“Stick to the story.” Richard Cowan on Barney Thomson
Richard Cowan discusses accepting criticism, what makes a good story, and crafting characters to suit actors.
By Brock Swinson. Barney Thomson, a self-conscious and somewhat insecure Glasgow barber, lives a seemingly mediocre life until he accidentally stumbles into the amusingly absurd world of a Scottish serial killer. Based on the book by Douglas Lindsay, the film, also known as The Legend of Barney Thomson, was written by Richard Cowan and Colin […]
Brock Swinson’s Year in Quotes
Brock looks back over his interviews from 2015, and gives his top ten quotes.
By Brock Swinson. Over the past year, I’ve been fortunate enough to interview a number of screenwriters, from first-time writers to Oscar nominees. Below are a selection of my favourite quotes and pieces of advice from these interviews. I hope you enjoy them, and of course, if you want to read more, just click on the link […]
Let Go of Ideas: Michael Petroni on Backtrack
Michael Petroni discusses morphing genres, the unreliability of memory, and letting go of ideas.
By Brock Swinson. Backtrack follows the story of therapist Peter Bower who borders on hysteria when he learns that his patient roster is made up of ghosts. To fight for his sanity, Bower must go back to his hometown and dig up a forgotten past. Australian-born writer/director Michael Petroni has also penned films such as The Book […]
2,000 Words Before Coffee: William Monahan on Writing Mojave
In a frank interview, William Monahan discusses his screenwriting career, writer’s block, and writing for actors.
By Brock Swinson. William Monahan writes before the sun rises, goes about his day, and then writes some more. The 55-year-old screenwriter’s credits include Kingdom of Heaven, The Departed, Body of Lies, and recently The Gambler. In 2010, he not only wrote but also directed London Boulevard, and is doing so again with his latest film Mojave. Creative Screenwriting spoke […]
Mel Brooks on Screenwriting
Hollywood icon Mel Brooks discusses his writing process, what makes a good story, and his love of Fred Astaire films.
By Brock Swinson. Somewhere between the designations of filmmaker, comedian, composer, actor, and songwriter lies Mel Brooks. As a Brooklyn native, Brooks was raised by a single-mother where he discovered the outside world through film. As a teen, he learned the drums and even started making money as a performer at the age of fourteen. […]
