I spent my last day in NY sitting around the table with the writing staff of MONK, going over each scene in the story, looking for the humor and the heart, the little moments that will add texture to the script. I left with very detailed notes and will start writing the script on Monday.
On the flight back to LA, I sat next to David Strathairn, the star of GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK. He was a very nice guy. He was on his way out for the SAG Awards this weekend. We talked a bit about movies and TV, but mostly we chatted about other things…the sort of stuff you might talk about with any passenger you meet on a flight. I was really struck by what a pleasant, polite, regular guy he was.
I thought Strathairn was great in THE DAYS AND NIGHTS OF MOLLY DODD.
When you post next about the script, I’ll be interested in finding out just how much there is left to do. You’ve mentioned breaking down the scenes, the mystery and the clues, the emotional through-line, the beats and the details.
What’s left? And do you find yourself using this approach in your books?
All that’s left, Bill, is the writing, the biggest part of all. It’s one thing to have an outline and notes, it’s quite another to create characters and scenes.