You may not require a hook, but your writing should really stand out to make your simple story pop. Practice your craft and read produced scripts.

For me, the trick is to constantly be working. I write seven days a week. When a draft goes into the studio or a spec goes out, you can’t wait to see what happens.

... writing a screenplay is so labor-intensive, I’ve found that I can’t grind away on something if I’m not totally enamored with it.

The Rock said, “Shut your mouth and know your role!” That’s how I feel about writing. If your voice is unique and your talent is special, I think your writing will come through no matter what genre you’re writing in.

From there, I thought, “What if a person could be totaled?” Deemed to be not worth the cost of repair. What kind of person would that be? What kind of world would that be?

As far as plot goes, I don’t think a futuristic drama is harder to write. It all depends on who you are. If I had to come up with an espionage thriller, my head would probably explode.

I always thought if I didn’t pursue screenwriting, I’d love to be a thief or crook of some kind. Maybe a counterfeiter—I hear there’s good money in it (rimshot).

Sometimes people are right, and sometimes they are not. It’s your job to take this feedback, interpret it, and make it your own.

... creativity and originality come from your unique voice, so if you try to focus too much on writing something marketable but your heart isn’t in it, then it’s going to show.

The whole set-up/joke thing is not how real people talk. It comes across false. I think today’s audiences are too mature for that.

I do recall reading an article about Fight Club, where Brad Pitt said how he met the writer and told him it was the best damn script he’d ever read, and thinking, I want to do that.

It was the script that opened all the doors for us. From our producer, to our investors, to our cast and crew, without a great script nothing else matters.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a whole generation of filmmakers emerge from the new media sea change of the last five years, with new visions and unique points of view. It should be exciting.

It’s essential to keep writing and not be discouraged if your first few scripts aren’t very good. If you keep at it, your writing will improve.

Yeah, I mean, I’m pretty sure he was disappointed, and we were kind of terrified. We’re like, oh fuck; the guy who got this rolling is gone.