We all know what we’re signing up for when we decide to pursue a creative career in the entertainment industry – unpredictable employment, putting all of ourselves into projects that may or may not move forward, having periods of time when we’re so busy we can’t see straight and, inevitably, experiencing down times when we have no idea where our next paycheck is coming from. Of course, all of that often feels worth it because of the creative fulfillment and dynamic, ever-changing opportunities – we can’t imagine doing anything else. So let’s say you have a great stretch – a…
Author: Sarah J Eagen
Sarah J Eagen
A TV actor and writer, Sarah is currently a semifinalist for the prestigious Humanitas NEW VOICES program. She was recently staffed on the sci fi audio drama The Veil from Voxx Studios. Sarah co-wrote/produced/acted in the short Soledad, which screened on the Disney lot at the end of 2018. She was a top 10 finalist for the Stage 32 TV Writing Contest in 2019, a finalist for the NYTVF Script Comp in 2018, and the Women in Film/Blacklist Episodic lab in the fall of 2017. Sarah recently appeared on an episode of The Big Bang Theory, TV's longest-running multi-cam comedy, which was a dream come true because she double majored in Neuroscience and Theatre. She also played the helpful paralegal Carol in CBS's action comedy Rush Hour, and had the pleasure of sharing the screen with funny lady Kristen Schaal in the feature film Austin Found.
I’m so excited to be back with the 3rd and final installment of my interview with writer Teresa Huang. If you missed part 1 where we discussed Teresa moving from the sciences to acting or part 2 where we talked about transitioning from acting to writing – definitely go back and give those a read. Today, Teresa talks about the realities of being a writer and gives some fantastic advice to those who are working on breaking in! Here we go… You were staffed on SEAL Team – did that come from the CBS program? Some other way? The opportunity…
I’m so happy to be returning with part 2 of my interview with TV writer Teresa Huang, who I met after she spoke on a panel at San Diego Comic Con. If you haven’t caught up on part 1 – where we chat about how Teresa was on the path to be a doctor when she pivoted and ended up playing one on many of your favorite TV shows, in addition to a candid discussion about how to stay grounded despite the uncertainties of the entertainment industry, definitely go back and check it out here. Today, Teresa talks about leaving…
I met Teresa Huang after I saw her speak on the ‘Flipping the Script’ panel at San Diego Comic Con this past summer. She really impressed me with her poise and nuts-and-bolts advice for the room full of writers working to break into the TV industry. And the more she spoke, the more I related to her – she has a degree in science, started in L.A. as an actor, and is now writing television. She has worked on a ton of your favorite shows, and is now making a career writing on them. I’m so grateful she sat down…
I recently connected with Joel Silberman, creator of the Writers Assistant Network, after a panel at Comic-Con and he told me about a fantastically brilliant TV writer – Sabrina Sherif – who has written on shows in both the US and Canadian markets – many of which you’ve heard of 🙂 I knew I had to learn more, so I sat down with Sabrina and heard all about her journey thus far. Hello, Sabrina! Thank you so much for chatting with me for Ms. in the Biz. Oh man, of course! Thanks for chatting with me! You wrote two articles…
It’s that time again – the complete San Diego Comic-Con 2019 schedule is finally out, and the con begins in exactly one week! So many writers reached out and expressed that my 2018 SDCC Guide for Aspiring TV Writers was useful, so I’ve decided to write an encore for this year’s Comic-Con. (If you’re unfamiliar with SDCC or this will be your first year, I recommend you check out the beginning of that article because it had a lot of good basic info to get you oriented!) This is San Diego Comic-Con’s 50th year! Quite a milestone. The four and…
Welcome back for the third and final segment of my interview with Arrow showrunner Beth Schwartz! (If you missed parts 1 and 2, definitely check them out!) In this part, we talk about how Beth stays grounded and inspired, what it’s like running a show while pregnant (yep!), and her advice for writers working to break in. Here we go! I saw you tweet that your husband was directing an episode of The Flash. How long have you known him? I’ve known him for almost five years, and we just got married (last year) Oh, congratulations! Thank you! And now…
I’m excited to be back with part 2 of my incredible and informative interview with Arrow showrunner Beth Schwartz! If you missed part 1, be sure to check it out here. Today, I chatted with Beth about many different facets involved in creating this successful, long-running show! Let’s dive in… Let’s talk about Arrow – It will soon be ending its 7th season, which is amazing – congratulations! Thanks! I saw you speak on a writing panel at Comic-Con a few years ago where you talked about mapping out the emotional journey of each character for the season, before diving…
Down a long hallway lined with posters of some of today’s hottest TV shows, I had an amazing time chatting with Arrow showrunner Beth Schwartz about her experiences getting started and thriving in this sometimes tumultuous industry. Over this 3 part interview, she shares how she came to run one of DC’s most successful shows, some of the ins and outs of creating a TV show, and what her recently-announced overall deal with Warner Brothers means for her personally and professionally. Settle in – you’re going to want to make sure you don’t miss a word! You write on one…
On Saturday, April 6th in Hollywood, down a long hallway lined with exquisite photography featuring famous movies and A-list actors, I had the great honor of being a guest at the 2019 Lights, Camera, WriteGirl! benefit event. WriteGirl was founded in 2001 and is “a creative writing and mentoring organization that promotes creativity, critical thinking and leadership skills to empower teen girls.” First lady Michelle Obama honored WriteGirl with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award in 2013. The event, which was a partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was an upscale evening of fundraising…
Here is the 3rd and final part of my interview with The Fix on ABC’s Liz Craft and Sarah Fain, where we chat about #MeToo and their incredible advice for writers looking to break in. If you missed Part 1 (all about their fantastic podcast Happier in Hollywood) or Part 2 (about their exciting new show The Fix), definitely check them out. Here we go… Have you seen any noticeable changes in the ways TV is made since #MeToo? Are certain conversations taking place that had not been happening previously? Are you seeing actual change? SARAH: This interview is happening…
I’m back with part 2 of my interview with the incredible TV writing partners Liz Craft and Sarah Fain! If you missed the first part, be sure to check it out here. There is so much good stuff in today’s conversation, so I’m going to dive right in… Let’s talk about The Fix! I read the pilot script last spring and I LOVED it — I’m so excited to see it (premiering March 18th on ABC, 10pm!) How has the process of shooting an entire first season of your own show been? SARAH: It was pretty great, I have to…
In their charming office on the Disney lot, surrounded by inspiring artwork like Karen Hallion’s She Series and their famous treadmill desks, I had the great honor of sitting down with showrunners and writing partners Liz Craft and Sarah Fain. Not only have Sarah and Liz been writing partners for 19 years and counting working on some of the most popular and influential shows on television (Angel, The Shield, The Vampire Diaries, and more), but they have also established themselves as mentors and fonts of information for folks who want to develop their own writing careers. In almost 100 episodes…
If you’re a brand new writer – perhaps you have yet to attempt your first script, or you have an idea of how a script is structured but feel completely lost as to how people come up with interesting characters and story ideas – my suggestion would be to first write a spec script. (NOTE: In the entertainment industry, a spec script can mean two different things. It can either mean an original script that you wrote on speculation ie without being paid for it, or as I intend to mean it here, a script you write of an existing…