Happier in Hollywood

Liz and Sarah are making it happen! They’ve been doing a deep dive into micro-dramas for several months, and now they’re at the beginning stages of Executive Producing their first one. They talk about how they’ve gone about educating themselves in this new (to them) form of entertainment and ask listeners when they’ve made something happen. Then, in Take A Hike, they discuss the value of having a repertoire of everything from meals to small talk topics. They also share a recent Day In The Life — from dealing with a water outage to writing at the cafe at Godmothers to breaking a new pilot at Bob Dylan concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl. This week’s Hollywood Hack is great for anyone who loves audio — the AirPods Pouch from Bandolier. Finally Sarah recommends Beyond Paradise on BritBox. Get in touch on Instagram: ⁠@Sfain⁠ & ⁠@LizCraft⁠ Get in touch on Threads: ⁠@Sfain⁠ & ⁠@LizCraft⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://happierinhollywood.com⁠ Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at ⁠https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com⁠ and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at ⁠https://happierinhollywood.substack.com⁠. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/⁠ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—⁠Happier with Gretchen Rubin⁠, and⁠Side Hustle School⁠ . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: Godmothers: https://godmothers.com/ Santa Barbara Bowl: https://sbbowl.com/ Airpods Pouch from Bandolier: https://www.bandolierstyle.com/collections/airpod-series Beyond Paradise trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgrI_iPsS2o Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz and Sarah are answering more listener questions! Do they still drink espresso martinis? What advice would they give their college senior selves? Could they have been writing partners if they met as adults? What random photos are on their phones thanks to their adventures in TV writing? They discuss all this and more!  Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss the biggest obstacles to moving more this summer with Sarah Fain from the “Happier in Hollywood” podcast, and share practical strategies for getting regular exercise. This special episode is part of the Move 26 in ‘26 challenge to help all of us find more ways to move every day. Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Get in touch: [email protected]. Get in touch on Instagram: ⁠⁠@Sfain⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠@LizCraft⁠⁠ Get in touch on Threads: ⁠⁠@Sfain⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠@LizCra⁠⁠ Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://happierinhollywood.com⁠⁠ Join our Facebook group: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/⁠⁠ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at ⁠https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com⁠. It’ll come right to your inbox! Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at ⁠https://happierinhollywood.substack.com⁠. It’ll come right to your inbox! LINKS: Join the Move 26 in '26 challenge here  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Liz and Sarah are answering listener questions! If they weren’t TV writers, what career would they each choose? (Sarah would like to own a craft store, while Liz’s fantasy self is a birth doula.) What did they think of Caro Claire Burke’s novel Yesteryear? Why don’t they spend more time talking about the negative impact of AI? They discuss all this and so much more! Get in touch on Instagram: ⁠@Sfain⁠ & ⁠@LizCraft⁠ Get in touch on Threads: ⁠@Sfain⁠ & ⁠@LizCraft⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://happierinhollywood.com⁠ Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at ⁠https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com⁠ and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at ⁠https://happierinhollywood.substack.com⁠. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/⁠ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—⁠Happier with Gretchen Rubin⁠, and⁠Side Hustle School⁠ . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke: ⁠https://amzn.to/440S348⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a recent trip to the Santa Barbara Bowl, Liz and Sarah felt the universe was sending signs that they’re on the right creative path. One of the signs? A long line for the men’s room. In Career Lessons With Laverne, they talk to executive and leadership coach Laverne McKinnon about the physical reaction they had to a recent meeting misfire. This week’s Hollywood Hack is inspired by Sarah and Liz’s recent stay at The Milo in Santa Barbara — fix the small thing. Finally, Liz recommends the reality competition show Outlast: The Jungle on Netflix. Get in touch on Instagram: ⁠@Sfain⁠ & ⁠@LizCraft⁠ Get in touch on Threads: ⁠@Sfain⁠ & ⁠@LizCra⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://happierinhollywood.com⁠ Join our Facebook group: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/⁠ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! LINKS: Santa Barbara Bowl: https://sbbowl.com/ Laverne’s bespoke meditation: https://moonshotmentor.substack.com/p/b9334076-d9ad-47bf-996b-35b929a7d352 Laverne McKinnon: https://www.lavernemckinnon.com/ Laverne’s Substack — Moonshot Mentor: https://substack.com/@moonshotmentor The Milo: https://www.themilo.com/ Outlast: The Jungle trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnvBoDKSNKg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz and Sarah discuss their recent Bad Trip writing marathon in Santa Barbara. The highlight? Writing outside at Godmothers in Summerland. Then they interview Rina O’Malley, a writer who’s breaking into the industry, about how she managed to do the impossible — get representation! This week’s Hollywood Hack will improve your next meeting: have a preliminary call. Finally, Sarah recommends the Stray Kids Survival Show. LINKS: Rina O’Malley: https://blcklst.com/profile/Rina-OMalley Rina’s recs: 1. Darcy Fowler’s TV & Film Writing Workshops https://www.tvwritersrefuge.com/ Darcy is very good at helping writers find the actual story beneath the story they think they’re writing, and is also a truly amazing human. Generous, brilliant, and intuitive. 2. Script Anatomy https://scriptanatomy.com/ I’m a big fan of their instructors (all working writers) and their curriculum. I especially love the draft intensive classes, which are a great structured way to get a draft written fast. 3. Jen Grisanti https://www.jengrisanti.com/ Jen's annual workshop is magical. She brings in incredible guests, showrunners you can pitch and get feedback from. She also has free interviews online where you can learn a lot about story. 4. Lee Jessup https://leejessup.com/ One of the best people to learn from about the industry -- where you fit in it, your brand, your strategy, and how to think about your career like an actual career. You can work with Lee directly, but she also has a great YouTube channel where she breaks down the state of the industry and interviews reps: https://www.youtube.com/@leejessup5299 5. Roadmap Writers https://www.roadmapwriters.com/ A great place to learn about both craft and career, and connect with other writers. Tons of events, webinars, and classes. The team really cares about helping emerging writers. Bonus: Events where you can learn and network Storytelling360 https://storytelling360.com/ In-person panels and networking events in LA, NYC, and London. Austin Film Festival Writers Conference https://austinfilmfestival.com/festival-and-conference-aff/conference/ Definitely worth going if you can. Thousands of screenwriters packed into downtown Austin for panels, roundtables, tacos, drinks, and mild chaos. Basically spring break for screenwriters. Stray Kids Survival Show:  https://strayksubs.com/videos/survival-show/ Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz and Sarah had a Week of Yes! After months (years) of hearing “no” they’re finally starting to get some “yeses.” Yay! Next, Liz and Sarah each offer a Take A Hike suggestion. Sarah reveals why it’s a good idea to go down a rabbit hole that’s NOT “you,” and Liz discusses the value of “friendworking.” This week’s Hollywood Hack is great for commuters: car cupholder coasters. Finally, Liz recommends two TV shows on Amazon Prime that are perfect for summer — Off Campus and Every Year After. Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: Car Cupholder Coasters: https://nomeschoolhouse.com/products/nome-schoolhouse-car-coasters-4-pack Off Campus trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAozjf2frxw Every Year After trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5SpqQ8dNa8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz and Sarah are suffering from Summeritis! They’re managing to stay productive — but it’s not easy. In Take A Hike, they talk about the value of going on a learning retreat. Sarah just did a fiber retreat in Nome, ND and it rocked her world! This week Sarah has a Hit for Violet’s former nanny, Dawn. And Liz gives herself a tech Bomb for not knowing how to operate her TV. This week’s Hollywood Hack is liberating and a power move— ditch your handbag! Finally, Sarah recommends Christina Applegate’s memoir, You with the Sad Eyes. Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: Nome Schoolhouse:  https://nomeschoolhouse.com Bandolier Mila Crossbody Phone Case:  https://amzn.to/4dYdsAI Bandolier Expanded Pouch: https://www.bandolierstyle.com/products/pebble-leather-expanded-zip-pouch-black-rose-gold?variant=43207593361444&utm_source=AMZN_US_ShopDirect\ Cozy Earth Sheets: https://amzn.to/4ecRvwK You with the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate: https://amzn.to/4uYZjte Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Liz and Sarah dive into the new draft of their novel, they’re experimenting with tense. They each wrote a scene in past tense, and now they’re going to write the same scenes in present tense. Which will they prefer? In The Craft (& Fain) they share a listener’s suggestion to assign every project its own theme song. Then they discuss their favorite parts of Mimsy May in Take Two. One takeaway? Whimsy should not be effortful. This week’s Hollywood Hack is on trend — a Mahjong mat with game instructions as part of its design. Finally, Liz recommends the show Firefly Lane on Netflix.  Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! LINKS: Taylor Swift’s “The Man” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqAJLh9wuZ0 Annie Lennox: https://www.annielennox.com/ Mahjong Mats: https://amzn.to/4tQY4Li https://amzn.to/4f2HyEe https://amzn.to/4urdZ3Q Firefly Lane trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdHwNt4GXfM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz and Sarah are trying out a new pitch technique — instead of writing out their latest pitch word for word, they’re prepping it in bullet points to keep the flow more spontaneous. In The Mailroom, Sarah answers a question from a listener who’s wondering if she should have a baby on her own like Sarah did. The short answer? Do it! Then, in Take A Hike, Liz and Sarah talk about Designing Their Summer. Sarah is going to “move into her house” and Liz is planning a summer of “off-white delight.” Together, they’re going to write their novel! This week’s Hollywood Hack was inspired by a recent mixer Liz attended — put your last name on your name tag at networking events. Finally, Sarah recommends the Apple Playlist Gen X Threads by Elizabeth Maxwell.  Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: Feed Your Fertility by Emily Bartlett & Laura Erlich https://amzn.to/3RMgShb Knock Yourself Up by Louise Sloan: https://amzn.to/4fJ9xJa Going Solo by Genevieve Roberts: https://amzn.to/4nNKZ3I Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman’s Guide by Mikki Morrissette: https://amzn.to/49puSUb Uniqlo Straight Jeans — Off White: https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/products/E482279-000/00?colorDisplayCode=01&sizeDisplayCode=028&pldDisplayCode=031 Gen X Threads  Apple Playlist by Elizabeth Maxwell: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/gen-x-threads/pl.u-r2yB16XCP37j6l Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz and Sarah talk to trauma-informed financial wellness coach Katy Chen Mazzara about the connection between money blocks and creative blocks, why it’s never a good idea to negotiate with a “starving artist” mentality, and how making a budget might negatively impact your relationship to your finances. This week’s Hollywood Hack will relieve stress and help you have a better time: Get there early! Finally, Liz recommends the third season of The Comeback on HBO Max.  Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: Katy Chen Mazzara: https://www.katychenmazzara.com/ Mindful Money Mastery guide:https://www.subscribepage.com/mindfulmoneymastery Katy’s Instagram, LinkedIn, & Substack:https://www.instagram.com/katychenmazzara/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-chen-mazzara/ https://substack.com/@katychenmazzara The Comeback Season Three Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1rVpVCNBgE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz and Sarah talk about why it’s helpful to prepare small talk topics before a Zoom meeting. Knowing how to fill that awkward time before everyone arrives will reduce your anxiety and improve meeting flow! In The Mailroom, they answer a listener question about reality TV lingo. Then, in Take Two, Liz and Sarah revisit the topic of projects they once thought were dead coming suddenly back to life. This week’s Hollywood Hack can make life easier — try the weird tech thing that intimidates you. Finally, Sarah recommends some of her favorite Verticals on DramaBox, including All the Little Ways I Love You, Chained by Affection, and Like Roses, In Summer’s Tender Kiss.  Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: Kayla’s song suggestions: Icona Pop's I LOVE IT Bruno Mars' UPTOWN FUNK Lorde's GREEN LIGHT DramaBox: https://www.dramaboxdb.com/ Han— Back to Life music video: https://youtu.be/F0UIsSnotlA?si=qcvGjRv2ggsXkAUc KC and the Sunshine Band - Boogie Shoes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia0zeuZMJbo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz and Sarah talk about how they plan to incorporate what they’ve gleaned from Natalie Goldberg’s book, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, into the next draft of their novel Bad Trip. Inner censor be damned! In Take A Hike, they share whimsy ideas from listeners who are participating in Mimsy May. Then they talk about why Writers Room Pro is one of their favorite HIH WFH tools. This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from career coach Carole Kirschner — spend twenty minutes researching whoever you’re going to meet with. Finally Liz recommends Caro Claire Burke’s buzzy new novel, Yesteryear.  Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within https://amzn.to/4umNtbn Writing Down the Bones Deck: 60 Cards to Free the Writer Within https://amzn.to/4tare7B WritersRoom Pro: https://www.writersroompro.com/ Career Coach Carole Kirschner: https://www.carolekirschner.com/  Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke: https://amzn.to/3RkCbWQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz and Sarah are wrapping their heads around the fact that in New Hollywood previously declared dead projects may come back to life unexpectedly. That’s great — but it can make it hard to gain momentum on new things. In Take Two, Liz and Sarah share all the many things listeners Don’t Feel Bad About Anymore. Then they give a Hit to all the people who have been showing up to the Killer Bee Zoom Work Hour every Friday at 10:30am PT. Liz gives herself a Bomb for her messy office, and Sarah gives herself a Bomb for her out of control nightstand. This week’s Hollywood Hack is good for your gut and your wallet: the Bruusta kombucha maker. Finally, Sarah recommends the audio book Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: Bruusta: https://bruusta.com Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry: https://amzn.to/4cQD54Q Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices