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Happier in Hollywood

Happier in Hollywood

Written by: The Onward Project
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About this listen

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.

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2026 The Onward Project
Careers Economics Personal Success Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Ep. 460: The Inside Board Is Everything
    Mar 5 2026

    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/4r5ngvU

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • Ep. 459: The Cat Is Dead, But Verticals Are Alive!
    Feb 26 2026

    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/4tZCyVZ

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Ep. 458: Find The Fun & The 80% Promise Method
    Feb 19 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
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