Best Sam Ernst Jim Dunn Jr Zamora Thal Podcasts (2025)

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Pitching Plot Proves Painful, but Emotion Elicits Excitement with Mark LePatner 44:28

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3+ y ago44:28

44:28

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Mark into the room and together they work on his indie-feature, tentatively titled "1001". Join us in the room for a discussion on using emotion to drive your pitch, choosing which facets of your story to shine a light on, and staying on theme while breaking story. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thesamandjim …

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Generational Conflict is a Chronic Condition with Tim Wardell 43:31

3+ y ago43:31

43:31

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Tim into the writers room, and together they work on his father, son, and granddaughter love story, tentatively titled "Gaddy". Join us for a discussion on utilizing a chronic problem to drive story, ending your pilot on a question for maximum punch, and the great writing that comes out of the difficulties of raisi…

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One Season Down, Highlights to Show with J.R. and Meagan 55:45

3+ y ago55:45

55:45

Send us a text J.R. and Meagan take over the room in this very special season ending episode of The Writers Room with Sam and Jim. Join us in the room for all the best tips, tools, and advice that Sam and Jim have given over the first year of The Writers Room. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thesamandjim Producer: J.R. Zamora-Thal Logo Design:…

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Good Scouts Know When to End a Pilot with Kevin Ramlal 46:55

4y ago46:55

46:55

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Kevin Ramlal into the room, and together they work on his Boy Scout murder mystery, tentatively titled "On My Honor". Join us in the room for a discussion on creating emotional arcs, making readers care about the protagonist's journey, and ending a pilot before the protagonist learns too much. Follow us on Twitter …

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Bringing Up Past Sins: Scene Study with Macenzie Rebelo 35:17

4y ago35:17

35:17

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Macenzie back into the room to work on a scene from her hour long drama pilot, tentatively titled "Sins". Join us in the room for a discussion on making sure emotion makes it on to the page, allowing characters to communicate verbally and non-verbally, and knowing what each character wants in any given scene. If yo…

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Werewolves Turn, and Your Scenes Should Too with Shawn Waugh 44:55

4y ago44:55

44:55

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Shawn into the room, and together they work on his supernatural courtroom drama, tentatively titled "The Wolvener of Los Angeles". Join us in the room for a discussion on creating great scenes that force a reader to keep reading, creating an emotional spine that structures your story, and the dirty details of being…

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Breaking Through Writer's Block with Casey Partridge 48:38

4y ago48:38

48:38

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Casey into the room, and together they work on her dramedy about Greek gods in a modern world, tentatively titled "Gods' Complex". Join us for a discussion about how to write through writer's block, pitching scenes in order to understand characters, and creating emotional turns that give plot its punch. Follow us o…

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The Contradiction of the Man and His Crown with Teng Ky-Gan 48:40

4y ago48:40

48:40

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Teng Ky-Gan into the room and together they work on his historical limited series about the Dalai Lama, tentatively titled "The Fourteenth". Join us in the room for a discussion about creating dramatic drive for a character who is seemingly flawless, choosing an interesting slice of life for a biographical story, a…

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Ask Fewer Questions and Say More with Claire Jennings 43:41

4y ago43:41

43:41

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Claire into the room and together they work on her mall comedy, tentatively titled "Forever 21 Forever". Join us for a discussion on grounding your script in what you want to say about the world, creating simple characters who can drive a story, and making sure your show doesn't lose it's engine. Follow us on Twitt…

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Laughter is a Moment Free from Hurt with Marc Brockwell 41:02

4y ago41:02

41:02

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Marc into the room and together they work on his as of yet untitled comedy about an investment banker turned caddy after a fall from grace. Join us in the room for a discussion about shedding nuance on a first draft, creating a comedic character with a dramatic drive, and creating laughter to make the world a bette…

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Let Your Darlings Take a Bullet in the Back and Other Room Skills with Tania Lotia 43:48

4y ago43:48

43:48

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite their friend Tania Lotia into the room. Together they talk about hard won room skills and then they break an original idea, submitted to us by Steve Holbert. More about Tania Lotia: Tania Lotia is a Los Angeles-based television writer who grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. After graduating from UCLA, she attended law sc…

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Get Your Internal Drive off the Bench with Nate Patton 47:30

4y ago47:30

47:30

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Nate into the room and together they work on his high school comedy, tentatively titled, "Specialists". Join us in the room for a discussion of creating deep characters that serve the story, writing kids in a way that feels true to adolescence, and creating strong internal drives. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram…

