Questions and Answers

Q: What do you think makes a good writer?

A: I think there are a lot of things that go into answering that question. Some of the answers are different, too. What makes a good copywriter is different than what makes a good screenwriter or a novelist.

I think of myself as a generalist, someone with the ability to handle a wide range of projects. For many years I did much more script work for television and feature films than anything else, largely because I did some bit part acting on the side and made contacts in the independent film world. So most of my name projects have been while working in the Los Angeles entertainment industry. But in reality about 75% of my work is in other areas… ghostwriting, rewriting, copywriting and the like.

A few things I think I have going for me are:

I’m blessed with a curious mind, and I’m able to quickly study materials, even of a very technical nature, and quickly write about them in a way anyone can understand. So while I prefer to do screenplays, I’m also an excellent generalist. Just give me something to write about and I can communicate… from an action scene in a feature script to a finance ebook.

I also love the English language. I know the difference between British English and American English, and have dabbled in enough other languages like German, Korean and Spanish to really appreciate what a magnificent tool English speaking writers have to work with. English has the ability to handle complicated and subtle subjects in ways other languages cannot. It’s one of the reasons I’m irritated by “writer’s” who think it beneath them to learn the basic Rules of English. They truly do not know what they are missing. I break the Rules of English all the time, but always with a purpose in mind to get my point across.

I’m also old enough now and experienced enough to no longer be in love with my work. Inexperienced writers tend to think everything they write is golden. In reality, experienced writers know that forethought and rewriting are important skills to use to give depth and clarity to your words.

The final thing is a good work ethic. Writing is hard. So many believe that you just sit down and dash off words and you are done. Writing is really an emotional journey, where you give up a large piece of yourself in every paragraph, in every character and every scene. It takes some determination and dedication to set time apart everyday to get your work done.

That’s why I’m in awe of novelists. They have to be able to sit down everyday for months to churn out the 2500 to 1,000 pages it takes. That’s several months to several years working on one project. If I work on one project for two months I think I’m dying!