What’s a MacGuffin? What do you do with it? How does it inform your screenplay? A MacGuffin can be anything and do anything. Let us explain. The guys do script surgery on "Johnny English Part 3" and Ryan reads his pitch, “Mr. Words of the Year,” in Logline Cage Match.

Continuing their surprising and very important conversation about storage, the guys talk about cloud-based solutions. That's where you store files in a place other than your computer’s own hard drive. Something to think about as you craft your screenplays. The guys do script surgery on “Susperia” and, in Logline Cage Match, Ryan pitches Nathan his idea "Space Diner."

How and where you store your computer files is a big part of being a successful screenplay writer. If you lose your files, you’re done for. The guys do script surgery on “Beautiful Boy,” and Nathan pitches his thriller-horror “The Killer from the TV” in Logline Cage Match. Ryan proposes a more successful name, “Big Scream TV.”

It’s simple screenplaywriting 102: your main character better go through some sort of change on her journey through your script. The most impactful journey? A full rebirth. Remember this Hare’s Rule: A character’s mental and spiritual rebirth can be driven by a physical transformation. The guys do script surgery on “Halloween” and Ryan reads his idea “Killer Cold” in Logline Cage Match. Special thanks to special guest Graeme Achurch.

Ryan has a really bad cold, so Nathan call his go-to guru, an unlicensed underground medical health advocate named Graeme. Graeme prescribes Ryan a specific brand of Himalayan salt water and advises he buy Nathan gifts cards from any retailer or restaurant. Featuring Graeme Achurch on vocals.

All screenwriters have to deal with rejection, even the best of us. In life and in screenplay writing, it’s something we have to confront and move past. Good lesson. Nathan and Ryan do script surgery on “The Nun” and Ryan pitches “Worlds Collide” in Logline Cage Match.

To be a successful screenplay writer, you need to have a system to manage your time, team and resources. Nathan goes through all the apps he uses for that purpose, while Ryan discusses the course he is taking. The guys do script surgery on “The House with a Clock in Its Walls,” which brings up a Hare’s Rule: Be literal with your title. Nathan pitches “Two Lawyers, One Case“ in Logline Cage Match.

Screenplay writers need to deal with criticism. They need to be able to take it, they need to be able to give it—constructively. The only way to make your screenplay writing better is to listen to criticism, then ignore it and forge your own path. The guys introduce their Ice Cream Sandwich criticism method. They do script surgery on “A Star is Born” and Ryan pitches “The Last Netminder” in Logline Cage Match.

Passion is why we get up in the morning to try to make a lot of money writing critically acclaimed blockbuster screenplays that linger in the popular consciousness. Bottom line: it's all about passion—and so is the bottom line. Nathan and Ryan discuss the Hare's Rule "Put passion on the page, or flop." They perform script surgery on "Peppermint" and Nathan pitches his dramatic thriller "The Teacher's Pet: Revenge (or Return) of the Pet" in Logline Cage Match.

Compared to screenplays, books are not fun to read. Screenplays are the highest art form, while books are heavy and long. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll find a book that contains an idea that inspires you to craft your own original and legally distinct screenplay. The guys do script surgery on “The Spy Who Dumped Me” and Nathan pitches his idea “The Professor’s Pet” in Logline Cage Match.

It's important to know how to address sound in screenplays, since it often translates to what filmgoers hear when the screenplay comes to life on screen. Nathan announces he is going back to school to study computer programming and Ryan reveals he is on the hunt for a new co-host to replace him. They perform scirpt surgery on "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again." Ryan pitches his idea “The Cabin-Makers Gambit” in Logline Cage Match.

How you publicize your screenplay and yourself are critical factors in your success. You need to consider what the ad campaign will be for your work of art while you are crafting every character, every plot point. The guys do script surgery on “Elf” and discuss their idea “The Plush Carpeteer” in Logline Cage Match.

Nathan and Ryan record their first ever live recording of the Screenplay Writers Podcast. Thanks to all who came out and actively participated in the recording through the many questions and positive feedback you gave us when the microphones were not recording. The guys attempted to do script surgery, and took loglines from the audience for a live, spontaneous and exciting Logline Cage Match session. You won’t want to miss this live recording!

