Background: On March 15, 2024, SpongeBob writer Dani Michaeli did a Q&A with The Art of SpongeBob Discord server (link here). The questions as well as Michaeli's answers have been replicated here for posterity.

The first question for today comes from jicem:  I learned this week that people who got nominated for Oscars got a "swag bag" worth close to $200,000. Did you or your team receive any kind of swag bag during your Emmy or Annie nominations?

DM: I think for the Emmys we may have received very reduced versions of the swag bags. Like I seem to remember some lovely Dove chocolate?

Probably a much, much lower dollar value

PickleMan: some chocolate is better than nothing for sure!

DM: It was very welcome!

The emmys I was nominated for are the creative arts emmys, and also one day time emmy so a different ceremony from the main one with all the big stars

ChumIsMetabolicFuel asks: What do you think of your “cameo” as Dani the Snail in "Sanctuary?" How did that come about since you were no longer writing on the show at that point?

DM: Getting to appear as Dani the Snail in "Sanctuary" is a bigger honor to me than the Emmy nominations

I was working on Harvey Beaks at the time and our office was next door to SpongeBob's area

Fred Osmond was doing the storbyboard for that section of the cartoon. He pitched Dani the Snail because he thought it would make the room laugh. Fred and I were both lucky that he was right, because than they decided to put it in

PickleMan: Was there a photoshoot just for that quick gag or did they just use a picture they already had?

DM: I think there was a low key photoshoot

BobCarotte asks:  do you see yourself freelancing in the spongebob universe in the future? it could be the main show, the patrick star show or some future movie...did you find yourself still thinking of plots even after you left the show, or was that mostly a switch you were able to turn off?

DM: Sometimes a SpongeBob idea will still pop into my head

I would love to freelance again or work for them in any capacity

I wrote a freelance episode in 2015

PickleMan: In general once you've left a show, does it take a while to shift your brain to different characters or styles? or is it mostly something you can adapt to quickly

DM: I always get so excited about a new project. That excitement sometimes results in new ideas for that project.

I've been lucky in terms of adapting

glurtzen asks: do you have any advice that you would like to share for someone who may be willing to join the industry? if so, what was the hardest script that you had to work with, and how did you overcome it?

DM: It's difficult to give general advice for people

The easier thing is if I know someone's situation, than I can sometimes offer a specific perspective

It really can never hurt to make your own stuff though

If you want to write, then to join the industry, you have to have sample scripts so then the advice is just keep writing

Similar if you want to draw for a living

And the internet and social media offer ways of promoting yourself and sharing your wokr

work

And that's stuff that anyone can do from whereever they are in the world

The other advice where there's no downside, is networking

Investing in relationships with people who are doing what you want to do has no disadvantage (unless you anger those people or offend them or something)

PickleMan: Was there ever a piece of writing advice someone gave you that still sticks with you or that you still abide by?

DM: Lots!

When I asked Steven Banks about becoming a head writer, his advice was to read everything twice before giving notes

That's not strictly writing advice though so I'll think of something else...

On Harvey Beaks, I worked with CH Greenblatt and he talked about how with the usual storytelling structure, we usually give our protagonist a goal in the first act, and then they pursue this goal in the second act. Since there is usually also a big obstacle (which is what really gives us that second act), then the protagonist is often bummed in the whole second act...

...which CH said is a bummer for the audience. So he liked when the protagonist thinks they're succeeding in their goal in the second act, even though somehow the audience knows that they're getting farther and farther away, but that way, the protagonist is having a good time which the audience can also enjoy, even as they know it's all going to come crumbling down

PickleMan: Good old dramatic irony!

DM: Also wanted to answer this question from above "if so, what was the hardest script that you had to work with, and how did you overcome it?"

Doc McStuffins

Very difficult to write for that show and I don't think I overcame it. I think they just rewrote me a lot

PickleMan: Was there a particular aspect of it that caused struggle?

DM: It was a heavily formatted show

That might make it easier for some people...

In fact, there are big sections that you don't even have to generate new material for because they repeat in every episode but I think the heavy structure was difficult for me and I have an easier time when I can let my imagination run a little freer

PickleMan: For shows geared towards younger audiences like that, was it super common to get a ton of S&P notes or notes from higherups, or do you think its easier to self regulate how 'far' you go with things?

compared to a show like spongebob where you can get away with a little bit more

DM: S%P teams are very important to kids shows so you can not worry about what's too far and let them tell you when to reign it in

We did get away with more on SpongeBob but I remember we also got a lot of S&P notes on SpongeBob too

What you are really hoping for with an S&P team is consistency. If you can figure out what the rules are, then you can really start to self regulate

PickleMan: Did you ever get an S&P note that surprised you on SpongeBob or seemed contradictory? Vincent Waller once said they had trouble with S&P when it came to showing things being plugged in, which is something I never would have even thought of as a potential issue

DM: We had that note on Harvey Beaks

Actually we weren't allowed to show a kid unplug a tv

We adjusted by having them unplug the tv from the cord instead of the wall outlet

My biggest beef with network s&p was watching iCarly do things that we on SpongeBob would never have been allowed to do

I remember on iCarly they had a campfire in her apartment and I was scoffing at the TV

PickleMan: Ha, one thing SpongeBob had over iCarly. I'm sure those kids weren't able to tear their skin off

Sharped Cheddar asks: What’s a joke that you thought wouldn’t get by S&P but did?

