Write Along with David and Cargill

Episodes

1. 60

   Ep. 60 – False Victory, First Defeat

   David and Cargill discuss how to get through Act 2 and the Second Act Slump. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill on...

   Apr 26, 2020
2. 59

   Ep. 59 – An entertainer when times are good or a distraction when times are bad

   David and Cargill discuss how to keep on keeping’ on when external factors torpedo something you’re working on. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter...

   Apr 10, 2020
3. 58

   Ep. 58 – Satirizing the Unsatirizable

   David and Cargill discuss what it’s like to try to be creative in the midst of a pandemic, and how it can sometimes be difficult to satirize something as outlandish as real life. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more...

   Mar 27, 2020
4. 57

   Ep. 57 – The Ice Floe

   Cargill and David discuss tips for getting a career writing about film. Follow David on Letterboxd Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter…

   more
   Feb 14, 2020
5. 56

   Ep. 56 – If You Want To Make a Trilogy, You Probably Shouldn’t

   Cargill and David discuss whether or not you should make a trilogy of films and whether paid editors are scams. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter...

   Feb 1, 2020
6. 55

   Ep. 55 – Cargill’s Four Favorite Films of 2019

   Cargill and David discuss Cargill’s four favorite films of 2019. Listen to David’s top 10 films of 2019 Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter...

   Jan 14, 2020
7. 54

   Ep. 54 – Bangin’ on the door waiting for someone to let you in

   Cargill and David discuss what the literary equivalent is of “make your own movie” and the pleasures and pains of the vanity press. Listen to our previous episode about this topic here. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find...

   Dec 15, 2019
8. 53

   Ep. 53 – You’d think there’d be a better communication system

   Cargill and David discuss what happens when you work on a project that ends up getting made by someone else. Cargill’s tweet about Netflix’s Locke and Key Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on...

   Dec 6, 2019
9. 52

   Ep 52 – It’s struggling and it’s pain and it’s failure

   Cargill and David discuss Christopher McQuarrie’s recent advice on whether or not you should try to “win the lottery” by submitting your script to a studio. McQuarrie has since taken down the Twitter thread but many reproductions exist online, including this one. Email us with your...

   Nov 23, 2019
10. 51

    Ep. 51 – A brief history of The Black List (GUEST: Franklin Leonard)

    Franklin Leonard joins the Write Along podcast to discuss the history of The Black List and share tips for screenwriters looking to host their screenplays on The Black List website. Follow Franklin Leonard on Twitter Learn more about The Black List at its official website Email us with your...

    Nov 9, 2019
11. 50

    Ep. 50 – One and a half cubes (GUEST: Vincenzo Natali)

    David is joined by writer/director Vincenzo Natali (director of Cube, Splice, Westworld, Hannibal) to discuss tips for making a low-budget high-concept film. Be sure to check out Vincenzo’s newest film, In the Tall Grass, on Netflix. Cargill will be back for a regular episode next week. Listen to…

    more
    Nov 3, 2019
12. 49

    Ep. 49 – How does this play out?

    David and Cargill discuss their preferred PDF readers and give advice to a writer struggling to make his characters more interesting. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod....

    Oct 26, 2019
13. 48

    Ep. 48 – A Private Movie Podcast

    David and Cargill discuss how to encourage young writers and how to consume media about a genre you’re writing in. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill on...

    Oct 19, 2019
14. 47

    Ep. 47 – What you want to avoid is the awkward English goodbye

    David and Cargill share more tips on when best to begin and end scenes. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill on Twitter @massawyrm. Follow David on Twitter...

    Oct 4, 2019
15. 46

    Ep. 46 – Everyone has one good story in them

    David and Cargill discuss what happens when you set unrealistic goals and the value of not giving up. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill on Twitter...

    Sep 28, 2019
16. 45

    Ep. 45 – Music that sounds suspiciously like the music from ‘Drive’

    David and Cargill discuss if/when to get permission for copyrighted content in your work. (Note: we aren’t legal experts and you should always speak to a lawyer if you have any questions) Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at...

