Writing Can't Be Taught - Pat Verducci

Our new book... STORY QUESTIONS: How To Unlock Your Story One Question At A Time

Writing Coach, Teacher, Mentor and Screenwriter Pat Verducci teaches two Advanced Screenwriting courses at UCLA TFT. She has written scripts for Touchstone Pictures, Witt-Thomas Productions, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. She has also worked as a story consultant for Disney/Pixar. She wrote and directed the feature film True Crime, starring Alicia Silverstone, and her writing credits also include documentary shorts for HBO and Showtime. She co-produced Somewhere Between, a feature documentary about four teenaged girls transracially adopted from China, and served as a story consultant on the Tinkerbell franchise for Disney. She is currently the script editor on several feature film projects for Film Victoria and Screen Australia, and is writing Citizen Bella, a documentary on the life of modern dancer Bella Lewitzky. Verducci serves as a mentor at Cinestory and the Meryl Streep funded IRIS/New York Women in Film and Television’s Writer’s Lab for Women. She’s a member of the Writers Guild of America.

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[JrtheKing]

That magical side is super euphoric, and I wish It could last forever when I write, but it comes and goes and leaves me to continue my process alone. 😞

[quentilpompey]

Everyone is a storyteller. The thing is are you willing to sit down and scribble it out. Focus your attention on a particular story, form and shape it. That's what separates writers versus those who talk or want to, a writer writes.

[CarmenPerez-kzrw]

I don’t experience writers block. I experience laziness.

[AllThingsFilm]

I agree that there really is no such thing as “writer’s block”. For me, when I feel “blocked”, it’s usually because I’m uncertain of what to write next. Or where to take the story. Or what the main character needs to do next to forward the story. And several other possibilities. When I feel blocked, I usually take a break, do something completely unrelated to writing, or go for a walk. Thanks again for another educational video. Happy 2022.

[juanpabloferlat]

I love that all your guests are super relaxed and open. Congratulations, it's clearly thanks to your attitude.

[brianwoods]

Professor Verducci was my screenwriting instructor last year at UCLA! So happy to see this video with her today!

[KayFlowidity]

00:50 Empathy "Talented Mr Ripley"
2:45 The Magic
4:00 90% is Showing ☝
5:45 Writer's Block
8:50

[tonykono]

7’ish minute mark; so true about the magic part. Usually around the 30-40page point when the story begins to come together.
Tears of joy flow when the GREAT lines hit the page.

[masonaksamit]

She nails it... sit down and write, and it'll work itself out. The amount of time wasted of trying to get an idea "right" was such a waste on my old stories.

[tomlewis]

'The magic is attracted to it'. YES! Finally, an entire 12-minute interview where I completely agree with every single word.

[andmicbro]

This is exactly the argument Steven Pressfield makes in his book the War of Art. He talks about turning pro, or basically treating writing like your job. You show up and write every day even when you don't feel like it. And when you do that the "magic" for him is the Muse speaking to him, inspiring him. Sort of like an angel giving inspiration from heaven the Muse is the magic of creating art. And as far as writer's block, he talks about resistance being the thing that stops us from writing, from creating. Resistance is an internal struggle that is whatever bad habit or mental pessimism that is keeping us from doing and creating. It's procrastination, and writer's block, and whatever else that's slowing you down or stopping you. Resistance is unrelenting and will always be there, constantly working against us. Learning to not give in to it is key to defeat it long enough to get real work done.

Pressfield gives work high praise. It's through work that we overcome resistance, and the Muse rewards effort. Unlocking the Muse can only be achieved through work.

[vemm]

The hard part of writing is editing and improving the screenplay. This takes years. Take many breaks and ideas will come like magic. True. Do not rush. Also get feedback from family, friends and enemies. This will improve the story.

[SanaaStark]

This was very helpful. I went to once Uni to study writing and didn't feel that I really learned anything other than other ppls master's pieces and what they meant. Once I started to create my own syllabus in order to master my writing - I learned I great deal more.

[ArronSturgeonPaintings-soxc]

If you can talk, you can write. I once heard a bunch of interviews with homeless people. Their stories were riveting. A million times more interesting than most books.

[notgaybear]

Her self-acceptance lends to her universal understanding

[jacemultistan]

I have been writing on this project for a while now so magic moments become fewer and far apart. But recently it happened. These characters have been like this for a while but after changing a single thing so much made sense as the characters suddenly felt much more alive

[BUnspoken]

I really appreciate this channel. I'm working on my fourth novel and my first screenplay. I love writing its the most amazing thing I've discovered. I don't know about others, but it feels like a gift given to me.

[SatenSheets]

The way she describes it is about as accurate as you can get.

[sandracairney]

I love writing, it absolutely does feel like magic when 4 hours go by and everything makes sense.

[JonLHenry]

Writing music follows the same pathway...creating your palette of sound with different instruments or synthesis requires a good methodological practice, but melody and the harmony seemed to come out magically. Sometimes instant and other times days, to weeks, to months...its crazy but awesome when it finally 'appears' in the composition. This was a great interview, thanks.