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There's No Debate, Pitching is Hard with Sarah Heveron-Smith and Paula Skaggs 42:45

4y ago42:45

42:45

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Sarah and Paula into the room, and together they work on their high-school comedy feature, tentatively titled, "Maggie and Lenny Go to Nationals". Join us in the room for a discussion on using character to pitch scenes, creating compelling and useful backstories, and working with a writing partner. Follow us on Twi…

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Scene Study with Zach Freshley and J Hunter Richardson 58:01

4y ago58:01

58:01

Send us a text In this Scene Study episode, Sam and Jim invite Zach Freshley and J Hunter Richardson back in to the room to read and rework scenes from their pilots. If you'd like to follow along, you can download the scenes from our website! Scenes can be found by clicking the Guests tab. In our first segment, we read the opening to "Under Investi…

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Find Your Core Idea and Toss the Rest with Doris McGill 58:05

4y ago58:05

58:05

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Doris McGill into the room, and together they work on her comedy about finding your place and fitting in, tentatively titled "Baby Gay". Join us in the room for a discussion on crafting scenes that serve the core story, establishing the engine of the show in the first scene, and creating a logline that makes reader…

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Dust off Your Protagonist and Make Their Character Shine with Jerry Landry 46:08

4y ago46:08

46:08

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Jerry Landry into the room and together they work on his semi-dystopian comedy, tentatively titled "Dust Country". Join us in the room for a discussion about how to build layers on to a character with each scene, making sure that each scene has a turn and gives the reader new information, and creating memorable ant…

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Focus on the Central Relationship and Let the Sparks Fly with Claire Nauman 41:17

4y ago41:17

41:17

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Claire Nauman into the room, and together they work on her "Love Interest of the Week" dramedy procedural, tentatively titled "Love Is...". Join us in the room for a discussion about making your characters essential to the story, crafting the central relationship so that it drives story, and sustaining a season lon…

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Doing Future You a Favor By Turning Up the Intensity with Campy Draper 47:10

4y ago47:10

47:10

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Campy Draper into the room and together they work on his supernatural dramedy about a true crime podcaster investigating a small town disappearance, tentatively titled "The Seacouver Mysteries". Join us in the room for a discussion on how to help yourself in the future by starting with an intense and personal drive…

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Scene Study with Annette DeLorean and Kat Boyd 1:00:03

4y ago1:00:03

1:00:03

Send us a text In our first ever Scene Study episode, Sam and Jim invite Annette DeLorean and Kat Boyd back in to the room to read and rework scenes from their pilots. If you'd like to follow along, you can download the scenes from our website! Scenes can be found by clicking the Guests tab. In our first segment, we read the opening to "Horsehair",…

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Using Cookies and Murder to Discuss Identity with Yasmin Asif 53:54

4y ago53:54

53:54

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Yasmin Asif into the room and together they work on her feature about the price of ambition and a box of cookies, tentatively titled "Cookie Cutters". Join us in the room for a discussion about race and identity, creating characters that are grounded in their backstory, streamlining the plot of a feature, and using…

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Cool Dads Use Cheap Deep to Efficiently Add Heart with Phillip Cordell 56:05

4y ago56:05

56:05

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Phillip into the room, and together they work on his comedy about the trials and tribulations of fatherhood in Music City, tentatively titled "Nashville Dads Club". Join us in the room for a discussion on how to use "cheap deep" to give your story heart without taking up too many pages, and creating character motiv…

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Backstory Can Drag You to The Underworld with Ellie Lorscheid 54:56

4y ago54:56

54:56

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Ellie into the room and together they work on her adaptation of the Hades and Persephone Greek myth, tentatively titled "Darklands". Join us in the room for a discussion about shedding complicated backstories to allow emotional and visual stories to blossom and how to approach established writers to forge a connect…

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Perfection is the Enemy of Good Characters with Travis Nguyen 46:23

4y ago46:23

46:23

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Travis in to the room and together they work on his genre-bending sci-fi romp, tentatively titled "Big Brain". Join us in the room for a discussion on the pros and cons of crossing genres, creating complex characters, and shooting for the stars in hopes of breaking past the atmosphere. This episode brought to you b…

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It Helps to Be a Witch To Craft Mind-Blowing Act Breaks with Laurel Ellis 51:51

4y ago51:51

51:51

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Laurel in to the room and together they work on her drama about a teen witch in grave danger learning to help spirits cross over, tentatively titled "The Restorer". Join us in the room for a discussion about creating great act breaks, condensing story to create an effective pitch, and creating IP to help your story…

