Happier in Hollywood

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495

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Aug 2026

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About the show

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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August 20, 202630 min

Ep. 484: The Talk-Through Step & Monday Morning Steps

Liz and Sarah have added a useful new step to their pitch writing process — the talk-through step. If they’re working with someone they trust, they’ve discovered it’s super helpful to talk through what they’re thinking for a pitch before actually writing it. In Take A Hike, they reveal their new back-to-school plan to carve out every Monday morning for exercise. In The Mailroom, they answer a question from a listener who wants to know whether Liz and Sarah invested in various products they were curious about. This week’s Hollywood Hack makes sitting outside more pleasant: the Mosiller Electric Fly Swatter. Finally, Sarah recommends The Parian Heist by Jo Piazza. 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: Miss Mary of Sweden Bra:  https://amzn.to/4x32hh2 Mosiller Electric Fly Swatter: https://amzn.to/4zbSqqR The Parisian Heist by Jo Piazza: https://amzn.to/3UoxvRk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 13, 202629 min

Ep. 483: A Tough Hollywood Lesson & Making It Happen (Casting Edition)

Liz and Sarah discuss how their recent disappointment over a project that went up in smoke has once again taught them not to invest too heavily emotionally (or practically) in something until business affairs is involved. Then, in a new segment, Making It Happen, Liz and Sarah talk to veteran casting director Candice Bernstein about how she set about conquering the world of verticals casting. This week’s Hollywood Hack is great for anyone whose seatbelt drives them nuts: Leather Fixing Clips. Finally, Liz recommends the memoir Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane by Lindy West. 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: Hoffman Bernstein casting:  https://www.hoffmanbernsteincasting.com/ Leather Fixing Clips: https://amzn.to/4q5PKXw Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane by Lindy West: https://amzn.to/45ipWhu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 6, 202629 min

Ep. 482: Word Count Accountability (& Chuck Dances!)

Liz and Sarah are using a new accountability method to power through the pages of their novel Bad Trip. Every day, they’re writing down their respective word counts in their planners, even if it’s zero, and then reporting the number to each other the following morning. And it’s working! In Take A Hike, they discuss the question — how much of your day do you actually enjoy? Then, in Hits & Bombs, Sarah gives Liz a hit for helping Sarah and Violet during a tough time, and Liz gives Chuck a Hit for going to a very-out-of-his-comfort-zone dance class. This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from a listener— try “location scouting” in your own neighborhood. Finally, Sarah recommends the TV show Ride or Die on Prime Video. 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, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: “This Is Your Home on GLP-1’s” by Elyse Moody: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/this-is-your-home-on-glp1s Alec Cohen dance classes: https://www.werk.dance/gaychoreographer Ride or Die trailer: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg_m61kBW0E&ra=m Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 30, 202634 min

Ep. 481: AI Work Flow & Plus One With Lisa And Morgan

Liz and Sarah are experimenting with AI to make their work flow more productive. Will their new Chat GPT Work-generated schedule help them keep their project priorities straight? Next they interview Lisa Joyner (married to Jon Cryer aka Ducky from Pretty In Pink)and Morgan Walsh (married to Matt Walsh of Veep and UCB fame) from the fascinating new podcast, Plus One with Lisa and Morgan. How do they deal with having a partner who’s (usually) the one in the spotlight? Is it hard to maintain their own sense of self? This week’s Hollywood Hack is practical and pink — the Anker Zolo power bank. Finally, Liz recommends Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America, the new book from Andrew McCarthy (aka Blane from Pretty In Pink.) 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! 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! LINKS: Plus One with Lisa and Morgan: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plus-one-with-lisa-and-morgan/id1896944012?i=1000777680587 Pretty In Pink trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRLQUGq8eE8 Veep trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--Mo61W9e-8 Two and a Half Men trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIP2xlGnOEs Anker Zolo power bank in pink: https://amzn.to/4pIgkpq Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America by Andrew McCarthy:  https://amzn.to/4fys6y3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 23, 202631 min

Ep. 480: Making It Happen & The Wonder Of A Repertoire

Liz and Sarah are making it happen! They’ve been doing a deep dive into micro-dramas for several months, and now they’re at the beginning stages of Executive Producing their first one. They talk about how they’ve gone about educating themselves in this new (to them) form of entertainment and ask listeners when they’ve made something happen. Then, in Take A Hike, they discuss the value of having a repertoire of everything from meals to small talk topics. They also share a recent Day In The Life — from dealing with a water outage to writing at the cafe at Godmothers to breaking a new pilot at Bob Dylan concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl. This week’s Hollywood Hack is great for anyone who loves audio — the AirPods Pouch from Bandolier. Finally Sarah recommends Beyond Paradise on BritBox. 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: Godmothers: https://godmothers.com/ Santa Barbara Bowl: https://sbbowl.com/ Airpods Pouch from Bandolier: https://www.bandolierstyle.com/collections/airpod-series Beyond Paradise trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgrI_iPsS2o Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 16, 202631 min

Ep. 479: Summer 2026 Listener Questions Episode: Part Two!

