How They Write A Script: Shane Black

Shane Black. Black, along with Joe Eszterhaus, drove the spec script frenzy in the late 80s and early 90s. Shane has an interesting approach to writing scripts and it involves a shoe box:

“Well, it’s sort of like being lead by the nose by the process as opposed to having any particular control over it. As ideas occur to me over a period of time, I’ll write down little bits and snippets for scenes and pieces of dialog — ideas for a character, interesting little anecdotes, things that amuse me, whatever — and throw them all in a shoe box.”

Sounds an awful lot like brainstorming. And this line — “things that amuse me” — not to be undersold. Anything a writer can do to enjoy the process, more power to them. But the basic thing I note here is that Black follows his ideas into the story and I think, by and large, that’s about right.

Curious to know if Black approaches writing assignments like this or only spec scripts, whether the ticking clock of a due date alters his process.

Here is a nearly two-hour interview with Shane Black.

For more How They Write a Script articles, go here.