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522: Storytelling & Identity with Ethan Sawyer (Bonus Part 4): On Productivity, Writing as a Journey, and What It Means to Be Enough

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SHOW NOTES

In our most recent series on storytelling and identity, Ethan sat down with his screenwriter friends to do a deep dive into the creative process, the power of storytelling, and how identity plays a role in both. In this bonus episode, the tables are turned as Ethan is interviewed by CEG Essay Coach, Ali Pineo. In their conversation, Ethan and Ali get into:

  • Ethan’s background and how his identity has evolved over the years

  • The roles Ethan identifies with most: connector, harmonizer, and seeker

  • How Ethan measures success in his personal and professional life

  • His journey from aspiring screenwriter to teacher and writer

  • Brainstorming Ethan’s own personal statement as if he were writing it today

  • And more

Ali Pineo is a writing coach and college admissions essay specialist with a BA in English from Stanford University and MFA from UC Irvine. She is passionate about building her students’ confidence in the writing process and developing them into strong self-advocates for their individual learning needs. She has spent thousands of hours coaching admissions essay writing and tutoring AP English and US History,. and the highlights of her career center around her mentorship of bright students with learning differences. In addition to teaching, she is an arts entrepreneur, former professional ballet dancer, and mama to a busy toddler.

We hope you enjoy!

Play-by-Play

  • 1:41 - Introductions

  • 2:48 - Ethan shares the roles he identifies with most

  • 10:36 - What does Ethan’s identity of “Connector” mean to him?

  • 14:34 - How does Ethan distinguish between the “Connector” and “Harmonizer” roles?

  • 20:16 - Do any roles conflict with other identities? 

  • 25:13 - How does Ethan balance his many roles? 

  • 28:37 - How does Ethan measure success in his personal and professional life?

  • 33:20 - In what ways have Ethan’s career aspirations changed over the years? 

  • 37:00 - How does Ethan define his role as a “Culture-Tender?” 

  • 43:55 - What has Ethan been writing about lately?

  • 47:18 - Ali shares her a bit about her background, roles, and identities 

  • 52:33 - How do Ethan’s outward identities overlap with his inner world? 

  • 56:48 - Brainstorming Ethan’s own personal statement as if he were writing it today

  • 1:11:37 - Closing thoughts and wrap-up

Resources

 

521: Storytelling & Identity with Ryan Maldonado (Part 3 of 3): On Code-switching, Photographing Living Rooms, and Growing up Not-Rich in Miami

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SHOW NOTES

In this three-part series, Ethan sits down with his screenwriter friends to do a deep dive into the creative process, the power of storytelling, and how identity plays a role in both. In Episode 3, Ethan is joined by screenwriter Ryan Maldonado, known for his work on AMC’s Parish, Hulu’s Death and Other Details, Amazon’s Hunters, Chicago PD, FBI, and Grey’s Anatomy.

Ryan and Ethan talk about, among other things: 

  • Ryan’s origin story, how he identifies, and how he became a storyteller

  • What Ryan’s writing process is like and what it’s like working on a TV show

  • How Ryan shows up in characters that may seem very different from who he is 

  • What he feels Hollywood is doing well in terms of representing diverse voices, and where there’s still work to be done

  • Advice to students going through the personal statement writing process

  • And more. 

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Ryan Maldonado is a writer and producer who currently serves as Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner of AMC’s crime series Parish, starring Giancarlo Esposito. His previous credits include Hulu’s upcoming Death and Other Details (starring Mandy Patinkin) and Amazon’s Hunters (starring Al Pacino). Before moving to Los Angeles to complete his MFA at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Ryan worked as a reporter for The Detroit Free Press, St. Petersburg Times and Variety. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.

We hope you enjoy!

Play-by-Play

  • 2:00 - Ryan’s origin story and what it was like growing up in Miami in the '80s

  • 11:18 - When did Ryan start writing?

  • 15:10 - How has Ryan’s interest in writing shifted over the years?

  • 19:47 - Where does “Ryan” show up in his writing and storytelling?

  • 26:12 - How might personal experiences influence writing, especially in TV dramas? 

  • 33:00 - What is Ryan’s writing process like?

