I had the great good fortune to have screenwriter/director Shane Black visit my Writing the Character-Driven Screenplay class this past week. The creator of the Lethal Weapon franchise, he also wrote The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and the by-now beloved cult fave Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Revered by those of us who know how hard it is to write good, character-driven action fare, he also became infamous, back in the day, for having committed the crime of being one of the most highly paid scribes in Hollywood history.
Shane turned out to be an uncommonly generous, vulnerable, honest mensch of a guy. I got to play James Lipton and ask the questions, and Shane gave us over an hour and half's worth of enlightening answers re: creating memorable characters and crafting effective big screen stories. A few times in our conversation we talked about digging into one's dark places and dealing with one's fears in the writing process. The last question of the night came from a student who wanted to know how Shane dealt with such fears - where the fear came from and what it was about.
"For most people, fear is daring to wish for something so bad that it matters to you, and then having that taken away. Fear is, I'm not going to get the things I want, and I'm gonna lose the things I have already. That's what fear is, to me. The idea of getting your hopes up? [When I was starting out] I would get my hopes up, and someone would say, What if they just smash you? And then you'll feel worse than ever! And I'd go: Oh, well, I know. I'd rather get my hopes up.
"Here's what the fear does: it's something called 'The Jack Story.' Jack Story's about a guy who's driving and boom, his tire blows out in a rain storm. By the side of the road, flat. He sees a farmhouse in the distance with a light on, and he thinks, I don't have a jack, I can't change this tire - but maybe the farmer has one. So he starts walking through the rain and the mud and after a couple of feet he thinks, Well, wait a minute, what if I get to the farmhouse and the guy doesn't have a jack? Then I gotta walk all the way back and I'm getting rained on and it's murder. And he goes, Calm down, it hasn't happened, see what happens, play it by ear, okay?
"So he keeps walking and he thinks, Hmm, what if the farmer has a jack, he does, but I bring it back and it's the wrong kind. And then I've made this whole trip and the expectations, and it gets ruined, and then I have to go back and I can't even drive - Ohmygod, it's even worse. He goes: Relax. It hasn't happened, just relax... Three quarters of the way there, he thinks: What if the farmer has a jack, and it's the right kind, but what if he just doesn't want to give it to me, and he says, I don't know you, fuck you, go out in the rain!
"So the point of the story is, by the time he gets to the farmhouse it's like -- " Shane knocks his fist on the desk. "The farmer goes, Hello? And the guy goes: You know what, take your jack and shove it up your ass!"
"Because you have in your head, already scripted, the conversation based on fear, and you've let fear just run rampant... And I have to remind myself, Stop having conversations that don't exist. I'll feel like I've talked to someone for an hour, but it's the future - the conversation I would be having, and inventing the things I would say, or I'm going to say. And then I never have that conversation. It's just wasted fear time, spent on all the bad things that could happen, instead of the really interesting things that might.
"Writing and getting away from your fear, is to me... You know, you might not sell a script. You might not be good. You might not this and you might not that. What's the point in going down that path? There is none. I know it's tough to say, 'Don't be afraid,' or 'Think positive,' but... There really is just no other way to go. You're up against a wall, you've decided you want to do something, you're having some adversity - you can either play out your hand or quit. And I suggest that... My career came down to one moment like that.
"I was working on a script called Shadow Company in 1984, and I was on page one, and I showed it to my brother - he hated it. I sat down and I thought, "I can't do this. I sat down to write a screenplay - I don't know screenplays, what am I doing, this is so stupid... And I thought: I don't want to write! I don't want to do this, I can't.
"I'm a one-finger typist. And I said - Just do it." Shane holds his one typing forefinger in the air, and jabs it an invisible keyboard. "I went, 'The... rain... lashes... Ground... Bla-bla-blah. I started typing - I hate this, I hate this, I hate this, I hate this - and all of a sudden, I'm: Huh, okay that's a good line. What would he say there? Okay, he says this... And three pages later, I had a scene, and it became a script - and it sold, optioned - and it got me Lethal Weapon."
"It came down to this. I had a piece of paper in a typewriter and my finger poised to hit one key and I couldn't do it, I didn't want to do it all. All I wanted to do was stop. And I hit the key. And now I have a career. So that's the leap of faith.
"I walked through the fear. You can walk through anything. That's the fabulous truth that I've discovered, is that fear never goes away. But it doesn't stop you from putting one foot in front of the other. And, the most important realization of all, it can't stop you from being creative. It can impede you, but it will not stop you from having great ideas. Fear will do everything except shut you down, mentally. It can't do that."
Classroom photos: Erik Cooper
Great post. Thanks for sharing this. Color me inspired. :-)
Posted by: Third World Girl | November 23, 2009 at 06:10 AM
Great interview, Billy. ALWAYS great to hear from Shane Black.
