What if... But Good?: Recent Episodes
What if... But Good?
What if but Good? is a podcast about screenwriting. Our three intrepid heroes/hosts have challenged themselves to write feature length screenplays over the course of sixteen weeks. And a challenge it is! Join Evan, Silas, and Peter each week as they dive headlong into the intensely difficult, hugely rewarding creative process. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's sad, sometimes our hosts want to throw out everything and quit writing forever. But that's why it's called "What if but Good?" -- because it's all about exploring bad ideas with good friends and squeezing that lump o' coal until it becomes a diamond. Visit www.whatifbutgood.com for more!
What comes next? That is the question literally every moment of writing a screenplay, and also after writing one apparently. Who should the boys share these pages with? Where should they be published? If you’re reading this you already know the answer. See you next season. Thanks for listening.
Silas is right about the episode number, Evan is proud, female characterizations, change, critical scenes that didn’t make it in, Xavier is now the one who gets monsterized The boys have reached the end of the road, and everyone has had a chance to write “Fade Out”. Now, we have to decide what comes next....
How do you know when you’re done? We have a winner! This week Peter gets to type “Fade Out”. Evan and Silas struggle to feel alright with their final few pages. Discussion points include what Peter actually thinks about his symbiotes, staying in a shitty relationship, and, of course, anime. Take a drink every time...
It’s the Semipenultimate episode! Can the boys finish in time? You won’t find out this episode but it’s gonna be close. Only two weeks left and the boys are worried about length. Peter has a long act 3. Silas has a long act 1. Evan has to decide whether or not to do a time...
Evan’s back and if you are a side character it is time to die. Evan is back, and it’s time to get dark! In Still Time Evan finally makes his hero face the antagonist…in a game of mini golf. Peter kills off his B plot hilariously and Silas begins the difficult task of outline Act...
This time Peter and Silas go duo as they begin to approach the end. No Pugh in this one! Sorry Pugh heads. Peter reaches his ‘all is lost’ moment and Silas gets to type “the end”…now he just has to write the beginning. Discussion points include cute Macguffins, what really matters in Detective Pikachu, and...
Two of the screenplays take an unexpected twist. This week the boys talk about act breaks and complain about Christ Nolan again. Peter stumbles into a story change that the boys love, Pugh decides if Lena is a good influence or not, and Silas grapples with how much he has saved for act 1. Discussion...
We’re halfway there! And this week was sort of a bummer so this is a low key one. This week the boys look back on their pages and take stock. No one got much writing done so instead they break format and have a larger discussion about inclusion, casting, and how to be thoughtful. Good...
This week the boys discuss therapy, torture, and letting a girl ruin your life. The conversation starts with a chat about subversion. Evan writes his longest, juiciest scenes yet, Peter turns up the sinister, and Silas pulls out the barbed wire. Discussion topics include Honey Baked Ham, the swear museum, and a cushy job at...
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This week the boys face procrastination, perfectionism and a debilitating eye injury! This week Evan’s eye explodes, Peter struggles with his start and stop writing method, and Silas throws out 20 pages of writing! Again! Discussion points include patronizing ghost stories, beautiful horse drawings, and weather or not the president is an alien.
Week two of pages! Two days after week one! Time to dig deeper into character, structure, and managing tone. Only two weeks into pages and the boys have already started throwing stuff out. Well, not all of them. Silas and Evan did. This leads to a long discussion about when exactly it is appropriate to...
The boys experience the onrush of self doubt and last-minute panic of writing their first pages. We begin the feedback process by looking at each person’s pages and reacting to what we read.
One week to go before pages! This week the boys discuss changes to their outlines, characters, and the tools they use to write. It’s the deep breath before the plunge. There is some nervousness all around as the boys scramble to clean up their outlines before the dreaded font switch. Evan debates who his main...
Part 2 of 2. This week the boys get into the nitty and the gritty as they share their newly written plots. They walk each other through the structure of their screenplays and discuss the potential challenges therein. It’s time for Silas to explain his nightmarish sci-fi adventure to the boys. He describes the surreal...
Part 1 of 2. This week the boys get into the nitty and the gritty as they share their newly written plots. They walk each other through the structure of their screenplays and discuss the potential challenges therein. It’s time to start digging into the story. Peter discusses his freshly titled “Can’t Get You Out...
Feeling inspired by the first episode, the good boys dive deeper into their ideas for the first time by following through on the homework that they laid out for themselves. Silas spent the week puzzling over how to make his idea “dumber than Stalker but better than Inception.” What he found is that there is...
In this inaugural episode, the boys discuss their screenplay pitches (or lack thereof). Their first season will feature a romance, a sci-fi action movie and…… a romantic sci-fi action movie. Is sixteen weeks long enough to write the first draft of a feature screenplay? While you are also holding down a full time job? These...