Happier in Hollywood

Liz and Sarah talk to their thriller writing mentor and book therapist, best-selling author Greer Hendricks, about how to approach tense and point of view in their work-in-progress novel, Bad Trip. Their biggest takeaway? There’s no one right answer. This week’s Hollywood Hack will help with those high gas prices: the Gas Buddy app. Plus, Liz had a major celebrity sighting at the iconic Mexican restaurant Casa Vega — rock star John Mellencamp. Finally, Liz recommends the Oscar-winning short film, The Singers, on Netflix.   Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox!   Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox!   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!   LINKS: Greer Hendricks: https://greerhendricks.com/   An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen: https://amzn.to/3PTPop8   Greer’s Substack — Sincerely, Greer: https://substack.com/@sincerelygreer?utm_source=top-search   Gas Buddy:  https://www.gasbuddy.com   John Mellencamp’s Pink Houses video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOfkpu6749w   The Singers trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHkfy0GIwTESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz and Sarah sit down with their amazing pitch coach, Jordana Oberman, to talk about how to create and deliver a pitch that will actually sell. One piece of advice? Lead with theme and emotion. Save plot for later. Also — practice, practice, practice. This week Sarah has a Hollywood Adjacent/Ojai Hack for her fellow gardeners — use Vego Garden seed trays and Happy Frog potting soil. Finally Sarah recommends the delightful novel, The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion, by Fannie Flagg.   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!   LINKS: Jordana Oberman: https://www.jordanaoberman.com/   Vego Garden Germination Cell Bundle: https://www.vegogarden.com/products/standard-1020-germination-cell-bundle   Happy Frog potting soil: https://amzn.to/40SpVi5   The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion: https://amzn.to/3PCaBUf   Fannie Flagg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Flagg  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz and Sarah finally have some momentum on their novel, Bad Trip, about a group of friends who travel to Peru to do ayahuasca. And they’re vowing to finish the new break by April 1. In Take A Hike, Sarah shares why using social media comparisons has made her happier. Then, in The Craft (& Fain), they talk about why it’s such a good idea to think up scenes you want to see. This week’s Hollywood Hack will get you to use that massage gift certificate you’ve held onto for years — don’t hoard self-care. Finally, Liz recommends the movie Is This Thing On?    Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox!   Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox!   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and Side Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!   LINKS: Is This Thing On? trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4jx0Xgc_Pc Photo by ostudio on UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz and Sarah have decided to confront their inner censors! One way to free their minds? Natalie’s Goldberg’s daily ten minute writing practice. In Take A Hike, Liz explains why her recent visit to New York City made her realize everyone should take a solo trip — even if it’s just a day trip. In Take Two, they revisit the subject of Verticals. There are many opinions! This week’s Hollywood Hack is a mind shift that’s good for the environment and not accumulating clutter: Add the word “refuse” to “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Finally, Sarah recommends So Far Gone by Jess Walter.   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!   LINKS: Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg: https://amzn.to/4bgt9lC   Writing Down the Bones: 60 Cards to Free the Writer Within https://amzn.to/419Zvby   Nome Schoolhouse: https://nomeschoolhouse.com/   So Far Gone by Jess Walter: https://amzn.to/4sOVp4GSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz and Sarah discuss the ebb and flow of Hollywood. Careers here can die and then come back to life bigger than ever. Then they talk to Intimacy Coordinators Ariel Leigh Cohen and Morgan Smith about what an intimacy coordinator does, how it saves money for production, and the definition of “sheetography.” This week’s Hollywood Hack is a must for uncomfortable shoes — ZenToes. Finally, Liz recommends the new HBO show DTF St. Louis, starring Jason Bateman and Linda Cardellini. Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox!   Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox!   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and Side Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!   LINKS: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg: https://amzn.to/4aPSPUC   Faking It with Ariel and Morgan:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/faking-it-with-ariel-and-morgan/id1840746869?i=1000751371933   ZenToes: https://amzn.to/4be6lSd   Foot Glide: https://amzn.to/4cCZy6U   DTF St. Louis trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1XHd5rIvmYSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz and Sarah recently learned the concept of an “Inside Board.” From now on, whenever they run a show they’ll be forming one. In Take A Hike, they share how a listener turning Sarah on to a fiber center in North Dakota made them realize the value of leaning into Niche Nirvana. A recent visit with American writer Fannie Flagg led to this week’s The Craft (& Fain) — ask yourself “who are you writing for?” Fannie Flagg is also the source of the Hollywood Hack: To figure out structure, clip scenes to a clothesline and move them around. Finally, Sarah recommends the book Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach.   