack to join and ask your questions or to listen later! SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marvel Comics editor Tom Brevoort discusses working on The Avengers and moving to the X-Men office, mistakes he's made, getting the best out of creatives, why he's optimistic about the industry's future, and lots more. Brevoort's substack, Man with a Hat, is the most informative and inside baseball newsletter about the comics industry out there. Subscribe here: https://tombrevoort.substack.com THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer/actor/producer Felicia Day (The Guild; MST3K; Supernatural) discusses her new audio series Third Eye, getting comfortable with outlining, her approach to world building, maintaining mental health in a difficult industry, and lots more. Third Eye is available now via Audible. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Live Zoom Q&A with The Tick creator Ben Edlund (Supernatural) next weekend. Join the Substack to join and ask your questions or to listen later! SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marissa Jo Cerar (creator/showrunner, Black Cake and Women of the Movement) discusses hiring a writers' room, what she reads, what she expects in interviews, and more. Black Cake is streaming now on Hulu! THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Live Zoom Q&A with The Tick creator Ben Edlund (Supernatural) next weekend. Join the Substack to join and ask your questions or to listen later! SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author Paul Tremblay (The Beast You Are; The Cabin at the End of the World) discusses writing horror short stories, turning the personal into the terrifying, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Tickets are on sale now for The Thrilling Adventure Hour live on Dec 2 at Bourbon Room, LA! Featuring Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, Marc Evan Jackson, Joshua Malina, and special guests. All new scripts, different for the 6:30 and 8:30pm shows. Both shows have two ticketing tiers: Seats + Treats - for which you'll received guaranteed seating as well as a Thrilling swag bag. This guaranteed seating level is extremely limited, so get your tickets now! GA - No guaranteed seating, no swag, but you'll see the show! For the late show, the "Seats + Treats" level also includes access to the post-show cast karaoke party, where the cast will sing their favorite songs with the band! It's going to be a ton of fun. GA level does not include post-show karaoke party access and the post-show will not be streamed. Early show (6:30pm): https://tinyurl.com/TAHDec2Early Late show (8:30pm): https://tinyurl.com/TAHDec2023Late Can't make it to Hollywood? Both shows are available to stream with just one ticket: https://tinyurl.com/TAHDecStream Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this craft-focused episode, Krystal Ziv (Wolf Pack; The Purge) discusses various types of collaboration. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com SOCIALS: Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.social Twitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.