Creative Principles

Latest Episodes:

Ep543 - Danai Gurira, Actress ‘Black Panther’ Franchise & ‘The Walking Dead’ Franchise Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

“I wasn’t looking to be in a business,” jokes Danai Gurira. “I really felt like I wanted to tell stories about things I haven’t seen.” The Zimbabwean-American saw a way to use the craft of writing to inspire others, even though she initially thought she was going to be an academic. “The focus is always around African women,” she says. “I was born in the midwest but we moved back shortly after Zimbabwe gained independence. I guess I came to a place of outrage.” She received education from American and British influences. “The African was very rarely heard or seen, or put in an obscure light. It was a one-dimensional, damaging image.” “I wanted to tell stories that countered that. I’ve said this a billion times, but it’s a burden on my heart and also an outrage that leads me to want to explore a story and give it a dimension, as best as I can.” In one such story, a play called Eclipsed, Gurira writes about five Liberian women and their tale of survival near the end of the Second Liberian Civil War. It was nominated for a Tony Award and was the first play with an all-black and female creative cast and team to premiere on Broadway. “Then there are times when I’m just fascinated by something and have to pursue the story. But the burden is that I feel these stories need to be heard and I don’t understand why they’re not.” As she was working to shatter these ideas about Africans, other creatives were pursuing the same idea. “Black Panther was a real gift in the way that it was doing what I wanted to do all along and trying to do myself as a playwright.” As an actress, Gurira is best known for playing Michonne on The Walking Dead and Okoye in the Black Panther franchise. “They were bringing forth characters that we had never seen before.” This meant hiring a cultural advisor for Black Panther and working to be as authentic as possible. “The stakes were very high for us to hold nothing back. Thankfully, there was an open forum for that.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on hundreds of interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep542 - David Zabel, Creator ‘The Walking Dead - Daryl Dixon’ Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

“I was a theater kid, so I started out writing plays,” says David Zabel. “But I started to think, what does a movie script look like or what does a play look like? Once I had access to those things to see how they worked, I started writing screenplays and had ideas for TV pilots. That pilot opened a few doors of me.” An agent helped him get his first job on the series JAG, which later led to Star Trek: Voyager, Dark Angel, and ER. “It came out of my love for drama and dramatic theory. All of this came for his love to tell stories to live audiences. “That relationship between being a writer, how it’s performed, and how it’s perceived — where it worked, where it didn’t work — I consider that as one of my stronger points as a writer, which is writing for actors.” Working with so many live performances, he started to see where actors needed less lines to portray the same emotions on stage and later in film and television. “If they understand what you’re trying to convey, it’s better to do it with the greatest economy of language that you can apply.” The same was true in the editing bay. “It’s humbling,” he jokes. This economy of language certainly relates to the latest series created by Zabel, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. The spinoff series stars Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, where he was arguably the most stoic character on the series. “It was an interesting challenge,” he jokes about the stoic character who is also now in a land where he doesn’t speak the language. “I felt like that was a classic American character. This laconic hero, the man without a name that you see a lot in Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, or Gary Cooper and people like that.” “I was excited for that kind of storytelling that wasn’t so expository. Norman, as an actor, relishes the idea of living in a world without speechifying. That’s how he wants to play drama. The challenge is to put people around him who have stories that are compelling, that draw him into their story. He’s not looking to get into other people’s lives and he’s not talking, so people have to be irresistible to him, for him to resonate with them. He’s the reluctant hero but he’s got a heart that makes him hard to walk away.” As for actors who have been playing characters over a long period of time (about 13 years for Norman Reedus), Zabel says, “You have to lean into the knowledge that they have. It was also true on ER and other shows I’ve done. We learn each other’s rhythms and it becomes symbiotic. That’s one of the joys of television, to dance that dance together.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on hundreds of interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep541 - Lauren Cohan, Actress ‘The Walking Dead - Dead City’ & ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

You know her best as Maggie Greene (later Maggie Rhee) on The Walking Dead, but additional credits include Chuck, The Vampire Diaries, Archer, The Boy, The Mindy Project, Mile 22, and Whiskey Cavalier. She described the acting bug as follows: “I have this muscle memory of being on stage and losing all sense of space and time. It was like swimming. Once you taste it, it’s so intoxicating to disappear and be present at the same time.” The original The Walking Dead ended in 2022 and branched out into three different shows and actually the next three episodes we’ll be chatting with different creatives from each, so stay tuned for interviews with David Zabel, creator of Daryl Dixon spinoff, and Danai Gurira (Michonne), co-creator and star of The Ones Who Live, the Rick and Michonne spinoff. In The Walking Dead - Dead City, we follow Maggie and Negan into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan. “The city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world.” In this interview, she talks about performances feeling “found and private” simultaneously, finding just enough success to keep you going, and how she’s kept high energy in the horror genre for over a decade in the Dead universe. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on hundreds of interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep540 - Rhea Seehorn, Actress ‘Better Call Saul’ & Co-Creator ‘Cooper’s Bar’ Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

Rhea Seehorn studied visual arts in college, but when she was asked to take an extracurricular, she took a technique and craft class on acting. “I was completely hooked,” she told me. You know her best as Kim Wexler on AMC’s Better Call Saul, but maybe you’ve also seen her in Trust Me, Whitney, House of Lies, Franklin & Bash, Veep and Bad Boys - Ride or Die. In her latest project, Cooper’s Bar, she’s listed as a Co-Creator, Performer, Screenwriter, and Director. The plot follows her character, “Kris Latimer, the biggest jerk in Hollywood, who stumbles into Cooper Marino’s backyard Tiki bar oasis, where Cooper and his down-on-their-luck pals pull themselves together for one last shot at their big break.” In this interview, she talks about approaching line memorization as a visual learner, writing essays versus writing screenplays, advice from Peter Gould on character (“kicking the tires”), and reveals she’s working with Breaking Bad Creator Vince Gilligan on a new series for Apple. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on hundreds of interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep539 - Giancarlo Esposito, Actor ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘The Mandalorian,” & ‘Parish’ Jun 16, 2024

