Award-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis was the first screenwriter to write two Best Picture winners (Crash and Million Dollar Baby) in back-to-back years (2005 and 2006). He also won Best Screenplay for Crash, while Million Dollar Baby was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Before writing these films, Haggis had an extensive career in television. But if you asked him, he didn’t write anything worth reading or producing until he was 40.
Here, Haggis discusses writing discipline, work habits, strategies for getting words down on paper, bailing on spec scripts, and why writers should write about questions and not answers.
Watch the video.
Paul Haggis is great!!!!!!!!!!!!
when you do the stuff you like, it doesn’t matter if you succeed or fail… ha? can we get that? we think filmmaking is like sports or something… you train hard for a yr and then, ‘cos we that taleneted we get it. this stuff takes decades of preparation… great advice from Paul.
This is certainly one of the most inspiring guys in years.
I wonna write a screenplay, hell, if it takes me a 100 years!
I still wonna write one that even my grand kids can continue – that’s what I call dedication and a work in progress!
What commitment!
sometimes i want to like white people. but i can’t. but i want to, when i see people like Paul haggis sharing their knowledge and black people in hollywood wanting money for it all the f**king time. why can’t we help ourselves. it’s crazy meen, sometimes I sit all day thinking i want to learn something and when i go out there to try and learn it, only white people are ready to help me. it gets even crazier when after i have learnt it and i want a job, the white man is like no! go find yours! and a return to square one, as if I shd never have tried to learn at all. where are the black people in hollywood? teach us something, inspire us a little.