    Sep 20, 2019
17. 44

    Ep. 44 – Always deliver on your idea

    David and Cargill discuss how to approach short stories, and share their favorites. Short stories mentioned: The Labyrinth by Jorge Luis Borges “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Email us with your questions/thoughts at...

    Sep 13, 2019
18. 43

    Ep. 43 – Give them a dog

    David and Cargill discuss how to make a character likable and touch upon the difference between tropes and cliches. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill on...

    Sep 7, 2019
19. 42

    Ep. 42 – The Pauper Principle

    David and Cargill talk the Pauper Principle and how it can be used to create a connection between your audience and a character in your story. See Cargill’s tweet that spawned this episode. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at...

    Aug 23, 2019
20. 41

    Ep. 41 – Old wisdom, shared perfectly

    David and Cargill talk about why voiceover generally isn’t a good idea for horror films, and why your film or story doesn’t need to have revolutionary new ideas to share with the world to be great. See Cargill’s tweet that spawned this episode. Email us with your questions/thoughts at...

    Aug 16, 2019
21. 40

    Ep. 40 – They’re fine with it

    David and Cargill talk about how to approach a screenplay when your villain is the protagonist. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill on Twitter @massawyrm....

    Aug 9, 2019
22. 39

    Ep. 39 – Bury it in conflict

    David and Cargill talk about the best way to do “info-dumps.” Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill on Twitter @massawyrm. Follow David on Twitter...

    Aug 3, 2019
23. 38

    Ep. 38 – When your PB&PL stand fails

    David and Cargill discuss the importance of writing for an audience and why artistic narcissism is one of the biggest sins a writer can commit. Check out Cargill’s tweets spawning this conversation here and here. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more...

    Jul 26, 2019
24. 37

    Ep. 37 – The struggle, not the reward

    David and Cargill discuss why many faith-based/Evangelical films aren’t any good, and what makes a good Christian film. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow…

    more
    Jul 19, 2019
25. 36

    Ep. 36 – Stay for the romance

    David and Cargill discuss how to pace scenes and how to get in and out of them. Later, they chat about Danny Boyle’s new film Yesterday and what we can learn about paying off premises. Read Cargill’s tweet that prompted this discussion. Email us with your questions/thoughts at...

    Jul 13, 2019
26. 35

    Ep. 35 – Days of rest

    David and Cargill discuss why mental health should be the number one priority of all writers, and why Cargill lives nocturnally. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod.…

    more
    Jul 6, 2019
27. 34

    Ep. 34 – The sin of Moses

    David and Cargill discuss the rules you can’t break in Hollywood scripts, and when it might be acceptable to try. Here’s Cargill’s tweet that prompted this episode. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com.…

    more
    Jun 29, 2019
28. 33

    Ep. 33 – The moral of the story

    David and Cargill respond to an email about how to write when you feel like you have nothing to say. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below: Write...

    Jun 22, 2019
29. 32

    Ep. 32 – There is a car chase

    David and Cargill discuss how to write fights and action scenes. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below: Write Along with David and Cargill is made...

    Jun 15, 2019
30. 31

    Ep. 31 – An Unlikable Protagonist

    David and Cargill discuss the characteristics of an unlikable protagonist, and why/how it’s different than an anti-hero. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or...

    Jun 8, 2019
31. 30

    Ep. 30 – Don’t be a Method Writer

    David and Cargill discuss how to balance competing tones in a single work. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below: Write Along with David and…

    more
    May 24, 2019
32. 29

    Ep. 29 – There is no expiration date on writers

    Cargill and David talk about what it means to fail and how to keep going despite failure. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below: Write Along with...

    May 17, 2019
33. 28

    Ep. 28 – How a writing partnership is like a marriage

    Cargill shares tips for how to approach a writing partnership. To learn more about the Gottmans’ principles, go to https://www.gottman.com/. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter...

