Meet Collin Gossel | Screenwriter & Podcaster

We had the good fortune of connecting with Collin Gossel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Collin, how do you think about risk?
I can attribute most of my successes to choices that were, at the time, very risky: pulling back from performing, changing my genre of writing, and, of course, tripling down on a daily fictional sci-fi podcast (DEEP SPACE RADIO) when it would have been so much easier to just write another pilot and call it a day!

But the truth is, as a screenwriter, it’s all risk. There is no safe path. And since this profession is already such a gamble, there’s a strong impulse to do the “sensible” thing and develop familiar projects that fit easily among the industry landscape of the moment.

But this doesn’t work. Safe is boring and it doesn’t sell nearly enough to build a career. I realized that if you want to be an outlier, you have to act like one. And, more importantly, write like one.

So I’ve learned to lean into the risk and enjoy the ride. Sometimes you’ll fall flat on your face, but other times, like with DEEP SPACE RADIO, you’ll create something people didn’t even know they were waiting for.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I write genre stories that are heavy on character, light in tone, and always feature an undercurrent of comedy.

Getting there has been a long road, but each stop made a difference. I grew up in small-town Ohio, which informs my worldview every single day. While there, I went to school for music composition, which opened my eyes to a career in the arts and refined my tastes. Then, I spent several years in New York as a comedian, performing improv and stand-up to hone my craft and develop a relationship with audiences. Finally, I decided to commit to a career as a writer, moving to LA, where I learned that, although my background is in comedy, my unique strength is using that comedic perspective in drama.

What I hope sets my work apart from others is the size of the swings I take and the heart I try to never lose sight of. I write about spaceships, master thieves, and grim reapers, but the story is in the intimate feelings of people you care about.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh wow, we’re going to have a great time! Well, I’m repping my neighborhood, so we’d definitely stop by the Illiad Bookshop on Cahuenga before grabbing something to eat at Izakaya Ramen on Oxnard. Great reads + great eats? Can’t miss.

One morning we might hit the Studio City Farmer’s Market. Later that evening, we could get some drinks at Guildhall on Victory while playing board games. If we’ve got time in between, baseball at NoHo Park!

And I definitely wouldn’t let them leave town before visiting Broken Compass Tiki on Burbank, one of my favorite spots with all the kitchy ambiance and sweet drinks you could ever hope for at a Tiki Bar.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First, I’d love to shoutout my incredible wife, Leah. She’s supported me through so many changes. Sharing a life with her has turned me into a different man, capable of so much more than I was before we found each other, and I’m so lucky to have her as my best friend.

I also want to give a massive shoutout to the entire cast of DEEP SPACE RADIO – their talents bring these characters to life and, if I was a Hollywood casting director, I’d scoop them up before their quotes skyrocket. You can find all of their info on the DSR Linktree!

Website: https://collingossel.com/

Other: DEEP SPACE RADIO: https://linktr.ee/deepspaceradio1