Ep299 - Alena Smith, Screenwriter ‘The Newsroom,’ ‘The Affair’ and Creator ‘Dickinson’

Creative Principles

Alena Smith got her start as a playwright, which she believes “uniquely prepares you for what it takes to be a creator and show runner of a television show.” This background, of being a collaborator and visionary, helped Smith and many of her Yale peers transition to television work. She’s known for working on Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Newsroom’ and fellow alum Sarah Treem’s ‘The Affair.’ In her most recent project, she’s the creator of Apple TV’s ‘Dickinson.’ In the Hailee Steinfeld-led series, Smith invites audiences to see an inside look at the world of Emily Dickinson. In this interview, Smith talks about the unique perspectives of ‘The Affair,’ how ‘Louie’ inspired the style of ‘Dickinson,’ her take on a contemporary Emily Dickinson, her unique writer’s room for this historical fiction piece, and her recipe for being a prolific writer. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!