SHU AND SHERM SHOOT THE SHIT ABOUT SCREENWRITING.
Two professional screenwriters living and working in LA discuss the craft, culture and business of writing for Film and TV from a decidedly Black point-of-view.
Featured Episodes
Episode 027: Inside the Writers’ Room (feat. Tia Wren)
In this episode, Shu and Sherm flip the writers' room inside out and show you how it works. From "blue-skying" to "breaking the script", all things writers' room will be made clear.
TDH SPECIAL: Best of Interviews
In week two of our Best Of series, we take the choice cuts of your favorite interviews and stuff them all into one episode! This episode has Kay Oyegun, Zahir McGhee, Rodney Barnes and more! Jump into this jambalaya now!
TDH SPECIAL: Best of Screenwriting 101
As the first part of our Best Of series, this episode is chock-full of cherrypicked advice from past chapters of TDH history on the basic craft of screenwriting. Learn how to write your first script (TDH 021), create compelling characters (TDH 015), craft dialogue (TDH 025) and revise your first draft (TDH 007) all in one episode! It's a one-stop-shop for screenwriting!
Episode 026: Time Management
Where do you find the time to write? How do you juggle writing projects with other responsibilities? How do you manage multiple projects at once? How do you meet writing deadlines in severe time crunches? The Diversity Hires have the answers to these questions and many more on this week's episode!
Episode 025: Dialogue
Sherm and Shu break down the art of writing dialogue. What makes dialogue feel real? How do you utilize Black vernacular without being corny? And how do you write those big, memorable emotional speeches you find in shows like THIS IS US? Answers to all of these questions and many, many more. CLICK PLAY NOW!
Episode 024: Development Hell
This week The Diversity Hires do a deep dive into the world of Hollywood development. Learn how screenwriters navigate the perilous world of bake-offs, rewrites, producer relationships, studio notes, and much more. The fellas take you on a journey from idea to script to the GREEN LIGHT!
Episode 023: Rodney Barnes - An American Saga
Wutang: An American Saga, The Boondocks, Everybody Hates Chris, American Gods, My Wife and Kids, Tiger, the list goes on and on. From comedies to comic books, dramas, horrors and everything in between, Rodney Barnes has done it, and done it well. Listen now to hear the legend speak!
Episode 022: The Art of The Meeting
What is a general meeting? How is that different from a pitch meeting or a production meeting? How should you conduct yourself in general meetings? The Diversity Hires have the answers in this week's episode!
Episode 021: Writing Your First Script
In this episode, The Diversity Hires tell you what it takes to put pen to paper and get the damn thing done. RIP MF DOOM!
Episode 020: Revenge of the Blerds (feat. Deric A. Hughes)
We’re back and better than ever! Deric Hughes (Warehouse 13, Arrow, The Flash) joins The Diversity Hires in the first episode of 2021. They talk about breaking in, comic books, writing programs, the WGA and more!
Episode 019: 2020 Wrap-Up (feat. August K. Burton)
In the final episode of the year, Shu and Sherm shoot the sh*t with AKB about 2020. They talk about their favorite movies and TV shows, what screenwriting lessons they've learned, and what advice they have for newcomers wanting to write in 2021.
Episode 018: Prep and Production
After discussing Mike Tyson, Shu and Sherm get into the nitty gritty of the roles of a TV writer from prep to production. Also, is Martin Lawrence the Black Lucille Ball?
Episode 017: Ownership and Prep
The Diversity Hires discuss their qualms with ownership in the TV industry. Do screenwriters get a big enough piece of the pie? Is Shu really the Rodney Dangerfield of screenwriting?
Episode 016: Questions and Answers
The Diversity Hires answer your questions and also talk about what it means to be a dad in the industry!
Episode 015: Passive Characters... Don’t Do That Sh*t
Passive characters? Don't do that sh*t.
aRe YoU a ChArAcTeR wRiTeR oR a PlOt WrItEr?
Episode 014: Good Stories Well-Told with Alan B. McElroy
Film and television writer Alan B. McElroy (Spawn, Star Trek: Discovery) has had a career spanning five decades, but by the looks of it, he's just getting started.
Episode 013: Latinx Representation and Imposter Syndrome (feat. Mel Rodriguez)
The Diversity Hires are joined by writer/director Mel Rodriguez, and together, they want to tell you that you belong.
Episode 012: So You Want to Move to LA…
Is LA the only place to be for a screenwriting career? Can you make it in another state? If you do make the move to LA, when is the best time? The Diversity Hires discuss making the big move in this week's episode!
Episode 011: The Come Up (feat. Courtney Perdue & Baindu Saidu)
Why getting representation might not mean what you think. What is the difference between a manager and an agent? What are the dynamics of having a writing partner? The Diversity Hires are joined by the dynamic writing duo Courtney and B, and together they have the answers!
Episode 010: We Don’t Know Shit
Looking to The Diversity Hires for advice? Look somewhere else. We don’t know sh*t… except the sh*t we know.
Shu and Sherm finish what they started! Part Two of the Screenwriter Commandments. Finally! Listen now!
Shu and Sherm are setting truth in stone. Part One of the Screenwriter Commandments. Thou shalt write, write, write every day! and more... Listen now!
We're back and better than ever! In this episode, Shu and Sherm reflect on a Wall Street Journal article criticizing the elite Master’s programs that leave its students with crippling debt-- including the film program at their alma mater, Columbia University. Plus, they answer some fan questions. Listen now!
Wutang: An American Saga, The Boondocks, Everybody Hates Chris, American Gods, My Wife and Kids, Tiger, the list goes on and on. From comedies to comic books, dramas, horrors and everything in between, Rodney Barnes has done it, and done it well. Listen now to hear the legend speak!