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Planting Personal Conflicts to Harvest Complicated Themes with Clarence Moore 54:24

4y ago54:24

54:24

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Clarence in to the room and together they work on his fantasy drama centered around two opposing families and the magic of their land, tentatively titled "Blood and Soil". Join us in the room for a discussion about how to use character conflicts to express complicated themes, creating a magic system that integrates…

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Using a Love Story to Cut Through Cocaine and Cartels with Stephanie Palacino, Scott Porterfield, and Rusty Watkins 49:19

4+ y ago49:19

49:19

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Stephanie, Scott, and Rusty in to the room and together they work on their cocaine fueled cartel comedy, tentatively titled "Dog Eat Dog". Join us in the room for a discussion on writing partnerships, using simple love stories as a foundation for more complicated world building, and making sure all characters are c…

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Huckster Grandpa and Other Story Engines for Liars with Stephen Saltarelli 47:12

4+ y ago47:12

47:12

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Stephen in to the room and together they work on his half-hour comedy about the importance of family and the greater importance of a good hustle, tentatively titled "Huckster Grandpa". Join us in the room for a discussion about creating a cohesive story even after your characters hit the road and how pitching can h…

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From Buffy to Brujas -- Making Genre Specific with Jovanna Huguet-Burke 46:22

4+ y ago46:22

46:22

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Jovanna in to the room and together they work on her demon hunting fantasy story, tentatively titled "The Watchers". Join us for a discussion about creating art from grief, the pitfalls of talismans, and using specificity to overcome tropes and make a story stand out. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thesamandj…

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Pitching Falcon and The Winter Soldier with a Migraine and Other War Stories with Marvel Showrunner Malcolm Spellman 1:01:54

4+ y ago1:01:54

1:01:54

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite their good friend Malcolm Spellman in to the room. Together they talk about high stakes pitching and then they break an original idea, submitted to us by Meagan Daine. More about Malcolm Spellman: Malcolm Spellman Executive Produced and served as Showrunner of Marvel's newly premiered THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLD…

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There is No Series, So Stuff the Pilot with Macenzie Rebelo 51:58

4+ y ago51:58

51:58

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Macenzie into the room and together they work on her small town murder mystery, tentatively titled "Sins". Join us for a discussion on making sure your pilot is jam packed with your best ideas and finding the most interesting ways to move the plot forward. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thesamandjim Producer:…

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Every Crime Needs a Motive with Jeff Thurber 50:26

4+ y ago50:26

50:26

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Jeff into the room and together they work on his drama about skimming credit cards to skip town, tentatively titled "Skimmer". Join us for a discussion on how to create motivations for your characters that justify bad actions and keep the story moving. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thesamandjim Producer: J.R…

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Story Engine for a Death Metal Centaur with Annette DeLorean 53:28

4+ y ago53:28

53:28

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Annette into the room, and together they work on her animated Christian death metal comedy, tentatively titled "Horsehair". Join us in the room for a discussion on creating a story engine that will power you through a season. Annette's work can be found on YouTube. Punk Rock Yoga Bitch vs. The Goat Demon: https://w…

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A Little Less Sci, A Little More Fi with J Hunter Richardson 54:35

4+ y ago54:35

54:35

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite J into the room, and together the work on his multi-verse hopping drama, tentatively titled, "Singulars". Join us in the room for a discussion on how to wade through the world-building duties of genre scripts and come out the other side with strong characters that will carry you through a season and beyond. Follow …

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Series Bibles and The Coincidence of Sperm with Lauren White 53:35

4+ y ago53:35

53:35

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Lauren in to the room, and together they work on her half hour comedy about the ties that bind us as family, tentatively titled "Inconceivable". Join us in the room for a discussion on where to end a pilot, what you need for a series bible, and how to use a character matrix to generate story. Follow us on Twitter a…

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Starting Hot and Letting Go of Early Drafts with Adam Warwinsky 55:31

4+ y ago55:31

55:31

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Adam in to the room, and together they work on his hour-long drama set in the world of high-society run non-profits, tentatively titled, "Not For Profit". Join us in the room for a discussion on how to create a compelling inciting incident, and what makes us care about the characters we watch. Follow us on Twitter …

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Why You Should Absolutely Write a Script That Won't Get Made with Mary Nguyen 51:00

4+ y ago51:00

51:00

Send us a text Sam an Jim invite Mary in to the room, and together they work on her biting satire set in the inevitable future when Amazon has colonized Mars, tentatively titled "The King of Mars". Hang out in the room with us this week for a discussion on how to drill down on a character to deliver an emotionally driven plot quicker than Prime. Fo…

