How I Wrote Little Women — Greta Gerwig's Writing Advice

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Greta Gerwig breaks down her process for creating the new adaption of the classic Little Women story. She talks about how she made the story come to life, while also staying true to the original text. Learn why she never outlines and why the hardest part of writing isn't hitting pages.

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Little Women is a 2019 American coming-of-age period drama film written and directed by Greta Gerwig. It is the seventh film adaptation of the 1868 novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Chris Cooper, and Meryl Streep.

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This channel is a way for me to share the best nuggets of knowledge for filmmakers I find. It's an attempt to take a look inside the greatest films and TV shows and learn from the creators themselves how they do what they do.

LEARN MORE
SBIFF Cinema Society - "Little Women" Q&A with Greta Gerwig & Amy Pascal
Greta Gerwig on Little Women: Reel Pieces with Annette Insdorf
& non-youtube resources:

How Greta Gerwig Wrote Her Little Women

#LittleWomen #GretaGerwig #SaoirseRonan

[LauraLovesNY]

I love this SO much. "It's not girl gets boy. It's girl gets book." :)

[dizzyella]

LOOK i know people say shes overrated and of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion but GOD i think shes such a genuis. I love the way she talks about writing and the overwhelming passion she has. This adaptation (to me) is something special and will stay with me forever.

[Anya]

"That the character whose says most clearly what she wants is the one we hated for so long" - ouch why I feel attacked and why Greta is a genius

[averylazyowl]

I didn't know a thing about Greta Gerwig. When I first watched Lady Bird it shook me to my core. Often I've found people writing women as "women" (with all the baggage they associate with womanhood) or as "men but not men" (stripping them of pathos and female trauma completely). Greta shows womanhood so differently. LB made me an instant fan and she is the only reason why I rushed to watch this film. It was really nice to hear her take on the technicality of writing!

[waikeekee]

Listening to her talk about her film is like being in a one-to-one lecture with her.

[scifikoala]

The "girl gets book" moment had me crying harder than I have cried in a
movie in years, to the point where it was embarrassing. I have wanted to
be a writer my entire life and 2019 was really rough for me creatively,
so that ending was deeply cathartic

[cardred]

Greta is so incredibly talented. Her writing here, her direction in Lady Bird, and her acting in Frances Ha. I can’t wait until her next film!

[deathembodiment]

the way that seeing laura dern cry during beth's death scene again on this video made me cry on sight just shows how emotional and raw this movie is i wanna watch it again so bad

[iloveyourunclebob]

I love that Greta told the stories of the sisters too. Almost all the adaptations just focus on Jo and her story. I also really love the blending of the author and the story in this version as well. It's such a beautiful nod to Alcott herself.

[cb]

She's phenomenal. So many nuggets of wisdom in her interviews

[jackyp]

I love Amy so much because I see her in myself. I'm so glad Greta gave her "context".

[zlodrim]

Little Women was my favorite film from last year and also the best experience I had in the cinema, too. I had a massive grin the whole way through and saw it two times back to back, Greta's definitely the one to look out for.

[antonioaugusto]

that! Oooh THAT! Was a video a didn't wanted to end. Just perfect, thank you for doing this

[BumblebeeeeHoney]

What's she's saying about the fixation on a romantic interest based on the order in which the characters are introduced is so true, yet I haven't really noticed it before Greta pointed it out. Amazing.

[bomapdich]

I love her idea of seeing life as a point just moving forward and how it feels as if you could live your younger days in a mere reminiscence.

[carlie]

I don't think anyone can remake Little Women ever again

[nextstop-everywhere]

The delivery of the lines was something I especially noticed! The other movies had them all delivery it the same way but this was so real and genuine, the sisters acted like sisters and argued and screamed and interrupted each other. It felt so special.

[sarahshepherd]

It's so great to hear Greta talk about the slash! Oh, the mighty slash! Kevin Kerr and Sarah Delappe also use the slash and other techniques to make dialogue feel more natural and fast paced - asterisks and multiple columns also help. I think movie and tv writers could learn so much from playwrights, and I'm so glad Greta Gerwig is borrowing techniques like these

[nextstop-everywhere]

"the one who said so clearly what she wanted was the one we hated the most" WOAH

[MariaLuisa-vvug]

She is so extraordinarily good at this. It makes me proud???