DM: The joke in House Fancy where Patrick kills Squidward's toilet

Actually a lot of stuff in House Fancy

Maybe s&p was on vacation?

PickleMan: haha

maybe they were just big patrick fans

on the flip side, was there ever anything on spongebob you thought wouldn't be an issue, but ended up having to be changed/removed?

DM: I remember feeling that way but nothing jumps out specifically

I'm sure it happened but then we usually pitch something much worse and they go with it

WhoBob WhatPants asks: You have helped write multiple Squilliam episodes on the series, what do you think of the character and what underlying aspects/traits did you keep in mind when trying to write for him in those episodes?

DM: Squilliam is so great because of what he brings out in Squidward

Squidward can be a snob but for some reason when someone out snobs him, we immediately take Squidward's side. It makes him so sympathetic

Is it weird to say that Squilliam humanizes Squidward in a way?

Someone who beats us at our own game can make us feel vulnerable

PickleMan: and sometimes all the funnier when he still ends up losing

DM: Yes!

PickleMan: When you conceptualize an episode like House Fancy or Keep Bikini Bottom Beautiful, how do you decide which of the two "wins" or "loses"? Do you flesh out the episode with that in mind, or base that off what goes on in the episode later on?

DM: More the second thing

The ending has to feel right for that particular story

Probably it's mostly an intuitive thing of what gets the most laughs

But we often as audiences like to see a comeuppance so whoever is being the bigger jerk, it's satisfying if it's that character that loses in the end

PickleMan: do you think there's a balance to be struck between "karmic justice" of characters getting what they deserve and the subversion of expectations? do you have any specific rhyme or reason to how you approach that balance, or does it just happen naturally based on what's funnier?

DM: The best answer to this is what's funniest has to be what wins

But I think there is almost a karmic justice in there too, like the funniest ending also has to pay off the injustice or it's still kind of hanging there

PickleMan: Looking back at the credits for episodes, it seems like all but one of the Squilliam episodes from that season 6-8 stretch were outlined by you. I guess in a way you were a big advocate for his character, maybe more than thought haha. he hasn't had a major role in an episode since your departure

DM: Really? I didn't know

I just love that you could get Squidward to a different kind of extreme state using Squilliam

PickleMan: His last speaking role was in an episode of yours, "Back to the Past." He must be stuck in the timeline where Man Ray takes over the world haha

DM: Poor Squilliam and fans of Squilliam

Ashleykun asks: Is there any difference in approach in terms of writing a 11 minute story and 22 minute story?

DM: I think sometimes it can be a matter of scale

Also with a 22 minute story, you can sometimes have a b-story

But it's still not a lot of time so that b-story has to relate pretty closely or it won't feel right

I think the main difference is with 22 minutes, you can let things build a little more

PickleMan: In general with writing, do you find it easier to extend runtime or to have to cut things out?

DM: Easier to make cuts

Extending means something is wrong with the story

Cuts are just a natural part of the process, although they can be painful if you like the joke and you just don't have time for it

PickleMan: Was there ever a particular sequence that you really wish didn't have to be cut out?

DM: I don't remember anything particular

I'm good at forgetting stuff

Daffy asks: What was the hardest episode to produce? And if so, what made its production challenging?

DM: The specials are always the most difficult

When we were making Atlantis Squarepantis, it seemed to take forever

I think part of what made specials so challenging was our own expectations

We would set a high bar for what would make something special worthy

Also there would often be a lot of added attention from the network so there could be more back and forth

They would also have higher expectations

PickleMan: There were always rumors of Atlantis originally being ordered/conceptualized as 11 minutes rather than a TV movie, is there truth to that rumor?

DM: If I remember correctly, I pitched an Atlantis episode that turned out to be a toy store, and that story became Toy Store of Doom

But I think that was unrelated to the special. I think it was always conceived of as a special because the network wanted SpongeBob to go to Atlantis

They felt that would be very promotable

PickleMan: Were there any special concepts that weren't spurred by network requests?

DM: I think while I was there, the specials all originated with the network making a request

There were ones like the 100th episode, where we knew it was coming so we were all thinking of it simultaneously

PickleMan: Did any regular episodes come from requests like that too? Or were you guys pretty much free to come up with anything on that front

DM: Regular episodes were just from our ideas

PickleMan: As someone who wrote outlines and conceptualized stories, were there any hard limits/rules on what not to do, whether internally from someone like Paul Tibbitt or from Nickelodeon themselves?

DM: There was self censorship, because I wanted to come up with stuff that kids would like

And at first it was sometimes difficult for me to get ideas approved. Both Paul and the network had high standards

PickleMan: It's been said that Stephen Hillenburg still approved/veto'd plots even after he left as showrunner. Did you ever have any interaction with him/have a story veto'd by Hillenburg or a similar figure?