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Finding the Holy S**t Moments with Zach Freshley 50:15

4+ y ago50:15

50:15

Send us a text Sam an Jim invite Zach in to the room, and together they work on his gumshoe marital drama, tentatively titled "Under Investigation". Hang out in the room with us this week for a discussion on how the specificity of a character leads to emotionally driven plot points. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thesamandjim Producer: J.R. Z…

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When to Say F**k the Rules with Sean-Joseph McCann 58:25

4+ y ago58:25

58:25

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Sean-Joseph in to the room, and together the work on his drama pilot about the costs of war and the challenges of peace, tentatively titled "Ceasefire". Tune in this week for a discussion on how to take characters with deep emotional issues and pair them with a sustainable story engine. Follow us on Twitter and Ins…

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Live at SXSW: What Showrunners Want and Other Mysteries with Creator/Showrunner Ben Watkins 1:17:56

4+ y ago1:17:56

1:17:56

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite their good friend Ben Watkins, creator of Hand of God, in to the room for this very special episode, brought to you live from South By Southwest thanks to Blue Jeans by Verizon. Ben talks about how he got his start, shares some advice, and then Sam, Jim, and Ben break an original idea. The episode ends with a Q&A, …

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You Gotta Lie to Tell the Truth with Mary Birdsong 52:30

4+ y ago52:30

52:30

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Mary Birdsong in to the room, and together they work on her dramedy (based on her own family), tentatively titled "Hot Mess". Mary opens up about her relationship with her mother and sisters as she crafts a story that is as hilarious as it is touching. Don't miss it! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thesamandji…

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Career Math for Writers and other Painful Topics with EP Tamara Becher-Wilkinson 56:00

4+ y ago56:00

56:00

Send us a text Sam and Jim welcome their friend Tamara Becher-Wilkinson, executive producer of HBOMax's Doom Patrol, in to the room. Together, they talk about the highs and lows of their writing careers and then Tamara helps break an original idea, giving insight in to her writing process. There's a lot to learn this week! You don't want to miss it…

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Magic Doesn’t Work Until You Lay Down the Laws with Max Rissman 55:21

4+ y ago55:21

55:21

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Max Rissman in to the room, and together they work on his feature "Voiceless", a story of twin teenage girls navigating high school while sharing only one voice. Tune in this week for a story that straddles that superfine line between genius and insanity! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thesamandjim Producer: …

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Don’t be Fooled -- Nothing Happens by Mistake with Stacy Lumbrezer 55:53

4+ y ago55:53

55:53

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Stacy Lumbrezer in to the room, and together they work on her dramedy "Family Law and Disorder", which centers on a small-town juvenile probation officer looking for redemption. Tune in this week for some big time crazy in a small town setting! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thesamandjim Producer: J.R. Zamora…

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An Epic Story Starts with a Simple Idea with Faraz Abidi 53:28

4+ y ago53:28

53:28

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Faraz Abidi in to the room, and together they work on his "Untitled Indian Independence Script", a story that sets themes of identity and ancestry against India's fight for independence. Whether you have questions about how to write a character driven story in an epic setting, or you'd like to learn more Indian his…

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Make Your Protagonist Their Own Worst Enemy with Kat Boyd 1:01:48

4+ y ago1:01:48

1:01:48

Send us a text Sam and Jim invite Kat Boyd in to the room, and together they work on her Detroit-based, police task-force pilot, tentatively titled "The D". Take a break from re-binging The Wire and listen to Kat break a Motor City story where family, crime, power, and politics crash in to each other at break-neck speed! Follow us on Twitter and In…

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Be Kind to Your Ideas (a.k.a. Let ‘em Suck for a Minute) with Erin Kron 54:24

4+ y ago54:24

54:24

Send us a text Jim and Sam invite Erin Kron, an LA based writer and singer, in to the room and together they work on her time traveling folk music pilot, tentatively titled "Visions of Johana". It's a freewheelin' discussion you won't want to miss! Don't think twice, check it out! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thesamandjim Producer: J.R. Zam…

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Episode 0 - Welcome to The Writers Room 12:48

4+ y ago12:48

12:48

Send us a text Television veterans Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn welcome you to their writers room. On this podcast, they will be inviting aspiring writers in to the room to help them develop their stories. Thanks for joining us! Producer: J.R. Zamora-Thal Logo art: Julien Debar-Monclair, @jude.orange Music: Buddha Rays, @buddharays…