The guys talk about their upcoming live recording of the Screenplace Writers Podcast, which they have been planning for nine months but forgot to tell anyone about until this episode. Ryan pitches his idea “Smoke Haze,” inspired by wildfire smoke. The guys do script surgery on “Crazy Rich Asians” and revisit Ryan's idea "Little Miss Journalist" in Logline Cage Match Update. They note a Hare’s Rule: Your title should have three words and they should all be very descriptive.

Not every screenplay takes place in the city, suburbs or shopping mall, some take place amid nature. Writing about nature is fun, and to do it successfully you must look up from the page every once in a while to see the beauty that surrounds you. Nathan and Ryan rehash the first annual Screenplay Writers Camp from last weekend, which was a huge success, though there was only one other camper there. They do script surgery on Sorry to Bother You, and Ryan pitches his new idea, Fatigue.

Voice is one of the most important topics when it comes to screenplays. You should think long and hard about voice before and during the screenplay-writing process. Nathan and Ryan talk excitedly about their upcoming Screenplay Writers Camp. They perform script surgery on Eighth Grade and Nathan pitches “Hospital-ity” in Logline Cage Match.

The climax is one of the top six or seven scenes of a screenplay, so you really need to have a think about it before you write it. Nathan and Ryan reveal details of their upcoming annual Screenplay Writers Camp Retreat, coming up in just a couple weeks. Let us know if you’re interested in camping and talking screenplays. They do script surgery on "Mission Impossible 5," and Ryan pitches his idea “The Drop” in Logline Cage Match. Thanks to James Andrews for contributing ideas to this episode.

Flashbacks are a big, big part of many screenplays. They take the reader back in time, to tell him or her why the main character(s) are the way they are. The best place for flashbacks is at the very beginning or the very end of a screenplay—or both. The guys do script surgery on “Love, Simon,” and Ryan pitches his idea “Crazy Birds” in Logline Cage Match.

It’s episode 52, our one-year anniversay of weekly episodes! The SPWs get “intense” in this episode on “intensity.” Nathan gives an update on his bid to be elected as a judge for the South Surrey Screenplay Writers Festival, and reveals his Hare’s Rule: The right channel is all channels. The guys do script surgery on “Blockers” and Nathan pitches his idea “GeneroCity” in Logline Cage Match.

In a successful screenplay, nearly every page has an element of surprise, whether it’s the dialogue or simply a character jumping out from behind a door. Or incorporate a jack-in-the-box, which is a Hare’s Rule. The guys do script surgery on “Game Night” and Ryan pitches his idea “Goth Doctor” in Logline Cage Match.

Up high, down low, or right in the middle—from which perspective will you write your screenplay from? The guys do scirpt surgery on "Solo" and Nathan pitches his idea "Revolving Door."

Sports screenplays are all about athletics, and about crafting an inspirational speech from the coach to deliver to her or his players around three-quarters of the way through the screenplay. And also about the training montage. Nathan and Ryan do script surgery on “Dodgeball,” and Ryan pitches his idea, “Life Hacker,” a MacGuyver for modern times.

Summer blockbuster season is here and the guys are excited. Every year around this time they begin work on their own blockbuster screenplays, which they spend the summer blockbuster season writing and refining. They discuss an indispensible Hare’s Rule, how you set up your workspace informs how you set up your headspace. They do script surgery on “The Incredibles” and Ryan pitches his idea “The Narcitect” in Logline Cage Match.

Intern Nick joins Nathan and Ryan for a chat, during which he lets them know that he recently was offered a job as a low-level intern with Mark Ruffalo’s agent. Ryan gets an idea while they’re talking to Intern Nick for a screenplay: “Double Agent Undercover Nick,” about a Hollywood-basedundercover double agent. It would be a biopic, probably starring George Clooney.  

Nathan and Ryan talk to Agent Nick again. They tell Nick they aren’t going ahead with his script that he pitched them last week, but they are writing one called “Speedboat Secondary.” They offer Nick a job as an intern on the podcast, after he reveals he doesn’t like being an agent for movies anymore. Nick accepts. He is now known as Intern Nick.