I liked what Shane had to say, "Stop having conversations that don't exist." I do that a lot when I'm nervous. Usually BEFORE a pitch meeting; trying to overantisipate what people say so I can have a well thought out answer in advance. Found from experience that can doom a chance at having a real converastions. You can't force your point-of-view down someone's throat. You HAVE TO BE OPEN to what the person on the other side of the table has to say. That's why they call it a conversation, and not a speach or a Hilterian edict (I JUST made that up).
It's foolish to be jealous of Shane Black because of his success. Cuz guess what: dude's success has paved the way for all who him to make more $$. Shane Black's success benefits us all.
HUGE fan of Shane's. I may never write like him, but his writing style does make for a fun read.
Thanks for sharing your interview, Billy. You have the coolest friends! If one were to speak in Paris Hilton-ese, could it now be said, Shane Black is your new BFF?
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
Posted by: E.C. Henry | November 23, 2009 at 07:56 AM
Billy, awesome post. I've already linked to it on GITS. Your blog continues to be a must-read.
Posted by: Scott Myers | November 23, 2009 at 08:07 AM
That was a great interview, with some sentiments that I really needed to hear. Fears of inadequacy and failure creep into everyone's mind, especially the beginner's, so it's nice to discover that not only can they be conquered, but the writer can be successful in spite of them.
Posted by: WB | November 23, 2009 at 09:09 AM
Wow wow wow!
Fantastic advice.
Posted by: Ally K | November 23, 2009 at 09:29 AM
"I know it's tough to say, 'Don't be afraid,' or 'Think positive,' but... There really is just no other way to go."
Yup. I have to constantly remind myself of this. You have to tell yourself it's pointless to think those fearful, negative thoughts.
The only way to get what you want is to ignore those thoughts the best you can and keep moving forward.
Posted by: Laura Reyna | November 23, 2009 at 11:14 AM
I try to think positive whenever possible.
Unless someone is being mean to my face. Then I just think about murder.
Posted by: J | November 23, 2009 at 02:21 PM
I like this blog. Did you get the video for youtube? Often we censor/restrain ourselves through fear(which can be crippling if you allow it) so he's right.
Indecision(aka procrastination) coupled with fear are a potential writer's downfall. The ones who become what they dream of are the ones who push through the fear.
There is a secret though, when you have such conversations with yourself, always envision yourself triumphing that's what you'll get(as screwy as that may sound!)
Now I'm off to follow that 'secret'...
Posted by: JamminGirl | November 23, 2009 at 11:18 PM
Great advice from one of my favorite writers. Thanks. It reminds of another piece of great advice, from the late Randy Pausch, in his last lecture:
"But remember, the brick walls are
there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop thepeople who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people."
Posted by: Steven Axelrod | November 24, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Third World Girl: Glad to inspire.
EC: Since you mention it, reading Shane is a great idea - his "Last Kiss Goodnight" screenplay is a model of great cinematic storytelling.
Thanks, Scott!
WB: Heartening to hear that even the most successful writers still grapple with this issue, eh?
Ally: Good good good.
Laura: I believe that.
J: And what thoughts you do have...
Jammin': No video (we felt it would be intrusive). I like your secret - thanks for sharing it.
Steven: Nice! I'm mentally deconstructing brick walls all the time...
Posted by: mernitman | November 24, 2009 at 09:25 PM
He seems like a great guy. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Désirée | November 25, 2009 at 03:42 AM
Billy, thank you so much for sharing this with us! Shane's words encourage me on this Thanksgiving eve as I type toward a Jan 31 deadline.
Bless you. I don't always agree with you, but love your wit, talent and willingness to share!
Rachel
Posted by: Rachel Hauck | November 25, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Thank you for sharing Billy.
Posted by: Tiago | November 28, 2009 at 12:48 AM
great article about Drama and fear at a rather extraordinary blog, entotled Where's the Drama - the secret/sacred art of Mediumistic screenwriting - which is the companion blog to http://scripttools.webs.com -
Posted by: William Robinson | November 28, 2009 at 06:29 PM
D\Where's the Drama blog is at http://billystoneking.blogspot.com - also great essay on CONFRONTING THE WALL at http://scripttools.webs.com/plotstory.htm
Posted by: William Robinson | November 28, 2009 at 06:31 PM
All very reassuring and motivating stuff to simply keep on keeping on! Cheers Billy =)
Posted by: David Mackey | November 28, 2009 at 07:14 PM
Seen all of the movies he has written and all of them were great films to watch.
Posted by: SEO Los Angeles | January 18, 2010 at 02:37 AM
Love watching lethal Weapon movie, I watched the characters grow and evolve.
Posted by: Accounting Jobs | January 18, 2010 at 06:00 AM