Greta Gerwig’s essential advice for aspiring screenwriters
In the late 2000s, Greta Gerwig made waves in the mumblecore scene, co-writing and starring in multiple movies with Joe Swanberg, such as Hannah Takes The Stairs and Nights and Weekends, which she also co-directed.
By the early 2010s, Gerwig was a staple of the independent scene, co-writing Frances Ha with Noah Baumbach, in which she played the titular character. The pair, who began dating in 2011, have frequently collaborated, most recently penning the screenplay for Barbie together. Following roles in films such as 20th Century Women and Jackie, Gerwig made her solo directorial debut with Lady Bird in 2017.
The coming-of-age movie starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf and Timothée Chalamet was a hit, perfectly exploring an unsteady mother-daughter relationship alongside the adolescent desire to simultaneously fit in and stand out. Lady Bird exposed Gerwig to a broader audience, earning her five Academy Award nominations, including ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Picture’.
Gerwig followed the movie with an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women. The film, also starring Ronan and Chalamet, alongside Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Florence Pugh and Meryl Streep, garnered six Academy Award nominations, winning ‘Best Costume Design’. Gerwig’s directorial efforts have made her one of the most successful female directors in cinema history, inspiring many of her contemporaries.
With a live-action adaptation of Barbie set for release in July 2023, which cost a whopping $100million to make, Gerwig is on top of her game. Thus, many people, especially young women, have sought the advice of Gerwig for tips on breaking into such a cutthroat industry.
Speaking at the Jacob Burns Film Center, Gerwig was asked to share her words of wisdom for aspiring screenwriters. She said, “I mean, write, write, write as much as you can, which is really difficult. Writing is hard. And I would say to the subject of writing, don’t judge your drafts right away. Don’t tell yourself, ‘Oh, it’s dumb, I don’t like it, and throw it away.”
Gerwig also encouraged young writers to share their scripts with friends, explaining: “Really get it in front of people. Have readings. It’s a really easy way to just hear it out loud and kind of get it outside of your own head. And the prospect of making a movie can be daunting. But getting friends together who are actors or just people that you know and you like, to just hear it out loud… is cheap and it’s accessible, and it forces you to listen to your work with new ears.”
She added: “I would say make your own, because I think screenwriting is…it’s always a blueprint for the movie, and I think directing what you’ve written is a good LITMUS test to see if it’s working.”
Watch the full clip below.
