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Mike Rinaldi
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 Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:10 am Post subject: What I learned from Shane Black. |
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First I don’t want to cheat you from the full experience. So with all due respect to Mr. Black, here’s what he was like at the Screenwriting Expo.
Picture a young, homeless Burt Reynolds with a Fu Manchu moustache. Now, he has the speech pattern and physical mannerisms of Mel Gibson (obviously without the accent), which is a little surreal because it’s like Martin Riggs is right in front of you. In fact, Shane Black probably is Martin Riggs. Shane is probably ADD, and he’s an angry and funny man. So imagine Mel Gibson, dressed as a young, homeless Burt Reynolds acting out a stream of consciousness rant scripted by Lewis Black. Got it? Great.
Much of what he ranted had nothing to do with writing or film. He went into tangents and stories about everything under the sun, but when he answered direct questions, he had the following amazing insights.
1. Although there are other great screenwriters, he is only inspired by two: William Goldman and Walter Hill. Shane considers his own personal style to just be a collision of those two screenwriters and those are the two that he encourages others to read.
2. Shane actually doesn’t like writing, although he does enjoy dialogue, so that’s the only part of the process he looks forward to. He says most writers are terrible with dialogue, but Goldman and Hill are the guys to read and possibly the only ones to look to as models. Some other writers like Tarantino and Mamet have such distinct voices that even though they are exceptional writers, they’re not good models for dialogue.
3. He believes that you can create writing habits to build momentum. An example was his habits. He works the same times every day. After breakfast, news, etc., his first work of the day is reading, noting, editing what he wrote the previous day (now that he’s slept on it and is viewing it with fresh eyes). Then watching the news. After lunch, he writes new scenes, takes a break. Comes back after dinner and writes a little more because he enjoys writing at dusk. By writing at the same times, your brain and body adapt to the schedule and you become more productive during your writing time.
4. He also urges people to write what they enjoy and don’t try to follow or forecast trends. Some other expo speakers had other (incorrect) opinions and Shane was quick to point out that one must ignore bad advice and just because someone is an expo speaker, doesn’t mean they know anything. I like this guy!
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debwheat
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:38 am Post subject: |
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Oh wow....that is too funny (description) and Wonderful insight. I must say I follow the #3, it is so true...I do this one daily. (and yet I still manage to have a ton of typos, thank goodness for proof-readers)
Thanks Mike for sharing.
All the best.
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Ralph Dobbins
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Joined: 24 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | He also urges people to write what they enjoy and don’t try to follow or forecast trends. |
For me that is an oversimplification. That's sound advice if all one wants to do is write and not sell their work.
Suppose one enjoys writing about subjects that are patently non-commercial and/or unsellable or unsuitable for film?
| Quote: | | just because someone is an expo speaker, doesn’t mean they know anything. |
Wow! I bet that won him a lot of friends.
Perhaps he too might re-read Goldman p. 39 (hardback edition)
"Nobody knows anything."
The underline is mine.
Yes, Shane Black is successful, but that's no excuse for bad manners.
I didn't know Blake personally, but I couldn't imagine him making that sort of comment in a public forum toward fellow speakes.
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The task of the writer is to make you hear, to make you feel- it is, before all, to make you see. That - and no more, and it is everything.
Joseph Conrad
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Mike Rinaldi
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Ralph Dobbins wrote: | | Quote: | | He also urges people to write what they enjoy and don’t try to follow or forecast trends. |
For me that is an oversimplification. That's sound advice if all one wants to do is write and not sell their work.
Suppose one enjoys writing about subjects that are patently non-commercial and/or unsellable or unsuitable for film? |
The oversimplification is mine, not his. Assuming you're savvy enough to only write commercially viable stories, he's saying write a story you're interested in, not one that is "hot" right now. Because what's hot now won't be hot by the time your screenplay is finished. Also, regardless of trends, no one knows what the studio may or may not buy.
| Ralph Dobbins wrote: | | Quote: | | just because someone is an expo speaker, doesn’t mean they know anything. |
Wow! I bet that won him a lot of friends.
Perhaps he too might re-read Goldman p. 39 (hardback edition)
"Nobody knows anything."
The underline is mine.
Yes, Shane Black is successful, but that's no excuse for bad manners.
I didn't know Blake personally, but I couldn't imagine him making that sort of comment in a public forum toward fellow speakes. |
Yes, Blake would have been far more diplomatic. But Shane Black is an angry (and funny) man who is not there to make friends. The reasons why I quoted Goldman are because it was in the spirit of what Shane meant and because that quote was cited all weekend anyway. Shane specifically referred to some of the speakers who gave bad advice by a name that I don't care to repeat. Although I would have chosen different words, I applaud him for calling out people who gave harmful advice. Apparently it was in abundance at the expo, sadly.
Also, Shane talked about how it drives him crazy that most writers don't understand how to use set ups and pay offs, something we here know very well!
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Martin Blank
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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If any of us were writing as well as Shane Black...our writing career problems would soon be over. Which does not mean our life problems would soon be over.
Cheers,
Martin
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Ralph Dobbins
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | But Shane Black is an angry (and funny) man who is not there to make friends. |
That's really sad.
I found this on his IMDB bio.
After being the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood, he disappeared as a writer in the late 90s. He recently admitted he withdrew due to pressure and a growing contempt for his own commercial, action-packed material.
Sounds like he could use a friend.
It was that friendly, positive, upbeat, approachable spirit of Blake's that drew me to STC and has kept me coming back for more.
I miss his encouraging blogs.
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The task of the writer is to make you hear, to make you feel- it is, before all, to make you see. That - and no more, and it is everything.
Joseph Conrad
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Martin Blank
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Ralph Dobbins wrote: | It was that friendly, positive, upbeat, approachable spirit of Blake's that drew me to STC and has kept me coming back for more.
I miss his encouraging blogs. |
Blake was my home page on the net. I really miss him and his encouraging blogs too! Glass half full! His third books is coming out...and he's still with us in spirit. Yesterday writing, a post it with one of his insights fell off my board and on to my writing desk!
Cheers,
Martin
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debwheat
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| Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 12:16 am Post subject: |
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| Martin Blank wrote: | | Ralph Dobbins wrote: | It was that friendly, positive, upbeat, approachable spirit of Blake's that drew me to STC and has kept me coming back for more.
I miss his encouraging blogs. |
Blake was my home page on the net. I really miss him and his encouraging blogs too! Glass half full! His third books is coming out...and he's still with us in spirit. Yesterday writing, a post it with one of his insights fell off my board and on to my writing desk!
Cheers,
Martin |
Awh Martin that was Blake telling you HI and that he is always with us.
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Russell Bolding
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Mike Rinaldi
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| Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah. Mixed opinions from the fans. I love how strong the opinions are before the script is even finished.
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Russell Bolding
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Just surprised they've tapped him for this job, especially with everything he's written.