Show notes

“It was the magic of the environment that drew me in. The idea that you could tell a story, and the live audience follows it, and they could be a part of it, emotionally involved, if it was engaging,” actor Giancarlo Esposito told me about his childhood as an actor. You know him best as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad, Buggin Out in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, and Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, but Giancarlo has over 200 credits as an actor. His latest series, Parish, “Follows a taxi driver whose life is turned upside down when he agrees to pick-up a Zimbabwean gangster mostly known for exploiting undocumented immigrants at the U.S. southern ports.” In this interview, we talk about regulating energy as an actor, the differences in stage and acting for camera, confidence as a 10-year-old Broadway star, his half-Italian half-African American background, and how he connects emotionally to characters and projects. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on hundreds of interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep538 - Tig Notaro & Stephanie Allynne, Directors 'Am I OK?' Jun 12, 2024

Show notes

Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne are a dynamic couple in the entertainment industry. Tig is a renowned stand-up comedian, writer, actress, and radio contributor, celebrated for her deadpan humor and unique storytelling style. She gained widespread recognition with her critically acclaimed album "Live" and her Amazon Prime series "One Mississippi." Stephanie Allynne is an actress, writer, and comedian known for her roles in "In a World..." and "Dream Corp LLC," as well as her writing and performing on the show "Transparent." Their new film 'Am I OK?' follows Lucy and Jane, who have been best friends their entire lives. When Lucy embarks on a personal journey, she will face a test of her friendship, and her sense of self, on a path she may not be entirely ready to take. In this interview, we talk about their experience writing together, finding their voice, how they got involved with the film 'Am I OK?', how they know when an idea is good, advice for comedy writers, and much more. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep537 - Meg LeFauve & Dave Holstein, Screenwriters Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’ Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

“Honestly, and I know it sounds sentimental, but when I became a writer, I held Pixar out as my beacon,” says Meg LeFauve. “At the time, I thought some of the best storytelling was coming out of Pixar and I had heard about the Brain Trust room. I thought the scariest, most thrilling thing I could do is be in that room as a writer with those Story Brains.” Everybody told Meg it was impossible and that “they don’t even hire writers.” She adds, “But, you have to do what your gut tells you and you don’t go in a straight line, but I eventually got to go in and meet on a project.” She didn’t get hired on the first meeting but did land the job on Inside Out. Dave Holstein says, “In college, I remember watching the short film collections from Pixar and being endlessly moved by the work they were doing and that was one of my big career goals. 1. Run a TV show. 2. Write a Pixar movie. These things seemed too far away.” Holstein initially met on Toy Story 4, didn’t get the first job, but was asked to meet on Onward and then, Inside Out 2. “It was a great combination of scheduling luck and having been on their list for a long time.” The screenwriter created the Jim Carrey series Kidding between Pixar meetings. As far as ongoing work with Pixar, the writers say you really need to be comfortable in a Writer’s Room and you need to be able to think and pitch ideas on the spot. “It doesn’t mean you have to come from television, but there’s that element to it. You’re with the Director and you come out of a screening and you have to pitch ideas how to fix it on your feet.” Many writers start as “weekly” pitchers. “They want to know if you fit into this flow. Can you pitch on your feet? A lot of writers listen and then pitch so there’s no one way to do it, but that’s an element of working there that isn’t for all writers,” confirms LeFauve. “Like TV, the job is to serve a greater vision,” adds Holstein. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on hundreds of interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep536 - Geraldine DeRuiter, Author 'If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury' Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

Geraldine DeRuiter is an acclaimed author, world-renowned public speaker, and the voice behind the award-winning Everywhereist blog. In her latest book 'If You Can’t Take the Heat,' Geraldine shares stories about her shockingly true, painfully funny (and sometimes just painful) adventures in gastronomy. In this interview, we talk about her blog, finding your voice as a writer, what makes a good idea, the stories behind her two books, and the origin of the incredibly clever tagline, an award-winning cry for help. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep535 - Ken Coleman, Author 'Find the Work You’re Wired to Do' May 27, 2024

Show notes

Ken Coleman is a career expert and #1 bestselling author of The Proximity Principle: The Proven Strategy That Will Lead to the Career You Love. At Ramsey Solutions, he hosts The Ken Coleman Show, a nationally syndicated radio show—part of the Ramsey Network—that airs in more than 35 cities across the U.S. every weekday. Ken is America’s Career Coach and has appeared on shows like Fox & Friends, Yahoo! Finance, and the Rachael Ray Show. In this interview, we talked about his first book, working with Dave Ramsey, interviewing tips, his latest book 'Find the Work You’re Wired to Do', the 'Get Clear Career Assessment' and much more. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep534 - Stephen Camelio, Screenwriter 'Mending the Line' May 22, 2024

Show notes

Stephen Camelio is a freelance writer and former editor at In Style magazine. His work has appeared in countless publications including ESPN The Magazine, Field & Stream, Entertainment Weekly, and Men's Journal. His latest film 'Mending the Line,' follows a Marine wounded in Afghanistan who is sent to a V.A. facility in Montana where he meets a Vietnam Vet who teaches him how to fly fish as a way of dealing with his emotional and physical trauma. In this interview, we talk about how he found his writing voice, how he got a film on Netflix without a manager or agent, how to create a good pitch and much more. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on hundreds of interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

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