DM: We didn't hear from Steve most of the time I was there, but he was copied on everything

And we knew he was checking everything because he did kill one story and also he had notes on Patrick's driver license, when we saw it

PickleMan: Any specifics on what that story was, or is it under lock and key?

DM: Steve said we need to remove Patrick's date of birth because he didn't want to date Patrick

I can't remember what the story was, but it was one of Derek Iversen's, and the message was that Steve had an idea for a movie that was similar to Derek's idea

So that was why he didn't want that story moving forward

PickleMan: From Paul or any higherup figures, were there ever any notes as to what the characters would and wouldn't do, beyond obvious age rating limitations?

DM: There were constant discussions of character choices that were ongoing but I think the characters were so well constructed oritginally by Steve that we all knew who they were and the discussions were more like areas of nuance

Sharped Cheddar asks: How was writing your 2015 script “Lost and Found” different than writing outlines for episodes? Was the collaborative process different, whether during the scripting phase or after it? Was there any collaboration between you and the board artists at all?

DM: Since I was a freelancer on that episode, the experience was different from being on staff in many ways

When I was on staff, I wrote my own premises, which I turned into outlines when they were approved, but for "Lost and Found", the premise was already written so for the outline I was expanding the work the writing room had already accomplished

I haven't been in the writing room since I was there -- I did "Lost and Found" on my own time while I was also working on "Harvey Beaks"

Back when I was on staff, the writers often worked alone

My understanding is that the room is much more collaborative like a traditional writing room now

PickleMan: Do you recall who wrote the premise? I believe you are the only credited writer for that episode

DM: It was the room as a group

After I submitted the script, I didn't have interactions with the board teams

But when I was working there, I always checked in but NEVER interfered with the storyboard process. I learned to have enormous respect for those artists/directors

PickleMan: Did you get to watch rough board pitches?

DM: I'm trying to remember

I think when I was there the pitches were just for the network executives with only the very top  crew members (Paul Tibbit, Vince Waller) attending

CrazySponge asks: What is your opinion on the Hoopla fish from "Krusty Krab Training Video?" Additionally, do you have a favorite episode from before your time working on the show? Were you a fan before getting the gig?

DM: Please forgive me I don't remember the Hoopla fish

I love that drawing though

PickleMan: Haha, it's from Season 3, so before your time on the show. You can be forgiven

DM: I wasn't too knowledgeable about the show before I heard they might be adding staff, but I became a fan while researching in the hopes of getting hired

"Dying for Pie" was one of my immediate favorites

PickleMan: and it was pie day just yesterday!

DM: Always a thrill

Band Geeks too!

Klaus asks: who was your favorite writer/board artist to collaborate with when working on the show? what about them made them such a joy to work with?

DM: I always hoped that Aaron Springer would be handed my outline

At the time, he didn't even come to the office very often and only worked from home, but his work was so funny and special

I also enjoyed working with Casey Alexander a lot because he had a very open process and he and I became friends

Aaron told Casey that he "didn't mind" getting one of my outlines, which was high praise because many others got thrown in the trash

PickleMan: Wow!

Was there tension between artists and writers at the time?

DM: I don't think there was particular tension but Aaron's standards were very high and he could often produce a great story on his own, so he was known for departing from the source material

I considered it all part of the process

PickleMan: Do you have any particularly fond memories of Aaron or Casey, during or outside of work?

DM: Casey and I pitched a show to Cartoon Network and they had it in development for a year or so before finally letting us know they werent going to move forward, but it was very fun working with Casey

PickleMan: Was there ever any particularly drastic diversion from one of your stories when Aaron was boarding it?

DM: Aaron's work was so strong, the end result would always be a great cartoon

There were always changes but I think with my outlines, I didn't notice anything too major

It's actually one of the biggest advantage of animation is the process allows you to tweak story for a longer period than most live action, but it also means that you can't get too attached

A healthy process to me, is one where the best, funniest choices win, so I tried to internalize early on that my ego wasn't the thing to protect

Sharped Cheddar asks: “Picture Day” from Season 5 was based off of your daughter’s preschool picture day experience. Were there any other episodes that were based off of other experiences in your or the crews life?

DM: Yes, "House Fancy" came about because my wife was watching a lot of HGTV

I thought there was something potentially funny in Squidward also loving shows like that

Gift of Gum was also based on something that a childhood friend told me about

PickleMan: Was his gum sentient too?

DM: Hahah

I wish

PickleMan: When writing stories, has there ever been a time when you and another writer were inadvertantly writing episodes with similar concepts? In season 4, your episode "Rule of Dumb" is kind of similar to and even paired with "Driven to Tears," both of which revolve around some sort of power getting to Patrick's head. Do you remember there being any attention put into that?

DM: I don't although we definitely tried to avoid situations like that

Looks like I have to head off to dinner now unfortunately

PickleMan: Sure! Thank you for joining us today! I appreciate it

DM: My pleasure! Thanks so much for asking me

Have a great weekend everybody! Thanks for hanging