Liz and Sarah are answering more listener questions! Do they still drink espresso martinis? What advice would they give their college senior selves? Could they have been writing partners if they met as adults? What random photos are on their phones thanks to their adventures in TV writing? They discuss all this and more! 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! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 12, 202637 min

Move Happier: Tips for Regular Exercise, How Walking Helps You Think, Plus Can Your Garden Be an Accountability Partner? (Bonus)

We discuss the biggest obstacles to moving more this summer with Sarah Fain from the “Happier in Hollywood” podcast, and share practical strategies for getting regular exercise. This special episode is part of the Move 26 in ‘26 challenge to help all of us find more ways to move every day. Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com. 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! 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! LINKS: Join the Move 26 in '26 challenge here  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 9, 202631 min

Ep. 478: Summer 2026 Listener Questions: Part One!

Today Liz and Sarah are answering listener questions! If they weren’t TV writers, what career would they each choose? (Sarah would like to own a craft store, while Liz’s fantasy self is a birth doula.) What did they think of Caro Claire Burke’s novel Yesteryear? Why don’t they spend more time talking about the negative impact of AI? They discuss all this and so much more! 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: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke: ⁠https://amzn.to/440S348⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 2, 202633 min

Ep. 477: The Universe Speaks & Career Lessons With Laverne

During a recent trip to the Santa Barbara Bowl, Liz and Sarah felt the universe was sending signs that they’re on the right creative path. One of the signs? A long line for the men’s room. In Career Lessons With Laverne, they talk to executive and leadership coach Laverne McKinnon about the physical reaction they had to a recent meeting misfire. This week’s Hollywood Hack is inspired by Sarah and Liz’s recent stay at The Milo in Santa Barbara — fix the small thing. Finally, Liz recommends the reality competition show Outlast: The Jungle on Netflix. 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! 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! LINKS: Santa Barbara Bowl: https://sbbowl.com/ Laverne’s bespoke meditation: https://moonshotmentor.substack.com/p/b9334076-d9ad-47bf-996b-35b929a7d352 Laverne McKinnon: https://www.lavernemckinnon.com/ Laverne’s Substack — Moonshot Mentor: https://substack.com/@moonshotmentor The Milo: https://www.themilo.com/ Outlast: The Jungle trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnvBoDKSNKg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 25, 202636 min

Ep. 476: How To Get A Rep!

Liz and Sarah discuss their recent Bad Trip writing marathon in Santa Barbara. The highlight? Writing outside at Godmothers in Summerland. Then they interview Rina O’Malley, a writer who’s breaking into the industry, about how she managed to do the impossible — get representation! This week’s Hollywood Hack will improve your next meeting: have a preliminary call. Finally, Sarah recommends the Stray Kids Survival Show. LINKS: Rina O’Malley: https://blcklst.com/profile/Rina-OMalley Rina’s recs: 1. Darcy Fowler’s TV & Film Writing Workshops https://www.tvwritersrefuge.com/ Darcy is very good at helping writers find the actual story beneath the story they think they’re writing, and is also a truly amazing human. Generous, brilliant, and intuitive. 2. Script Anatomy https://scriptanatomy.com/ I’m a big fan of their instructors (all working writers) and their curriculum. I especially love the draft intensive classes, which are a great structured way to get a draft written fast. 3. Jen Grisanti https://www.jengrisanti.com/ Jen's annual workshop is magical. She brings in incredible guests, showrunners you can pitch and get feedback from. She also has free interviews online where you can learn a lot about story. 4. Lee Jessup https://leejessup.com/ One of the best people to learn from about the industry -- where you fit in it, your brand, your strategy, and how to think about your career like an actual career. You can work with Lee directly, but she also has a great YouTube channel where she breaks down the state of the industry and interviews reps: https://www.youtube.com/@leejessup5299 5. Roadmap Writers https://www.roadmapwriters.com/ A great place to learn about both craft and career, and connect with other writers. Tons of events, webinars, and classes. The team really cares about helping emerging writers. Bonus: Events where you can learn and network Storytelling360 https://storytelling360.com/ In-person panels and networking events in LA, NYC, and London. Austin Film Festival Writers Conference https://austinfilmfestival.com/festival-and-conference-aff/conference/ Definitely worth going if you can. Thousands of screenwriters packed into downtown Austin for panels, roundtables, tacos, drinks, and mild chaos. Basically spring break for screenwriters. Stray Kids Survival Show: https://strayksubs.com/videos/survival-show/ 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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices