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PODCAST

Happier in Hollywood

The Onward Project

Veteran TV writers Liz Craft and Sarah Fain demystify Hollywood by making career and personal struggles universal. Friends since high school and writing partners for over 20 years, Liz and Sarah have survived and thrived in Tinseltown’s male-dominated entertainment industry, guided by blind optimism and a Midwestern work ethic. Along the way they"ve learned a lot about kicking ass, kissing ass, and office yoga. Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/

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All Episodes

26:27

Ep. 444: HIH 2025 Gift Guide!

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/11/13

‘Tis the season for gift giving! Liz and Sarah share their favorite gifts of 2025 — everything from a Hori Hori Knife to a Hot Potato Shock Game to Sarah’s new favorite hair product. Also? Here’s a special link for anyone who wants to give the gift of an Annual Happier In Hollywood Substack subscription — it includes 10% off and a free “It’s a Fun Job” tote bag! https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com/4153e071 Get in touch on

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26:43

Ep. 443: How To Be Pitch Perfect

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/11/06

Liz and Sarah have SO MANY pitches coming up! They decided to hire Pitch Coach, Jordana Oberman, to help them up their game. And they’re so glad they did. In Take A Hike, Sarah shares why a recent L.A. Zoo outing with Violet reminded her to talk to strangers. Then Sarah gives Violet a Hit for getting Sarah to go to concerts, and Liz gives herself a Bomb for bailing on an event last minute. This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from Liz’s ongoing search for the perfect Zoom lighting

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28:10

Ep. 442: Sucking It Up

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/10/30

After a recent rude encounter related to one of their projects, Liz and Sarah talk about how sometimes you just have to suck it up. (Being able to see your own facial expression on Zoom helps!) In honor of Halloween, they share their personal horror stories and discuss why it’s good to laugh at yourself. Then, in The Craft (& Fain), they explore what you want your sample script to show about your skills as a TV writer. This week’s Hollywood Hack is affordable and comfortable —

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28:21

Ep. 441: More Notes & Celebrating Steps Along The Way

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/10/23

Recently Liz and Sarah discussed how the rubber was meeting the road on their Netflix pilot. They were sure they were done with the notes process and were now awaiting some kind of yay or nay on the project. But they were wrong! They’re getting more notes, a reminder that predicting the future in Hollywood is impossible. In Take A Hike, Sarah talks about how making a meal from her garden made her realize it’s important to celebrate steps along the way. Next they answer a Mailroom

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31:24

Ep. 440: Pitch Decks & Meeting IRL

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/10/16

Liz and Sarah talk about how they approach constructing pitch decks — finding the perfect photo is Sarah’s superpower! In Take A Hike, they discuss why it’s so important to take the time to meet people in person. Not only is it fun, it makes working together so much easier. Then they share moments of Disproportionate Joy from listeners and share a couple of their own. This week’s Hollywood Hack helps transform a non-work space into a workspace for all of you floor-sitters: a

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30:50

Ep 439: Pitch Prep & Define Your Eras

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/10/09

Liz and Sarah delve into one of the key aspects of prepping for a TV pitch— the questions and answers that follow your presentation. Pro tip? Be ready to drill down on tone. In Take A Hike, inspired by Taylor Swift’s new album, they talk about why it can be helpful to define your eras. What do you want your next era to be? Next, in The Craft (& Fain), Liz and Sarah share their favorite takeaways from their slow read of Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. This week they have two

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26:52

Ep. 438: Convergence & The Control Your Algorithm...

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/10/02

Liz and Sarah have been pingponging around on various projects for months. Now several of their projects are converging, and it’s controlled chaos! In Take A Hike, they issue the Control Your Algorithm October Challenge. Stop doomscrolling and get more good in your feed! Next, Liz and Sarah introduce their brand new segment — Disproportionate Joy. Sarah’s getting joy from Violet’s new swim meet times and Liz is giddy about certain members of her Survivor Fantasy League. This

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31:20

Ep. 437: The Curse Of Hearing Good Things & Pivoting

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/09/25

Liz and Sarah are hearing a trickle of good things about their pilot script, which means… absolutely nothing. They discuss how to regulate their nervous systems and keep expectations low while the waiting continues. Then, in Career Lessons With Laverne, they talk to their favorite career coach, Laverne McKinnon, about how to know when it’s time to pivot in your career. One helpful tip? Recognize the difference between instinct and intuition. This week’s Hollywood Hack is for

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26:55

Ep. 436: Do Or Die Time

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/09/18

Liz and Sarah are waiting for a reaction to the latest draft of their Netflix pilot, and this is when the rubber hits the road. Either something good will happen… or the project will be dead. Wish them luck! In Take A Hike, Sarah shares Finch, a self-care app that’s been making her (and Violet) happier. Who doesn’t love to tend a virtual pet “birb?” Then in The Craft (& Fain), they discuss one of their favorite subjects — giving and getting notes

