The Writers Panel

The official tumblr for the podcast about the business and process of writing: TV, comics, film, novels, and more. Created and moderated by Ben Blacker.

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Hey! I’m on Substack now! I’ll continue to update here for a bit, but longer newsletters, podcast episodes, and exclusive opportunities for YOU to talk with pro writers, will be over on Re:Writing. Please subscribe and, if you enjoy the Writers Panel podcast, please consider a paid subscription.

In today’s episode, Will Graham (co-creator, A League of Their Own; showrunner, Daisy Jones and the Six), Melissa London Hilfers (creator, Monarch) and Conner Shin (Harley Quinn; Fairfax) discuss writing for actors, building a machine that works, and why Will wants you to bring photos of your loved ones to the writers' room.

PLUS a chat with The Ebo Twins (writer/director and producer of Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.)

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In today’s episode: Bruce Miller (creator/showrunner, The Handmaid's Tale), Veronica West (creator/showrunner, Surface; co-creator, High Fidelity), Natalie Chaidez (The Flight Attendant; Queen of the South), and Eric Haywood (Law & Order: Organized Crime; Manifest) discuss what keeps them going, specific shows they've worked on, what makes a room functional, and the best part of writing.

PLUS: a chat with DC League of Super-Pets co-writer/co-director Jared Stern (creator, Dr Ken).

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A fun one today with my writing partner Ben Acker (author, Stories to Keep You Alive Despite Vampires), Preeti Chhibber (author, Spider-Man's Social Dilemma), Sarvenaz Tash (author, The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love; upcoming: A Whole Song and Dance), Lily Sparks (author, Teen Killers Club series) and Halima Lucas (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur; Rugrats). We talk about writing for young audiences, their work habits, letting your characters lead, and more.

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I’ve been a fan of Bonnie Hunt since her appearances on the Letterman show in the early 90s. Fandom was cemented with the shows she created: The Building, Bonnie, and Life with Bonnie--which were riotously funny, sweet, and unlike anything on TV at the time (TV has since caught up with her voice). Thrilled to have her as today’s podcast guest, and we talk about all of that, plus her new show Amber Brown, an adaptation of Paula Danzinger’s beloved series.

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A far-reaching conversation in today’s episode with Steve Yockey (creator, The Flight Attendant; showrunner, Dead Boy Detectives), Dennis Lehane (creator, Black Bird; The Outsider), and Yahlin Chang (Handmaid's Tale; Supergirl). We chat about production, how The Wire was written, the weight of expectation, and Lehane’s embracing the writers’ room.

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Claudia Forestieri (creator, The Gordita Chronicles), Akilah Green (Black Monday; A Black Lady Sketch Show), and Pilar Golden (creator, Beyond Black Beauty) talk about embracing the collaborative aspect of television writing and showrunning, why pitching is so difficult, the "writer's disposition," and lots more. 

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Had such a blast chatting with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, writers of the new Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers movie. Which is legit great. We talk about how they got this bananas idea off the ground, their work on shows like How I Met Your Mother and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and lots more.

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In today’s episode, Garrett Lerner & Russel Friend (creators, Ordinary Joe; House; Glee), Rebecca Sonnenshine (creator, Archive 81; The Boys), and Mike Zara (Crime Farm; Major Crimes) talk about magic scripts, the best rooms, keeping a rejected scenes pile, and bleeding on the page.

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Katie Wech (creator, Good Sam), Lauren Pomerantz (head writer, The Ellen Degeneris Show; SNL; Am I Okay?), and Simran Baidwan (Ordinary Joe; Manifest) cover a lot of territory, including how rising tides truly lift all boats, the power of saying no, new directions in writing and careers, and ladies in blouses solving crimes.

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Rodney Barnes (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty; Everybody Loves Chris), Marissa Jo Cerar (creator, Women of the Movement; The Fosters), and Simone Finch (creator, Single Drunk Female; The Conners) talk self-actualization, being the writer/producer on set, what they look for when assembling a room, and most of all keeping calm.

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Looking back and looking ahead with returning guests Angela Kang (showrunner, The Walking Dead), Carlos Foglia (Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol; AEon Flux), J Holtham (Handmaid’s Tale; Supergirl), and Julia Yorks (Trolls: The Beat Goes On; upcoming: 1UP).

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These are the books I read in 2021.

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End the year with this wide-ranging and helpful chat among Devon Greggory (showrunner, The Game; American Soul); Mellow Brown (American Gods; Blade Runner: Origins comic); Jen Vestuto & Melissa Marlette (Nancy Drew; Vampire Diaries).

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Writer/director Prentice Penny (Insecure; Scrubs) talks about how making TV should be fun, helping others to bring their visions to the screen, being the only Black writer in comedy rooms, directing his first feature Uncorked, and lots more. The fifth and final season of Insecure is out now on HBO Max!

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Reggie Bythewood (showrunner, Swagger), Meg DeLoatch (showrunner, The Neighborhood and creator, Family Reunion), and Peter McKenna (creator, Kin) discuss working during a pandemic, breaking in, the value of producing, and more. PLUS: a chat with Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe, writer/directors of The Beta Test, available to rent right now!

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Kourtney Kang (showrunner, Doogie Kamealoha, MD; How I Met Your Mother), John Hoffman (co-creator, Only Murders in the Building), and Migizi Pensoneau (Reservation Dogs) talk about why their shows were inevitable in the current TV landscape, good room practices, and revisiting old favorites.

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A new episode! Ali Schouten (show-runner, iCarly), Alissa Nutting (creator, Made for Love, Teenage Euthanasia), and Lucas Brown Eyes (Young and Hungry; Alexa and Katie) discuss hiring, schedule management, and the importance of doing your writing homework.

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