The doctor is in! This week features none other than the TV Script Doctor herself, Sarah McLaughlin, who also happens to be a successful comedy writer on shows such as That 70’s Show and Drop Dead Diva.
Growing up in New York, Sarah McLaughlin wasn’t allowed to watch television… fascinated by the forbidden fruit, she pursued journalism at the University of Colorado, and before long she was in Los Angeles working as a production assistant on the final season of Home Improvement.
On Home Improvement, she fell in love with scripted television, but didn’t know anything about the industry. She used her time there wisely, talking to as many people in different TV jobs as she could, and reading as many scripts as she could get her hands on.
After taking a course at UCLA and writing some spec scripts, she landed a spot in the Warner Brothers Writers Workshop. Though tremendously helpful, it didn’t directly land her a writing gig. However, she was able to use her position as a writer’s assistant on That 70’s Show to pitch and write her own episode, and her writing career took off!
After a few short stints on other shows, she ended back on That 70’s Show, where she worked her way up for several seasons. She went on to work on South Park, and sell pilots to MTV and Sony Television, before landing work on her current show, Drop Dead Diva.
Between her staff experience, and her work as a script evaluator and creative consultant for the Warner Bros. Writers Workshop and The Disney/ABC writers fellowship, Sarah understands what it takes to have your script go from the “reject” pile to the “yes” pile. In this podcast, she shares many great tips on how to improve your spec or pilot script, as well as sharing how a TV episode goes from idea to finished product.
Sarah works as a consultant to both new and working writers through her website: http://tvscriptdoctor.com
Follow Sarah on Twitter: @tvscriptdoctor
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published December 17, 2011.
015 – TV/Feature Writer Wil Zmak (VIDEO)
014 – TV/Feature Writer Matt MacLennan (VIDEO)
013 – TV/Feature Writer Tim Stubinski (VIDEO)
012 – TV/Feature Writer Karen Walton (VIDEO)
011 – TV/Feature Writer Daegan Fryklind (VIDEO)
010 – The Cape Writer Keto Shimizu (VIDEO)
009 – No Ordinary Family Writers Elisabeth R. Finch & Kate Barnow (VIDEO)
008 – Chuck & No Ordinary Family Co-EP Ali Adler (VIDEO)
007 – V Showrunner Scott Rosenbaum (VIDEO)
006 – TV & Feature Writer Dan McDermott (VIDEO)
005 – Emmy Winning Comedy Writer Rob Kutner (VIDEO)
004 – Eureka’s Jaime Paglia & Neil Grayston (VIDEO)
003 – Warehouse 13 Writer Ian Stokes (VIDEO)
002 – Warehouse 13 Showrunner Jack Kenny (VIDEO)
001 – Human Target Showrunner Matt Miller (VIDEO)
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Multiverse Fancast
Cinema: A to B
I Finally Watched...
Pod Meets World
Pop Culture Happy Hour