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!   LINKS: Nome Schoolhouse: https://nomeschoolhouse.com/   Fannie Flagg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Flagg   Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg: https://amzn.to/4spPWRI   Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach: https://amzn.to/4r5ngvUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz and Sarah got news that their Netflix pilot isn’t moving forward, and they expected to be devastated… but they’re totally and completely fine. Why??? Next they talk to writer Shelby Farrell about Verticals, the newish form of entertainment that’s exploding all over the world. What are they, who makes them, and what do you do if you want to write one? This week’s Hollywood Hack will give you back many hours of your life: The Brick. Finally, Liz recommends a powerful and compelling new book — Unspeakable Things: Silence, Shame, and the Stories We Choose to Believe by Brooke Nevils.   Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox!   Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox!   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and Side Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!   LINKS:   Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg: https://amzn.to/4aPSPUC   Shelby Farrell’s Flipping the Screen: Intro to Vertical Scripts: https://forms.gle/a8Sj9xWDRWvt7yqE6   The Brick: https://getbrick.app/products/the-brick   Unspeakable Things: Silence, Shame, and the Stories We Choose to Believe by Brooke Nevils: https://amzn.to/4tZCyVZSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lately, Liz and Sarah are finding the fun in their work, and today they break down the reasons why — setting priorities, taking ownership, embracing adventure, and more. In Career Lessons With Laverne, they talk to Career Coach Laverne McKinnon about The 80% Promise Method, and how it helps build the confidence you need to get something done.  This week’s Hollywood Hack falls under the subheading of “Ojai Hack” — the Knitpatch. Finally, Sarah recommends the podcast Beth’s Dead.   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!   LINKS: Laverne McKinnon: https://www.lavernemckinnon.com/   Laverne’s Moonshot Lab: https://laverne-mckinnon.mykajabi.com/the-moonshot-lab   Knitpatch: https://knitpatch.com   Beth’s Dead podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beths-dead/id1842968648?i=1000734116361  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lately, Liz and Sarah have been loving their work community! From the HIH Facebook Group to the Killer Bee Zoom Work Hours and Live BTS: Working Lunches on Substack, they feel buoyed by being around other people — even if it’s virtual. In HIH WFH, they discuss the value of creating an outdoor workspace. Then they give a joint Hit to the WGA Moms Facebook Group, and a joint Bomb to the latest Apple iOS update. This week’s Hollywood Hack will improve your email communication — break up your paragraphs to make them easier for the reader to digest. Finally, Liz recommends Half His Age by Jenette McCurdy.   Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox!   Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox!   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and Side Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!   LINKS: The Nature Fix by Florence Williams: https://amzn.to/3MkZBth   Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy: https://amzn.to/4a7xTcxSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz and Sarah have turned in another draft of their pilot to Netflix, which means once again they’re in a suspended “Schroedinger’s Cat” state. For now, they’re going to assume the cat is alive and well! In Take A Hike, they discuss their new favorite aphorism — Don’t water dead roses. It reminds them to put their energy where it can actually make a difference. They also answer a fun Mailroom question about their favorite duos. Liz’s is Laverne and Shirley. Sarah’s is cheese and crackers because of her dogs Cheesy Feet and Crackers. This week’s Hollywood Hack smells delightful — the Veuve Cliquot candle. Finally, Sarah recommends the app DramaBox.  Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com and Sarah’s Chickening Out Substack at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. They’ll come right to your inbox! Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, ’S please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!   LINKS: Denitra Letrice on Threads: @denitraletrice   Veuve Cliquot candle: https://perrineswine.com/products/veuve-clicquot-candle?srsltid=AfmBOorsZbYAaQdvIfMLiav_Uttl-EUeq1oAkAg9ewVsy47Xj9Jmhn1t   Tequila Corrido: https://ilovetequilacorrido.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorhL8_yxp5wzt54x1vBrSPE1UIf0T7ScprkQ5PZKx4ygACLxXCn   DramaBox: https://www.dramaboxdb.com/movie/42000003486/kissing-the-wrong-brother   Reel Short: https://www.reelshort.com/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.