    May 10, 2019
34. 27

    Ep. 27 – The pitch

    Cargill shares tips for how to pitch your movie to a producer. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below: Write Along with David and Cargill is made…

    more
    May 3, 2019
35. 26

    Ep. 26 – The room where it happens

    Pitching your film in a room with a producer can be a challenging prospect. But how do you even get to the point where you can even deliver a pitch? In this episode, Cargill and David discuss some possible paths to the room where it happens. Email us with your questions/thoughts at...

    Apr 26, 2019
36. 25

    Ep. 25 – The importance of being social

    Cargill and David discuss how being more social and gregarious can benefit your creative career. Here’s Cargill’s tweet, where writers can follow each other. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us…

    more
    Apr 20, 2019
37. 24

    Ep. 24 – How did they get here

    Cargill and David discuss tips for getting out of the Second Act Slump. Check out Cargill’s initial tweet on this topic here. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod.…

    more
    Apr 12, 2019
38. 23

    Ep. 23 – Truth over facts

    Cargill and David discuss some of the things to consider when you’re adapting the story of a real-life person. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play…

    more
    Apr 5, 2019
39. 22

    Ep. 22 – Something scary every 10 pages

    Cargill and David give some tips for writing a horror film. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below: Write Along with David and Cargill is made with...

    Mar 29, 2019
40. 21

    Ep. 21 – Cut out all the bad parts

    Cargill and David discuss some approaches to writing naturalistic dialogue. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below: Write Along with David and…

    more
    Mar 22, 2019
41. 20

    Ep. 20 – The only two times you should abandon a story

    Cargill and David discuss the importance of networking at festivals, and when you should consider abandoning a story. Read up on why I will not read your script. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow…

    more
    Mar 15, 2019
42. 19

    Ep. 19 – What they really want is to feel

    Cargill and David respond to several of your emails, including tips on screenwriting software, when/how to use physical descriptions, as well as what makes a great ending. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at…

    more
    Mar 9, 2019
43. 18

    Ep. 18 – A bad play where the heroes are right

    Cargill and David discuss the importance of having an easily remembered pen name, and dive into the four major components of character. You can read more about these components in the writings of K.M. Weiland. Can you structure characters? The Lie Want vs. Needs The Ghost Email us with your...

    Mar 2, 2019
44. 17

    Ep. 17 – A roadmap to art

    Cargill and David discuss things to avoid when handing out scripts, and whether you can use words like “Camera” or “We see.” See the following tweets referenced in today’s episode: Jim Bond’s original tweet Rian Johnson’s response James Mangold’s response Guillermo Del Toro’s response Craig...

    Feb 19, 2019
45. 16

    Ep. 16 – Option Value

    Cargill and David discuss if/when/how you should option another piece of work that you’re interested in adapting. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download this...

    Feb 16, 2019
46. 15

    Ep. 15 – The three dimensions of characters

    Cargill and David discuss the difference between 1D, 2D, and 3D characters. Check out Cargill’s tweet on the subject. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download this...

    Feb 9, 2019
47. 14

    Ep. 14 – The premise is the special effect

    Cargill and David discuss some tips for how to make a low-budget movie that all takes place in one location. Check out the Smithsonian Magazine article where Teller shares his secrets. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at...

    Feb 1, 2019
48. 13

    Ep. 13 – Share joy

    Cargill and David discuss when something is considered plagiarism. Also Cargill shares the story of an inspirational friend. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod.…

    more
    Jan 26, 2019
49. 12

    Ep. 12 – Make the most interesting choice

    Cargill and David discuss how to make internal conflicts interesting, and how the audience perceives it when that doesn’t happen. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod....

    Jan 18, 2019
50. 11

    Ep. 11 – Write your pain

    Cargill and David discuss their top 10 films of 2018, and Cargill dives into how Bodied is a great example of translating painful experiences into art. Watch David’s top 10 films of 2018 on YouTube Watch the music video for Look What You Made Me Do Watch the music video for Bad Blood Watch Bodied…

    more
    Jan 11, 2019