Biggest Mistake A Writer Can Make Is Avoiding Their Truth - Tony DuShane
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- Tony DuShane is the author of the semi-autobiographical novel Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk. He adapted the screenplay for director Eric Stoltz, and the film is now available on Amazon Prime. His journalism and essays have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, Penthouse, The Believer, and other media outlets. DuShane has hosted the author interview show Drinks with Tony since 2002. He just finished his next novel Dream Casting and is seeking a happy home for it.
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#writing #writers #screenwriting
Imperfections are our perfections, I realized that while young writing my comics, I would re read them and think to myself, "this guy is too nice" or "this doesn't seem realistic because it goes too well", key things to look for, one thing everyone can relate to is being faulty in some way, whether we'd admit it or not, makes so much sense to include your personal vulnerabilities in your art, now when I write, I begin with imperfections and how my characters will either grow and learn from their mistakes, or allow their demons to consume them, makes for a more realistic and interesting story. I'm an extremely private person, so I struggled for a while in breaking myself down in my art and writing, I'm currently learning to be more bold and just let myself go...these interviews are helping me a lot, great channel, just subscribed...
I want to say thank you so much. This channel is always so great. I really appreciate it. I don't even know the CZcamsr's name. But the woman that heads this, I want to say thank you to you from the depths of my heart.
Have to admit I empathize with this guy on being unable to / finding it really hard to not be totally honest with people on creative stuff. People tell me I'm great at art and writing and often want my opinion on things; it is so hard to know that lots of people want free advice and compliments, and very few people actually want honest feedback, even if it's infinitely more valuable (mostly creatively but also sometimes monetarily). It can be hard to come up with something to say on the fly that sounds like you're supportive of their work while holding back on critique that would feel too harsh for some people's current level of progress in a creative field. It's especially hard when you're in a writing group and you really feel like something in a work needs to be aired out that could hurt feelings in front of everyone but you have to keep meeting with these people. XD
Plus I'm an introvert and very socially anxious around most people so that makes it harder. Harder too when you know them and like them, and the problem in their writing is really big or maybe even devastating, like that they are not going to be ready for publishing for a long while, or that their characters are really shallow and boring. It's cool to be around someone who really wants work through something on the same level I want to work, but that's rare because everyone is at different stages and they might have interests and priorities that are so different than mine that I feel like I can't really critique at all.
Honestly, I think a lot of people are just looking for compliments and support, as well as easy answers. Like, people have said to me 'hey, your characters are so engaging, I'm really invested, what did you do to get them that way?', but they don't want to actually work on their characters, they don't want to dig into themselves to find that darkness he mentions. They want an easy answer, like 'just make more character sheets!' or something. But easy, lack of deep exploration into one's self and real motivations in writing the character makes for dull characters, and it's hard to flat out tell someone their characters are too boring to salvage. You often get that 'line of I love my characters so much, they're like real people!', but that love is is not enough to make them interesting to anyone else, or that passion is not coming out on the page at all, or it's just too shallow. I've heard the whole, 'but that's how so-an-so is in real life' or 'but that's how it really happened!' so many times too, and I totally get what he means when he says that doesn't matter, it's not enough.
I love listening to these discussions about the craft of writing and the creative process of professional writers. They’re truly awesome, insightful, and inspirational for someone who enjoys writing as a past time, to past the time. They build confidence in having a passion for something not many people will get to see, exposing ones’ true self on a blank page leaves one feeling vulnerable. It’s a beautiful expression that should be cherished, being forced to confront the things that are on the mind is a privilege. Pardon my bad grammar and spelling errors.
I just love the format of these interviews - camera on the subject from side on, plain solid background (although this one was more illuminous than the previous 'black' backgrounds), subject talking to interviewer and not talking to camera (it's like when you talk to a person you tend to be true but when you talk to camera you kind of pretend) and we never get see the interviewer and only listens to her absolutely amazing questions. Devoid of all kind of distractions these interviews really focuses right on the core of the conversation. Also, I would love to know more about the interviewer, it's very rare to find a person so articulate and daring to go through all kind of topics without indulging onto own's views.
Glad to listen to people of the trade talking about the creative process!
Tony's the real deal - an authentic guy helping writers write. He's amazing.
I'm 2 minutes in and already know this is a hip hop lesson... An ART lesson. I love how these are multi dimensional
What does "hip hop lesson" mean? I'm curious.
Absolutely respect this guy's integrity for the art of writing
Spilling my truth into a short film right now. I put my passion project/feature on the back burner so I can produce/direct my first real work: a tense drama about a love-thirsty cab driver who develops a crush on a concubine/regular fare with an abusive, alcoholic boyfriend. It's based on 2 different real-life cab stories from my driving days, plus the added conflict and structure needed for gripping and timely storytelling. It's been a long journey the last few years as I've been learning this craft, and finding your "voice" or "truth" seems like the last step in the process for me. Much like finding the theme is the last step in writing a great story. Allowing myself to "go there" has been both terrifying and rewarding. Thank you, Film Courage, for being a part of the journey!!!
Congratulations and good luck on your short film.
If I was in this business and not the nursing business I would love to work with Tony DuShane. The best colleagues are those who don't sugercoat, but are clear and open about things - when asked. Thanks for a good interview.
Storytelling is my religion. That is one of the best quotes I've heard on this channel and I can relate to the truth in that quote
We like that one
_"Storytelling is telling stories. Film is the expression of a story unfolding"._
- My own words. 🎥🤓
For anyone who's read A Moveable Feast or got the advice: "Write about what you know.", this is a fine elaboration.
