• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

John August

  • Arlo Finch
  • Scriptnotes
  • Library
  • Store
  • About

QandA

My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend’s Screenwriter

Episode - 121

Go to Archive

December 10, 2013 Adaptation, Apps, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, Writing Process

Writer/director/actor/comedian Mike Birbiglia joins John and Craig to talk about writing for yourself, and how his one-man shows have translated into his films Sleepwalk With Me and My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend. We talk movies and television, stand-up and screenplays, and the upside of failure.

In other news, there’s now an official app for Scriptnotes, available for iOS and Android. If you like your current setup, keep doing what you’re doing, because nothing has changed. The last 20 episodes will always be free. The app allows you listen to the back 100 episodes for a monthly subscription.

LINKS

  • Write in and tell us if we’re wrong
  • Mike Birbiglia, and on Wikipedia, IMDb, Twitter and iTunes
  • The Tricky Part write up in The New York Times, and in book form on Amazon
  • Use BroadwayBox.com to find discounted shows in New York
  • Download the Scriptnotes app now for iOS and Android devices
  • The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
  • Singtrix home karaoke
  • Outro by Scriptnotes listener Cole Parzenn

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 12-12-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Let’s talk about coverage

December 3, 2013 Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, WGA

Craig and John talk readers and coverage, centering their discussion on profound_whatever’s infographic charting 300 submissions and the lessons screenwriters can take from it.

After that, we talk about the recent DGA deal with the AMPTP, and the degree to which it might predict the upcoming WGA negotiations.

Finally, we discuss getting high and are generally buzz-kills. Sorry.

LINKS:

  • profound_whatever’s post on r/screenwriting and its accompanying infographic
  • Deus ex machina on Wikipedia
  • Directors Guild of America Board OKs New Contract, Triggering Member Vote from Variety
  • WGA Announces Contract Negotiating Committee from The Hollywood Reporter
  • Writers in Treatment
  • Screenflow for Mac, and John’s video and post on why he likes writing in Fountain
  • Outro by Scriptnotes listener Matthew Chilelli

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 12-5-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Positive Moviegoing

November 26, 2013 Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Television, Transcribed, Writing Process

Aline Brosh McKenna joins John and Craig to discuss watching movies with an open mind and why it’s important to befriend other writers.

Also this week: what to do when your outline collapses and a look at going broke in your 50s.

The Scriptnotes Live Holiday Show on December 19th is technically sold out, but there’s a chance seats will open up, so keep an eye on Twitter.

LINKS:

  • Aline Brosh McKenna on IMDb, and her first, second, third, and third-and-a-half appearances on Scriptnotes
  • The Scriptnotes Holiday Show is sold out, but follow @johnaugust and @clmazin to be the first to know if more tickets are released
  • John Gatins on IMDb
  • What It’s Like to Fail on priceonomics
  • Scroobius Pip and You Will See Me
  • Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks by Keith Houston
  • Irony punctuation on Wikipedia
  • The TreadDesk
  • Outro by Scriptnotes listener Kris Gotthelf

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 12-1-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Time Travel with Richard Kelly

November 19, 2013 Directors, Education, Scriptnotes, Sundance, Transcribed

John and Craig wind back the clock with writer-director Richard Kelly to look at the origins of Donnie Darko, and how a recent film-school grad gets a movie made.

Along the way, we talk about Sundance and slow success, scope creep and transmedia.

The Scriptnotes Live Holiday Show will be Thursday, December 19th, 2013. Tickets go on sale November 20th at 10am. Links below.

LINKS:

  • Tickets are on sale tomorrow morning for the December 19th Scriptnotes Live Holiday Show
  • Richard Kelly on IMDb, Wikipedia and Twitter
  • Donnie Darko, and on Amazon
  • The Donnie Darko Book
  • Scope creep on Wikipedia
  • Coin for all your cards
  • The Science and Entertainment Exchange
  • Hotel Tonight
  • Big Fish is on Broadway through December 29th
  • Outro by Scriptnotes listener Matthew Chilelli

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 11-24-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Newsletter

Inneresting Logo A Quote-Unquote Newsletter about Writing
Read Now

Explore

Projects

  • Aladdin (1)
  • Arlo Finch (27)
  • Big Fish (88)
  • Birdigo (2)
  • Charlie (39)
  • Charlie's Angels (16)
  • Chosen (2)
  • Corpse Bride (9)
  • Dead Projects (18)
  • Frankenweenie (10)
  • Go (29)
  • Karateka (4)
  • Monsterpocalypse (3)
  • One Hit Kill (6)
  • Ops (6)
  • Preacher (2)
  • Prince of Persia (13)
  • Shazam (6)
  • Snake People (6)
  • Tarzan (5)
  • The Nines (118)
  • The Remnants (12)
  • The Variant (22)

Apps

  • Bronson (14)
  • FDX Reader (11)
  • Fountain (32)
  • Highland (75)
  • Less IMDb (4)
  • Weekend Read (64)

Recommended Reading

  • First Person (87)
  • Geek Alert (151)
  • WGA (162)
  • Workspace (19)

Screenwriting Q&A

  • Adaptation (65)
  • Directors (90)
  • Education (49)
  • Film Industry (489)
  • Formatting (128)
  • Genres (89)
  • Glossary (6)
  • Pitches (29)
  • Producers (59)
  • Psych 101 (118)
  • Rights and Copyright (96)
  • So-Called Experts (47)
  • Story and Plot (170)
  • Television (165)
  • Treatments (21)
  • Words on the page (238)
  • Writing Process (177)

More screenwriting Q&A at screenwriting.io

© 2026 John August — All Rights Reserved.