  • 38:50 - What is it like working on a TV show? 

  • 44:56 - What lessons from film school still apply to Ryan’s work today? 

  • 54:33 - How has representation in Hollywood improved? What still needs work? 

  • 59:23 - What are some roles Ryan identifies with and how have these manifested in his life?

  • 1:08:56 - What advice would you give to students working on their personal statements for college? 

  • 1:18:49 - Wrap up and closing thoughts

Resources

 

520: Storytelling & Identity with Whit Anderson (Part 2 of 3): Beating Writer’s Block, Writing RomComs and Space Operas, and Female Representation in Hollywood

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SHOW NOTES

In this three-part series, Ethan sits down with his screenwriter friends to do a deep dive into the creative process, the power of storytelling, and how identity plays a role in both. In Episode 2, Ethan is joined by screenwriter Whit Anderson, known for her work on Daredevil, The Twilight Zone, and Ozark. 

Whit and Ethan talk about, among other things: 

  • How a life-changing illness inspired one of her screenplays

  • The cultural role that storytellers and screenwriters play

  • Whit’s approach to writing, including the use of visuals and detailed outlines

  • The challenges of working in a male-dominated industry

  • And more

Content warning: In our conversation we talk briefly about suicidal ideation — both in the context of a movie Whit is working on but also in the context of the illness she experienced. 

Whit Anderson has written both original and adapted content for HBO, Showtime, NBC, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Stars, Netflix, and Sky UK. She’s also worked on such shows as Daredevil, The Twilight Zone, and Ozark, as well as on screenplays for her original film Players, and the Netflix hit, Damsel. Most recently for Netflix she wrote a feature script for the epic space opera Empress and she’s currently in development with Paramount Studios, George Clooney’s company Smokehouse, Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap, and Jude Law’s Riff Raff, among others. 

And, like Ethan, Whit studied Theater at Northwestern University.

We hope you enjoy. 

Play-by-Play

  • 1:47 - When did Whit realize she was a storyteller?

  • 3:48 - How has her storytelling shifted over the years?

  • 5:56 - How has Whit’s identity and experiences influenced her writing? 

  • 11:30 - Where does “Whit” show up in her stories?

  • 17:47 - How does Whit decide what to write about next? 

  • 22:00 - What is Whit’s writing process like?

  • 23:14 - How does music influence Whit’s writing? 

  • 28:15 - What does a typical week look like when working on a project? 

  • 31:30 - How does Whit work through writer’s block or moments of feeling uninspired? 

  • 35:12 - What is something Whit wants to share about screenwriting?

  • 47:58 - What has Whit learned about being a writer since starting? 

  • 56:00 - What change would Whit like to see in Hollywood? 

  • 1:05:01 - If Whit could do college again, what might she do differently?

  • 1:09:23 - What upcoming projects is Whit excited to work on?

  • 1:11:14 - Wrap up and closing thoughts

Resources

 

519: Storytelling & Identity with Dave Callaham (Part 1 of 3): What it’s Like Writing Marvel Movies, Asian-American Representation in Hollywood, and Advice on Finding Your Voice

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SHOW NOTES

In this new three-part series, Ethan sits down with his screenwriter friends to do a deep dive into the creative process, the power of storytelling, and how identity plays a role in both. In Episode 1, Ethan is joined by screenwriter Dave Callaham, known best for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Wonder Woman 1984 and many others.

Dave and Ethan discuss, among other things: 

  • When Dave knew he was a storyteller

  • The “armor” that Dave wears (how he presents physically vs. who he is)

  • What the process of writing Shang-Chi was like, especially when much of the source material included outdated stereotypes and problematic portrayals.

  • Dave’s advice to writers on finding their voice

  • And more

Fun fact: You can find the video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel by clicking here. This is a longer episode format we’re experimenting with, so feel free to use the chapters on the video to skip around, and let us know what you think in the YouTube comments.

Rather than give you the typical bio, Ethan and Dave kick things off with an improv game where Dave shares what he loves and knows a lot about — an activity that is great for brainstorming ideas for the personal statement! 

We hope you enjoy. 

