In this episode, we sit down with prolific thriller and mystery writer Minoti Vaishnav to discuss her journey from aspiring pop star to television writer. Minoti shares how her relentless work ethic, commitment to building meaningful relationships, and how her experience producing reality TV shaped her unique voice and experience as a TV writer. Her tenacity, industry insight, and practical advice make this conversation a great listen for anyone pursuing a career as a writer in Hollywood.You'll also hear about:Minoti's philosophy that you don't have to know everything to succeed. If you're willing to do the work, believe in yourself, and stay persistent, you'll figure it out.How fellowships have accelerated her career through mentorship—and just how many she's been accepted into (spoiler: it's a lot!).The additional obstacles writers of color often need to overcome to build a successful career.How to not only play the game but beat the game to find success as a TV writer. Why having multiple writing samples has been a key factor in her success.Why knowing which problems are yours to solve on set—and which aren't—is essential.Her strategy for staying connected by leaning on her creative community.How she maintains discipline by scheduling dedicated writing time and how she avoids procrastination.

In this episode, we talk with iconic screenwriter and author, Kim Krizan about her inspiration for writing the iconic "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" films. She shares with us the story of meeting Richard Linklater while acting in one of his earliest films, "Slacker," and how their writing partnership grew from there. Kim took a deep interest in the Diarist Anais Nin and gives us insight into the book she wrote about her, "Spy in the house of Anais Nin." Kim elaborates on her curiosity around why people are creative and what she’s learned about how we “create our way out of our wounds.” You’ll also hear about: Kim's philosophy of kindness, and how it fuels her work as a teacher at a community college, how valuable it can be to come at things with just enthusiasm, even if you don’t have all the knowledge, how utilizing many creative outlets can free you up when working on the one important project in your life, how Kim was influenced by a diverse group of artists during her time living in Austin, and how fluidity with her creativity opened her up to more inspiration, the value of "just going on the ride," and not having a solid plan but an idea of what you want and trusting you’ll get where you want to go with a broad goal or direction, how creativity is vital to humanity’s survival, and not just a frivolous pursuit, and how what you’re drawn to has a purpose.

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In this conversation with each other, we dive into our latest developments, sharing where we are 16 episodes into recording The Big Twist, dive into what makes a great performance and making art in the age of AI. Angela talks about taking an acting class for non-actors and a directing workshop that inspired her to get back into directing and taught her to be less precious about her own work. Anna shares what sets great actors apart from average ones, and her experiences working with some amazing co-stars, learning from the best the difference that a great scene partner can make. We also explore the state of the film industry and what gives us hope at this current moment. If you haven't, please subscribe. It really helps our channel more than you know!