Lisa Waugh

Lisa Waugh worked her way through six years of a state college and then decided to work only one job in radio as opposed to three to get a degree that would help her land a job in… radio. She then moved onto TV news, then cable news, and then a fun-filled place that made cartoons. There was a ghost involved. She’s been paying the bills as a writer for over two decades. Screenwriting, copywriting, script doctoring, tons of web content for startups that are digital dust by now, joke writing, and a lot of entertainment writing, mostly about TV. She loves writers and wants to see them succeed because writers rock.

Posts by Lisa Waugh 13 results

Writing Solo

Recently, I talked about writing partners, but this time out, let’s get into writing solo. I prefer writing by myself these days. Here's how I do it.

August 24, 2017

The Best Writing Partner

Can you take feedback? Are you overly protective, stubborn, or what? Discover how you can pick the best writing partner to work well with your personality.

August 14, 2017

When a Script Is Too Personal

Sometimes a script is too personal, at least this has been my experience. What I mean by that is you don’t always have to mine your life for the sake of your art. Why? Because sometimes, it’s just not necessary. I’m not saying this is a hard and fast rule. Let me explain. I appreciate and respect writers who can bring their darkest ...

July 24, 2017

The Most Productive Place to Write

E.B. White said, “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.” Where’s the most productive place to write? Wherever you decide it is. Used to, I could write anywhere. Diners, as a passenger in the car, the bathtub Trumbo-style, cabs, buses, planes, bars, and the various control ...

May 30, 2017

The Not So Perfect Screenplay Pitch

How's your screenplay pitch? Are you cool in the room? Ball of nerves? Is there a perfect way to pitch your screenplay? Not that I’ve experienced. Depends on what I pitch, who I’m pitching to, and several other factors. My expertise has been bombing at pitching. Yep, I’m a bonafide pro at falling flat on my face in the room. And I’ll ...

May 15, 2017

Stagnation, Productivity, and Writing Like No One’s Watching

What are you doing to keep your writing from going to the next level? We've got a few possibilities.

May 2, 2017

When Is the Idea Worth Pursuing the Draft?

How do you know when the idea you have is THE idea. We're here to help you figure that out -- best we can.

April 3, 2017

How to Know If Your Script Doesn’t Suck

Maybe we never really know if our screenplay is excellent. It’s a subjective process. But one thing you should make sure of before you send your work out into the world… don’t suck. There’s a lot of road between a good script and terrible one.

March 23, 2017

Networking and the Power of the Smaller Pond

There’s no one way to get yourself and your work out there. This book’s author says their way is the only way. Another contradicts that dude’s advice. Some swear that you must have an agent to even think about putting your stuff in front of a producer or a big name because… lawyers. Others will tell you that’s a load of bunk. So what’s the answer? We have a few for you right here...

March 9, 2017

Wails from the Script, How Do You write Sex Scenes?

WARNING: Content contains links to NSFW material With Valentine's Day on the horizon and Fifty Shades Darker in theaters this weekend, we decided to ask ourselves a few delicate questions... How do you approach sex scenes in your writing? Do you avoid the subject altogether? Are they necessary? When should they be used? At some point in ...

February 11, 2017

Fan Theories, Are they Useful or Annoying?

IRONIC WARNING: SPOILERS Fan theories have probably been around since Shakespeare. I’m sure there was a guy in the front row of the very first run of Macbeth who bellowed, “The three witches are Lady Macbeth’s miscarriages!” and then smugly pushed up his glasses. These days, fan theories are part of the fabric of pop culture and ...

February 1, 2017

TV Writers, It’s Good to Be Different

What scripts do you have socked away that felt too “out there” or different to commit to paper, finish, or submit? With so many outlets for stories that veer from the beaten path (shoutout to shows such as Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure for paving the way), it’s time to drag that idea out of hiding. Different, strange, oddball, ...

January 17, 2017