Best Craft Works Dialogue Podcasts (2025)

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Networking Dos and Don’ts & Are You Excited: October 2025 Edition 1:13:36

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1d ago1:13:36

1:13:36

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss networking - a word that probably makes most writers shiver. They dive into how to approach it authentically, the best ways to spark conversations, and what not to do if you want to leave a good impression. Plus, a new month of Are You Excited? - new movies we may be fired up about. Questions / Comments: Act…

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First Draft - Jane Hamilton 58:58

2d ago58:58

58:58

Jane Hamilton lives, works, and writes in an orchard farmhouse in Wisconsin. Her short stories have appeared in Harper's magazine. Her first novel, The Book of Ruth, won the PEN/Ernest Hemingway Foundation Award for best first novel and was a selection of the Oprah Book Club. Her second novel, A Map of the World, was an international bestseller. He…

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Ep#107 [Part 1] How to Build a 6-Figure Business That Works For Your ADHD Brain (Not Against It) 27:40

2d ago27:40

27:40

Send us a text What if your business didn’t punish your brain for being Multi-Brilliant? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on how two neurodivergent founders built a six‑figure brand by ditching rigid business rules and designing a digital ecosystem that actually works with their brains not against them. You’ll learn how to: Identify the do…

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#15 Getting to Know Your Ideal Middle-Grade Reader 12:26

5d ago12:26

12:26

If you want to be the type of middle-grade writer who creates books with characters who feel like real people, and transports kids out of their own world and into the imaginary one you have created in such a way that they lose themselves and actually feel some sort of grief when the book ends… … then you need to start with understanding who middle-…

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Write Better Dialogue: Tasha Huo's Secret Hack 43:00

9d ago43:00

43:00

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss Tasha's dialogue hack to quickly improve your dialogue and trim pages. TWIW: What does it mean when a manager or agent "hip-pockets" you? / Tasha had a MIGHTY NEIN screening at SCAD and now she wants to go to there / The difference in approach between being a fan of an IP and just taking an IP job. / Storyte…

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First Draft - Ada Limón (Returns Again) 1:02:11

9d ago1:02:11

1:02:11

Ada Limón is the author of seven books of poetry, including Startlement: New & Selected Poems; The Hurting Kind, which was a finalist for the Griffin Prize; The Carrying, which won the National Books Critics Circle Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award; and Bright Dead Things, which was named a finalist for the National Book Aw…

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Ep#106: [PART 2] Burn the Content Calendar: The ADHD Creator’s Guide to Showing Up Anyway 33:57

9d ago33:57

33:57

Send us a text If you've ever created a content calendar...and then ghosted it 3 days later this episode is for you. We’re pulling back the curtain on how two neurodivergent mums built a multi–six-figure brand without rigid content plans by following energy spikes, trusting timing, and using platforms that actually responded back (hello, TikTok). Y…

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How do you write for animation? Interview with Francisco Angones (THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA, DUCK TALES) 1:03:33

15d ago1:03:33

1:03:33

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Francisco Angones, the creator of DUCK TALES (2017) and Co-EP on THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA (S4, S5) to discuss what a Screenwriting career in animation can look like, share stories on its challenges and how to manage them, and share his day-to-day as an animation writer/creator. Questions / Comments: A…

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First Draft - Jason Mott 1:06:32

16d ago1:06:32

1:06:32

Jason Mott is the author of two poetry collections, including We Call This Thing Between Us Love and five novels including The Returned, which was a New York Times bestseller and was made into a TV series that ran for two seasons. His novel Hell of a Book was named the winner of the National Book Award for fiction. He has a BFA in fiction and an MF…

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Ep#105 [PART1] How to Grow Online; Without Picking a Niche, Burning Out, or Faking It. Creating Content You Freaking Love 39:17

16d ago39:17

39:17

Send us a text Ever feel trapped by the traditional advice to "niche down" and stick to one topic forever? For neurodivergent entrepreneurs especially, this approach can feel suffocating and unsustainable. What if instead of burning everything down each time you evolve, your audience simply followed you to your next venture? That's the power of bui…

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#14 Writing Middle Grade: How Do I Start? 10:05

17d ago10:05

10:05

So, you want to write a middle-grade novel... maybe you have an idea that just won't let you be. Or maybe you've spent years writing picture books, and you'd like to try something different. But when you sit down in front of your computer… well, you don't quite know how to start. That's why, in this episode, we're taking a deep dive into how readin…

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First Draft - 12th Anniversary Best Of - Abby Geni 1:00:04

19d ago1:00:04

1:00:04

This is the fourth in the 12 for 12 Best of the last dozen years of First Draft in honor of the 12th anniversary. Abby Geni is the author of the novels The Wildlands and The Lightkeepers and the short story collections The Last Animal and The Body Farm. Her books have been translated into seven languages and have won the Barnes & Noble Discover Awa…

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Which Screenwriter Personality Are You? 1:05:05

23d ago1:05:05

1:05:05

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk about all the different types of careers for a Screenwriter and which may be right for you, depending on your personality. TWIW: How to navigate the Austin Film Festival successfully, even if you're shy / Tasha's newest "big page" / Josh finds writing in the dark is a new hack / the Anaconda trailer is whack / …

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First Draft - Reginald Dwayne Betts 1:07:25

23d ago1:07:25

1:07:25

Reginald Dwayne Betts is a poet, lawyer, and CEO and Founder of Freedom Reads, a not-for-profit organization that is radically transforming the access to literature in prisons through the installation of Freedom Libraries in prisons across this country. For more than twenty-years, he has used his poetry and essays to explore the world of prison and…

