The Writer's Toolkit: Inspiration

Next Up, we're joined by three accomplished writers, Virgil Williams, Nicole Perlman, and Scott Rosenberg, for a conversation on finding and maintaining inspiration. Virgil Williams began his career in television, writing on 24 and ER. In 2011 Williams joined the writing staff of the grisly FBI procedural Criminal Minds, and stayed on for a six-season run as a writer and producer. Williams earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work writing the script for the 2017 historical drama Mudbound, following the clash between two Southern families as they grapple with the effects of racism and PTSD after World War II. Next, Williams wrote the script for the romantic drama A Journal for Jordan, based on the memoir by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Dana Canedy. Williams collaborated with filmmaker Malcolm Washington to co-write the script for The Piano Lesson, based on the play by August Wilson. The script blends traditional family drama with elements of horror and magical realism. Nicole Perlman broke into the film industry via Marvel's screenwriting program, where she selected the Guardians of the Galaxy comics as the basis for a film adaptation. Perlman is credited as a co-writer on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, alongside the film's director James Gunn. Perlman also co-wrote the story for Captain Marvel and Detective Pikachu. Recently Perlman has been working as an executive producer on the police procedural CIA, created by Dick Wolf and David Hudgins. Scott Rosenberg has been writing for film and TV since the 90s. His early film projects include Things to do in Denver When You're Dead, Con Air, Disturbing Behavior, and High Fidelity. He also worked as a writer on the horror anthology Tales from the Crypt, and has worked as a writer-producer on shows like Life on Mars, and Zoo. More recently, Rosenberg served as an executive producer for Everything Sucks! and the TV adaptation of High Fidelity starring Zoë Kravitz. Rosenberg co-wrote the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Jumanji: The Next Level, as well as the superhero film Venom. AFF moderator Greg Garrett sat down with Scott Rosenberg, along with Nicole Perlman, and Virgil Williams, for a conversation on the drive, discipline, and routines which help them develop an idea from inspiration to completion.

You can listen to The Writer's Toolkit: Inspiration online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Writer's Toolkit: Inspiration is an episode from AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL'S ON STORY PODCAST by Austin Film Festival.

This episode is 24:48 long.

This episode was published on Apr 22, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL'S ON STORY PODCAST when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.