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FRANCIS FORD COPPOLAFrancis Ford Coppola, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director, took time
from promoting his new film, Tetro, to speak with The Reporters’ Well in an exclusive interview about
writing. Best known as the director of the Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now, Coppola won his first Academy
Award in 1971 for his Patton screenplay. He also wrote (or, in some instances, co-wrote) many other screenplays,
including the aforementioned four, The Rain People, The Conversation, and Rumble Fish. Tetro
is his first original screenplay in three decades—and he's excited about the film. And besides being a living legend
and icon of American cinema, Coppola has established himself as a terrific vintner, his wineries producing everything from
everyday wines to others reserved for special occasions. (The Reporters' Well would be remiss not to recommend his
Rosso for those late-night/early-morning writing sessions.) Coppola discusses his craft—in his heart and mind and soul,
he's a Writer—and approach to writing.
In terms of personal satisfaction, how does writing compare
with the other aspects of filmmaking? The writing phase is always the most enjoyable phase. You're working as a solo
act. Making a film is a collaborative process, but when you're writing, you're alone. It's just you and the work. It's very
satisfying—you're often surprised by what happens.
Do you have a strict work routine? When
I'm writing, I like to keep to a set schedule. I write in the morning, and try to work for at least four to five hours a day.
Do you still write on a typewriter? I used to. I've upgraded now. I have an Apple laptop.
Do you listen to the radio, or any particular music, when you write, or do you prefer it quiet when you work?
I listen to music, usually classical -- you're always safe with Mozart. He offers a lift to the heart. Often, when I'm working
on a screenplay, I'll be listening to different selections, sort of auditioning pieces for the film.
Other
than screenwriting, do you write any prose fiction? Sometimes on a film project I'm working on, the work starts out
in the prose format. It's more like a short story than a screenplay. The prose format frees you up to explore ideas.
What writers do you turn to for inspiration? There are some fantastic dramatic writers I read: Thorton
Wilder, Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Shakespeare, Chekov, Goethe. I've been reading a lot of Latin American writers
of the last 50 or 60 years. Marquez, for instance, and Vargo Llosa.
Are you working on any new projects?
I don't like to talk about what I'm writing. It's my own, enjoyable secret. No one knows about it, and I'm safe from criticism.
I don't even go over the pages I just wrote. The most important thing is to get in the groove, the hypnotic trance that happens
when you're writing.
Any advice for someone hoping to break into the film industry as a screenwriter?
About breaking into an industry, I can't give a lot of advice. I never wanted to be part of "an industry." I always
wanted to be a writer who wrote for the love of it, who wrote things that mattered to me. That's really what the goal must
be. My advice would be to write something you love, because writing is hard work. Choose the subject the way you'd choose
a spouse, something that will remain of interest to you always. The Writer
Selected Works
WILLIAM ZINSSER William Zinsser, legendary writer and writing instructor, spoke with
The Reporters’ Well in an exclusive interview about how he views his craft. His book of writing instruction, On
Writing Well, has sold over a million copies. Zinsser remains a highly sought-after authority on the craft of nonfiction
writing, and his work in the genre has attained an almost-mythic status. He spoke to The Reporters’ Well from
his office in New York City, where he was finishing his forthcoming book on the many places he has written in his career.
On his choice of subjects: I don’t like to write anything I don’t like to read.
On remaining adaptable: All writers are damn sure they can only write under certain conditions. But the
truth is, they can write any damn place—if they have to do the writing. I wrote in a tent in North Africa while a sandstorm
was swirling around and people were running around panicking.
On the profession: It’s a
craft, not an art. It’s like going to work every day with your tool kit, like a plumber or air conditioning repair person.
On nonfiction: I’m a nonfiction writer. I don’t work from materials inside my head. Mine
is the kind of writing dependent upon the ability to notice things. I think you know if you’re a fiction writer. I’ve
never been able to invent a character. I wrote a novel once [The Paradise Bit], but it was based on characters and
situations I knew well.
On personal style: My style, whether I’m writing about baseball
or jazz, is the same. It’s a matter of construction, of imposing your personality, your character on what you’re
writing.
On his latest book: I started it about a year ago. Whenever I think I’ve run out
of things to write, my wife says ‘You always say that.’ She suggested writing about all the places where I’ve
written, from the convivial surroundings of the newsroom to Yale. I’ve written in lots of different places: Africa,
Tahiti, England. That’s what the book is about. The places where I’ve written. The
Writer Selected Works
GAIL COLLINS New York Times opinion columnist Gail Collins recently spoke to The Reporters’ Well about column
writing, book writing, and the creative process. Taking time out from her twice-a-week column, and finishing work on the as-yet-untitled
sequel to her highly acclaimed 2003 book, America’s Women, Collins spoke to The Reporters’ Well
from her office at the new Times building in Manhattan.
On where she writes: When
I’m actually trying to write a chapter [for the book], I need to be home. But I need to write in the office when I’m
doing the column. There’s a whole bunch of people around, and you can bounce ideas off them. There are more “triggers”
around the office.
On having your own space: When I started writing this book, my husband was
also working on a book. He was further along, so he got the study. The dining room table was mine, but I found it really,
really difficult to work there, to get anything done sitting at this little table.
On listening to music:
When I’m working on a book, I listen to WQXR [the classical music station owned by the New York Times]. I find
it helpful. People talking can be very distracting. I need for there to be that kind of companionship you get with music,
with someone playing Mozart.
On her composition method: I write my books in discrete pieces. My
mind had been trained over the years to write in short chunks. All of my books have been written in these small chunks. So
you’re not sitting down to write this impossibly long, extended narrative.
On collaborating with
other writers: It’s not something I’d advise someone to do lightly. Collaborations can be extraordinarily
difficult. You’ve got to make sure you share the same vision. If [the pairing] turns out wrong, it can be bad.
On being a nonfiction writer: I always thought when I was in college that I’d want to be a novelist.
I expected journalism to be a temporary thing. But one of the great things in the world is when you find your calling. Mine
was nonfiction. I’m very happy where I am. The Writer Selected Works
JENNIFER ALLISONJennifer Allison, author
of the Gilda Joyce series of young adult novels, recently spoke with the The Reporters’ Well about the writing
life and the creative process. As a parent of three small children, Ms. Allison juggles the usual obligations of family life
while continuing to satisfy the growing legion of fans for her teenaged “Psychic Investigator,” Gilda Joyce, who,
in the words of a Publishers Weekly starred review, is “a spunky, appealingly eccentric 13-year-old who identifies
with Harriet the Spy and may well rival her for reader’s affections.” Ms. Allison spoke to The Reporters’
Well from her home in the Washington, D.C. area, where she is working on the next book in the series.
On
her writing routine: I try to write every day, but with two 16-month-olds, and a toddler, it’s challenging.
My goal is to write every day, and I do try to write something, even if it’s just half a page. Parents can’t always
control their schedule, so you try to write whenever you get a minute.
What she writes on: I do
have a typewriter. I love typewriters. But that’s not a primary mode of generating manuscripts for me. I like to write
longhand for first drafts. I also keep a journal. When I visit kids at schools to talk about writing, I show them my notebooks.
“Here are my first drafts,” I tell them. I really like to write longhand. It makes me feel a little bit more free.
I am a draft writer. I need a couple of drafts to get to the version I’m happy with.
What she listens
to: I think I’ve become a little more distractable over the years. I sometimes find myself being distracted
by conversations at places like Starbucks. There’s a cafe I go to that just plays classical music. I find that’s
helpful, not distracting. Being surrounded by music can make working a little more pleasant. But when I’ve got to get
serious, if there’s a deadline approaching, I’ll go to the library and sit there in dead silence, focused like
a graduate student.
On promoting her own work: I was so naive. After the first Gilda Joyce book
was published, I thought I’d just walk into a Borders and see it, right there, in a display in the middle of the store.
But I’ve come to realize how hard writers have to work to promote their work. I thought “I’ve done my part,
now it’s up to the publisher.” That’s not really how it works. I have to get out there, meet kids, send
out review copies. But that kind of work can also be enjoyable too.