Also really enjoy how the interviewer is commenting and having a laugh, not just asking questions. Good one.
I don't know much
counterpoint: every time someone tells you about "their truth" or "your truth" they're full of it, and should be ignored to protect your time and sanity.
Absolutely, no such thing as "my/your/their truth," there is only THE truth. Anything else is either delusion, ignorance or a lie.
@@silhouettefilms. Naw. Yes, there is only THE truth. But everyone has a different perspective or look at it. That's the problem. Humans are unreliable on knowing THE truth. So "your truth" is your perspective of it.
The problem is in the phrasing. People say "my truth" because is simpler than "my lived experience and point of view in life."
For example, a person who experienced loss will be better at writing about grief than someone who never lost anybody, whoever, not everyone experiences loss the same way, it depends a lot on the author's relationship with death. One author might write about having greater appreciation and gratitude for life after experiencing loss, while the other might spiral into grief because "death is unfair".
So yes, there's not "my truth" there is "the tinted lenses in which I see the truth" in this case the truth would be death itself.
I don't agree with that phrasing "tell your truth," but I like what his point is.
Right now, in Hollywood, There are no good writers. NONE. I haven't seen a movie or TV show that has had a good writer on it in years. I remember in the 90s going on Friday nights to Blockbuster and renting 15 to 20 movies at a time and bringing them home for the weekend and never hardly finding a bad one, sure there were a few here and there, but the majority were great. Now, the past 4 or 5 years, It's the opposite, I can download 20 movies for the weekend and only find one or two (if that) worth watching that wasn't forgettable, that had characters I cared about, or told a complete story, or knew when to end a scene or when to end the damn movie, so many movies now a days that are long just to be long, their stories could be told in half the time. Everyone is obviously a diversity hire or an obvious product of friends or family being hired, with no formal degrees in writing. They couldn't even write a sensible elementary school book report, much less an interesting story. They did do a good job at killing a bunch of franchises and properties for politics though.
Amen
Most of the "good" writers passed across into TV. The quality of writing in Succession and Mindhunter, for example, is impressive. But I'd agree that in general the quality of movies is weaker.
Usually how you write a character, you introduce him or her in their comfort zone then they are forced or choose to walk out of their comfort zone for any reasonable circumstances, then they become something they couldn't ever imagine they would became when they were in their comfort zone. Eg. Tony Stark, Cap Roger, Dr.Strange, Eren Yaegar(AoT), Luke Skywalker, Arthur Fleck(Joker), Diana Prince, Eggsy(Kingsman), Fisher(Inception) and most other protagonist.
Or you could make your character do what we wouldn't even considered to do at all, good or bad, then justified them with a reasonable and personal motive. Eg. Thanos, Wanda, Cobb(Inception), Raoul Silva(Skyfall), Reiner(AoT), Zeke(AoT), Valentine(Kingsman), General Zod(MoS) and most of the antagonist.
No such thing as your truth. There’s your opinion and the truth. That’s it.
So what is the truth?
Absolutely, no such thing as "my/your/their truth," there is only THE truth. Anything else is either delusion, ignorance or a lie.
@@shahidabdoullakhanzorovr1564 I don’t know, it depends on the story and you’re side of the story. Hey, you did ask 😂
@@silhouettefilms. my mistake, meant *you’re* but there is still no such thing as “my truth” however, this guy knows his stuff by the sounds of it.
I like him.
Typically I would agree emphatically with that, but I guess you could simply understand it in this context to mean "your perspective", in the sense that the same occurrence could be "experienced" in completely different ways by different people, based on their mindset, worldview, state of mind at the time, and which elements they chose to focus on or interpret in a particular way.
I have had a story, arguably, for decades...How can I get a teacher like this?
Bad writers will write themselves into corners, great writers will realize it's not a plot hole if you're breaking down an entire wall of conventional wisdom. That said, NOTHING out of the new Disney Star Wars has even tried to be good. The entire production team should be stood on a firing line, blasters ready... maybe give them a prop lightsaber to defend themselves.
Ugh I have such a problem creating a starring idea I’m confident in..
I would kill to have this guy as my mentor.
Not that I don't agree with what he's saying but I always bristle at the term "Your truth." There's no such thing. There are your values, your experience, and your perspective, which you will try to aline with the truth if you want to live in the real world, but the truth is nothing more or less than the facts of our shared reality. It does not vary from person to person.
love the intro teaser in your videos. larry kings youtube channel also does this 🙂
This is sooo true, thank you, i agree with every word, i love this guy, its taken me 12 years to write a script, because im willing to go there, and i faced my own darkness 💖
But...but...YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!! 🤣
You are so right.
I like this guy :)
Absolutely perfect I like him a lot
Ok Oprah
What did you like about this video?
His honest, almost brutal truths he shares are invaluable and motivational.
Recognizing and respecting the Gods of Storytelling.
I like the way tony explain about writing
@@SanjeevTiwari92 Is Shakespeare a God of storytelling? I kinda thought his GoST( God of Story Telling) analogy was used as a symbol of respect for the great authors that came before him, appreciating their merit, also a way to honor those before you. Kinda like if the next Joker actor studied and appreciate the prestine craftsmanship that went into the characters body language, expressions, character, how he laughed, why he did what he did and so on.
Appreciate Tony's "truthful" commentary, it's refreshing!
🤔
I hate people. I love cocaine.
When I take enough cocaine I love people.
"WRITE IT!"
" Dont be writer it's mostly sad". Laughed my A$$ off.
Go to russia. You will understand darkness. Then go back to your comfy home in Beverly hills and write a script.
I am the mother of the church***
What are you on about, lady?