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28:24

Ep. 435: TV Pitches & An Epic Mahjong Journey

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/09/11

Liz and Sarah discuss the process of writing a new TV pitch and explain why it takes so damn long to get one done. In Take A Hike, they share listener Brandy’s HIH inspired Mahjong journey which exemplifies choosing the bigger life and so many other happiness boosting principles. Then Liz and Sarah vent about their frustration with printers in HIH WFH (Work From Home). This week’s Hollywood Hack will make your house smell good: the Malin & Goetz leather candle. Finally Sarah

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29:11

Ep. 434: AI Images & Living Vicariously

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/09/04

Liz and Sarah talk about how a recent survey from the WGA prompted them to try using AI to make images for their latest pitch deck. In Take A Hike, they recommend “living vicariously.” They are absolutely living vicariously through Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement, and they are loving it! Next, Sarah and Liz give a Hit to the new NYT game, Pips, and a Bomb to the same game for being hard to figure out the first time. The solution? Sarah teaches Liz how to play live on the

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28:28

Ep. 433: Batching & Birthday Celebrations

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/08/28

Inspired by recent conversations with other Content Creators, Liz and Sarah talk about their determination to start “batching,” especially when it comes to all of their non-TV work. In Take A Hike, Sarah reveals why planning a celebration for her recent birthday has made her happier. Spoiler alert: fondue is involved. Then, in The Craft (& Fain), they share listener Kayla’s advice to drastically lower their daily goals as they work on their novel. This week’s Hollywood

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31:17

Ep. 432: Make A Laugh List & Councilman Nazarian on...

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/08/21

Liz and Sarah talk to L.A. City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian about what he’s doing to bring production back to Los Angeles — including tax incentives, an easier permit process, and ending price gouging for crew parking. Then, in Take A Hike, Sarah shares why we should all make a Laugh List. This week Liz has a Hit for her recent experience getting blood drawn, and Sarah has a Bomb for the price of dry cleaning. This week’s Hollywood Hack is perfect for the end of summer: the Dash

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34:36

Ep. 431: Navigating New Hollywood With Tepper

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/08/14

Liz and Sarah talk to social media star Kristen Tepper about navigating Hollywood from the point of view of a writer who’s kicking ass and making a name for herself while working toward her first big break as a screenwriter. How did she get her current job as a Showrunner’s assistant? How should reluctant writers approach the use of social media? Then, in The Craft (& Fain), they talk about why you can’t game the system — no matter how much you’d like to. This

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23:46

Ep. 430: Feeling Invigorated & Oh Sh*t Moments

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/08/07

Liz and Sarah discuss feeling invigorated by the new slate of projects they’re working on. Right now they’re basking in a creative bubble — the hard part comes later. In The Craft (& Fain), they share wisdom from one of their favorite producers, Michael Goldstein — to make a TV pitch land with executives, the Pilot and Season One should each have two or three “oh shit” moments. Next, Liz and Sarah announce The First Five, a new Substack offering in which they

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24:52

Ep. 429: When Our Job Interferes With Our Career

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/07/31

Liz and Sarah talk about how lately their job has been interfering with their career. So many Zooms! They realize that the new Hollywood definitely has its own learning curve. In Take A Hike, they discuss how watching Brook do an amazing pitch made them appreciate the joy of mentorship. Then they Amplify late poet Andrea Gibson’s “Love Letter From the Afterlife.” This week’s Hollywood Hack will help you organize your closet: a foldable step stool. Plus, Liz had a WNBA

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32:27

Ep. 428: Summer 2025 Listener Questions Episode!

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/07/24

Liz and Sarah are answering Listener Questions! How common are writing teams? If they weren’t writers, what other Hollywood job would they like to try? How do they deal with burnout? Has Liz been to Sarah’s house in Minnesota? They answer these questions and many more — Sarah even lists all of her twenty pets! Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter athttps://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It will come right to your inbox! Get in touch on

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26:09

Ep. 427: Don’t Delete & More Crying At Work

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/07/17

Liz and Sarah talk about why it’s important never to delete anything substantial. They never know when they’re going to want to put something back into a document. It happens! In Take A Hike, Sarah shares why being at her lake house in Minnesota made her realize it’s important to “look down.” Next, Liz and Sarah revisit the topic of crying at work in Take Two. Listeners have so many observations and insights! This week’s Hollywood Hack is great for summer —

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27:58

Ep. 426: Waiting For The Parade

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/07/10

Liz and Sarah discuss what their career has in common with the annual Ojai Fourth of July Parade. Then, in a Day In The Life segment, they share how they spent their Hive 25. There were many activities, including handing in a script and a trip to Sarah’s favorite stationary shop. In Hits & Bombs, they give two Hits — one to Jocelyn at the Blue Iguana Inn, and another to the people on Sarah’s flight from Los Angeles to Minneapolis. This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from

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27:20

Ep. 425: Novel July & Upside Of The Downslide

Happier in Hollywood ·

2025/07/03

Liz and Sarah share their plan to spend all of July finishing a solid draft of their novel. It’s time to get it done! In Take A Hike, they talk about the upside of the downslide of Hollywood. When everything changes, new opportunities arise! In The Craft (& Fain), Sarah talks about the Poketo Concept Planner that’s helping her make headway on a creative project. This week’s Hollywood Hack is courtesy of Jessica Lahey from the #AmWriting podcast — set a UPS/FedEx alert so

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456 results

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