On recharging: Being able
to recharge is a kind of luxury. If you want to be a professional writer, you’ve got to recharge as you go. You’ve
got to find the things that make you excited, that give you joy, that get you excited, while you continue the work.
On the future: I see myself continuing what I’m doing forever. You’re never too old to be a
writer. I can’t imagine not writing. I can see myself doing some different kinds of writing, maybe plays, other young
adult novels. And there’s still more to do with Gilda Joyce.
The Writer Selected Works
HAYDEN HERRERA Hayden Herrera, writer and art historian, is the author of several books, including the celebrated Frida:
A Biography of Frida Kahlo. A lecturer, university instructor, curator and a Guggenheim Fellow, Herrera’s most recent
biography is Arshile Gorky: His Life and Work, an exploration of the groundbreaking 20th century American painter.
She is currently at work on a book about the sculptor Isamu Noguchi. She spoke to The Reporters’ Well from
her home in New York City.
On choosing her subjects: I wrote a biography of Khalo, and then
of Gorky. And Noguchi was an admirer of Khalo’s, and a good friend of Gorky’s. I’m interested in artists.
I like to try to weave together the life and work of the artist. Noguchi’s work was abstract. I think what attracted
me to him as a subject is the mystery of why he made his work the way he did. I haven’t started writing it yet. I’m
just now doing the interviews. I don’t feel confident enough to write until I do a mess of research. I was working on
the background for Frida for years when my mother finally said, “Start writing!”
On her process:
Basically, what I do—it’s a little like a wave build up. Gather, gather, gather, and then—you’re ready
to write. I really like the writing process. I write longhand, on these long yellow legal pads. Writing can be terrifying,
but once you get the momentum, it’s wonderful.
On estimating the time to finish a project:
With Frida, I originally asked for nine months. My wonderful editor said, “You'd better ask for two years.” It
took me five years. When I started working on the Gorky book, I thought that would take another five years. It took me eight
years.
On her daily routine: When I’m at the point that I’m ready to write, I write
every day. I love that stage of the writing process. I try to get eight to ten pages a day. The yellow pages are pretty dense
when I’m done. I never exactly measure the total hours I work each day, probably about six to eight hours a day.
On revising: It’s kind of nutty but I hate looking back. I hate to reverse as I’m going
forward. I fear that I’ll get swamped with all the problems, so I just try to move ahead...it’s like dancing.
I don’t want to stop that energy once it’s begun.
On showing her work: I tend not
to show anything to anybody until I’m finished. I don’t even like to read it myself until it’s typed and
revised.
On taking breaks: Making a cup of tea is an excellent break. Anything to get you out
of your chair! Movement is important. I have to do something physical every hour, hour and a half, when I’m writing.
On being a writer: Writing is natural to me. I love writing. I don’t like researching, but
I love the writing. The process is really miraculous. It’s as though you have some sort of power beyond what you really
have. The Writer Selected Works
FRANK DEFORD Frank Deford is an award–winning and internationally recognized author and commentator.
A senior contributing writer for Sports Illustrated and author of several books (many of which have been made into
films), he is also a weekly commentator for National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition,” and correspondent
for HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel”. Deford is a six-time recipient of the “U.S Sportswriter
of the Year” award, winner of an Emmy Award for his work during the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, and he’s been voted
“Magazine Writer of the Year”—twice—by the Washington Journalism Review. His latest book is the 2007
novel The Entitled.
On his daily routine: I write most every day when I’m
not traveling.
On where he works: I write in the same office I’ve been in since 1974, in
my house.
On when he does his best work: Like most writers: morning, when you’re freshest.
On what he listens to: No music, no sounds.
On revision: The computer
changes things and almost encourages you to revise more as you go along. I’m certainly not one of these writers who
can’t write the second word till the first word is perfect, though. I’ll certainly revise some after a chapter
or after the first draft.
On the life: It’s hard for me to imagine being anything but a
writer. It’s what I’ve been all my life, so it’s not a question of liking it or not. It’s a matter
of it being part of me. Writing gives me great satisfaction. Obviously, the hardest part is that it’s just you all alone,
trying to create. But, of course, when you do: there’s the satisfaction.
The Writer Selected Works
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