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Ep#104 When ADHD Powers Your Dream; How Bek build her dream biz on her DEEP Why & ADHD 36:25

23d ago36:25

36:25

Send us a text What happens when two neurodivergent creatives sit down to unpack what it means to build a business that honors your authentic self? Magic, tears, and powerful truth bombs about embracing your unique vision despite what the world thinks you should do. In this deeply moving conversation, we're joined by Bec, a master hairdresser with …

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#13 How to Nail Middle-Grade Voice 13:47

28d ago13:47

13:47

Strong voice is important in all fiction, but it's vital in middle grade. Why? Because kids between 8 and 12, who are almost ready to leave early childhood behind and embark on big adventures, need a safe way to do so. How do they do it? Through the characters in middle-grade novels who are living the life they want to live! If your characters have…

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Ep#103 One Step Forward: Why Your Excuses Are Holding You Back 17:10

28d ago17:10

17:10

Send us a text It's the PASSION PANTS RANT.... Ever find yourself standing at the bottom of a metaphorical hill, overwhelmed by all the reasons why you can't or shouldn't climb it? That's exactly where transformation begins. Looking through voice notes from 2015 after being made redundant, Kristen discovered a powerful through-line in my life's wor…

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Ep#102 Your Brain is Not Broken: How Multi-Passionate Creators Can Build Thriving Businesses 40:48

29d ago40:48

40:48

Send us a text What if your scattered, multi-passionate brain isn't something to fix but your greatest business asset? When we stopped trying to force our neurodivergent minds into neurotypical business models, everything changed. This episode reveals the behind-the-scenes story of how we completely pivoted during a live bootcamp, creating an entir…

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Are You Excited?: September 2025 Edition + TWIW 39:23

29d ago39:23

39:23

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the movies coming to your eyeballs in September, and about the things on their mind this week in the world of Screenwriting. Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul LundquistBy Tasha Huo & Josh Hallman

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First Draft - Nini Berndt and Evie Bromiley 1:11:49

30d ago1:11:49

1:11:49

Nini Berndt is a graduate of the University of Florida's MFA program in Fiction. Her first novel is There Are Reasons for This. She teaches writing at Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver, where she lives with her wife and son. Evanthia Bromiley is a graduate of the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers and the recipient of scholarships from the A…

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Writing Action and Staying Relevant with Derek Kolstad (JOHN WICK, NOBODY) 48:22

1M ago48:22

48:22

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Derek Kolstad, writer and creator of the JOHN WICK and NOBODY franchises, to discuss everything from crafting character-driven action movies to the reality of the grind behind being a successful working Screenwriter. Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist…

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First Draft - Caleb Gayle 1:08:15

1M ago1:08:15

1:08:15

Caleb Gayle is an award-winning journalist who writes about race and identity and is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine. His writing has been recognized by the Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award, the PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship, the Center for Fiction Emerging Writers Fellowship, the New America Fellowship, and…

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#12 What is Middle Grade Anyway? 7:18

1M ago7:18

7:18

If you want to write middle-grade novels, you need to know what they are before you can put pen to paper. Knowing the guidelines will help you plot your story and write your book, and it will also increase your chances of being published. In this episode of Middle Grade Made Easy(er), we take a look at: What makes a chapter book What makes a young …

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How Agents Work for Screenwriters: David Boxerbaum (Partner, Verve) 33:52

1M ago33:52

33:52

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Josh's agent, David Boxerbaum, a partner at Verve, to discuss how successful writers work with their agents, the recent boom in short story sales and what that means for Screenwriters, and why some specs sale and others don't. Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundq…

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First Draft - Betsy Lerner 1:01:35

1M ago1:01:35

1:01:35

Betsy Lerner is the author of the recently released novel, Shred Sisters. She is also the author The Bridge Ladies, The Forest for the Trees and Food and Loathing. With Temple Grandin, she is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns and Abstractions. She received an M…

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First Draft - 12th Anniversary Best of - Tracy K. Smith 1:13:49

2M ago1:13:49

1:13:49

Tracy K. Smith is the author of five poetry collections, including Such Color: New and Selected Poems; Wade in the Water, winner of the 2019 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in Poetry, and shortlisted for the 2018 T. S. Eliot Prize. Her debut collection, The Body’s Question, won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize in 2002. Her second book, Duende, won the 2006 Ja…

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How to Multitask as a Screenwriter: Balancing Multiple Projects 53:27

2M ago53:27

53:27

Life gets crazy and overwhelming. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman break down how screenwriters multitask - balancing multiple projects, writing more than one script at a time, and staying productive along the way. Plus... TWIW! Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist…

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First Draft - Rachel Cockerell 1:02:00

2M ago1:02:00

1:02:00

Rachel Cockerell was born and raised in London, the sixth of seven children. Melting Point is her first nonfiction book. Her research has taken her to Texas, Ohio, New York, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Mitzi Rapkin

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Are Pro Screenwriters Just Like Pro Athletes? 49:44

2M ago49:44

49:44

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Screenwriter and Tennis Pro, Michael Basha, to discuss how the psychology of professional athletes can be a useful road map for professional screenwriters, and other ways pro sports mirrors the screenwriting industry. Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist…

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First Draft - Joy Harjo 1:00:09

2M ago1:00:09

1:00:09

Joy Harjo was the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States and is a member of the Mvskoke Nation. She is the author of more than ten books of poetry including Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems for Fifty Years and the highly acclaimed An American Sunrise, which was a 2020 Oklahoma Book Award Winner. Her new book is Washing My Mother’s B…