Play-by-Play

  • 2:02 - Dave plays “I love, I know” – a brainstorming exercise

  • 3:45 - What was Dave like in high school?

  • 7:46 - When did Dave start writing?

  • 11:08 - When did Dave realize he was a storyteller?

  • 12:12 - What did Dave study in college?

  • 13:11 - What was it like writing Shang-Chi?

  • 16:57 - Where does “Dave” show up in Shang-Chi?

  • 28:39 - What is Dave’s writing process like when working on a movie?

  • 32:42 - How is writing for animation different from live-action?

  • 35:14 - How does writing change through the movie process?

  • 39:01 - How does Dave decide what to write about next?

  • 51:59 - How important is structure when it comes to screenwriting?

  • 58:30 - The “armor” that Dave wears (how he presents physically vs. who he is)

  • 1:09:33 - What did Dave learn about fight scenes when writing Shang-Chi?

  • 1:16:58 - Dave’s advice to writers on finding their voice

  • 1:24:09 - What did Dave write about in his college essay?

  • 1:29:07 - How much time does Dave dedicate to brainstorming in his writing process?

  • 1:32:30 - If Dave could do college again, what might he do differently?

  • 1:39:20 - Why is representation so important on screen?

  • 1:44:06 - What is something Dave wants to share about screenwriting?

  • 1:48:50 - What advice would you give to young people who are considering writing for a living?

  • 1:50:32 - Rapid-fire questions

Resources

 

504: What Colleges Want (Part 4): A Crash Course in the Personal Statement with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)

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SHOW NOTES

On this week’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) sits down with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) for Part 4 in our What Colleges Want series to talk about the personal statement. According to the latest State of College Admission report – after grades, course rigor, and positive character traits (see previous episodes), the college essay is what colleges care about most. Tom and Ethan get into:

  • What is the purpose of the personal statement? 

  • How do you find a topic, especially if you’re not writing about challenges?  

  • Why do I recommend students NOT choose a common extracurricular activity as their main college essay topic? 

  • How do you stand out? 

  • And how do you know when you’re done?

Fun fact: You’ll find the YouTube video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel.

Play-by-play

  • 1:38 - What is the purpose of the personal statement in the college admission process?

  • 2:53 - How might students use this statement for multiple schools? 

  • 3:48 - Should students talk about challenges they’ve faced in a personal statement? 

  • 6:47 - Should students talk about their major or career goals?

  • 8:33 - Where is the best place to discuss extracurricular activities? 

  • 10:20 - Should students explain red flags in their personal statement?

  • 11:26 - How can students brainstorm potential topics for their personal statement?

  • 17:56 - What is the structure of a personal statement?

  • 21:11 - How can students stand out?

  • 28:57 - Case Study: What does the process look like from brainstorming to final draft?

  • 35:39 - How does a student know when their essay is done?

  • 38:27 - Is there a place for artificial intelligence in the college essay?

  • 41:47 - have personal statements shifted since the Supreme Court ruling on Race-Conscious Admissions?

  • 44:04 - Why does the personal statement process matter?

  • 49:14 - Closing thoughts

ResourceS

 

409: A Crash Course in College Athletic Recruiting

On this episode, my guest is Katie Andersen, a former NCAA Division 1 Women’s Soccer player at Duke University, who now advises student-athletes through her organization, College Fit OC. She’s also the co-founder of The Student-Athlete Advisors, which focuses on educating and mentoring educational consultants who advise college-bound student-athletes. Our conversation turned into a veritable crash course in college athletic recruiting.

408: 10 Critical Things Trans Youth (and Their Counselors and Caregivers) Should Know in High School and When Applying to College w/ Shannon and Sam Bergeron

On this episode I had the honor of sitting down with Sam and Shannon Bergeron. We discuss a number of critical things trans youth, their counselors and caregivers should know as they navigate the college admission process.

407: Behind the Scenes of an Admission Office + Supplemental Essay Deep Dive w/ Rick Diaz

On today’s episode I got to sit down with Rick Diaz, the Regional Director of Admission for Southern Methodist University (SMU). We take a behind-the-scenes look at how SMU reads applications and how they shape a class—and what that even means.