Before quantum mechanics became a central thread in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, best-selling novelist Blake Crouch kept thinking about the subject, but he couldn’t let it go. An in-depth study of the subject resulted in this critically acclaimed novel dark matter He recently adapted it into a series for Apple TV+.
in addition dark matterhe also wrote upgradewhich he is adapting into the Steven Spielberg-directed Amblin Partners film. his novel recursion Netflix is developing it with Shonda Rhimes and Matt Reeves. He has also written the international bestseller wayward pine tree The trilogy was adapted into a series by Fox, with M. Night Shyamalan serving as executive producer and creator of the series good behavior TNT is based on him Letty Dobesh novella.
Blake Crouch has written a dozen novels and is actively working to bring his works to the screen, and his writing is clearly no slouch. So where did he start creating such a prolific portfolio? Screencraft sat down with the author and screenwriter to delve deeper into his creative process.
Blake Crouch starts with a topic
For Crouch, it all starts with a theme.
“It started with a topic that I wanted to explore in depth. … [For Dark Matter] I want to write about and study quantum mechanics. Then I knew I wanted to write a book about memory,” he said
Crouch, like Stephen King in his book on writingbelieve that the story is already inside us. So, when you’ve completed the research phase and have all the information you could ever need (and, let’s be honest, most of the information you don’t need), it’s time to stop digging into a topic and start digging deep within yourself.
“We sense that the subconscious is older than language, so I think we sense stories before we can actually name them. Like, I think maybe that’s what writers do. We sense that the story exists and we’re using it Language translates what lies deep within our subconscious.
This kind of subconscious exploration isn’t easy, nor is it something you can sustain forever, but there are ways to help! It’s always helpful to develop a writing ritual or routine that allows your body and mind to get into that space more quickly and get started on the right foot.
Crouch also supports the idea that when you live in a world full of distractions, you have to leave room for growth.
“I’m not always involved. … You have to kind of shut out the noise and be open to things, be open to experiences.
Read more: Script separation: How the screenwriter of ‘His Three Daughters’ translated personal experience into screenplay
“Dark matter”
Don’t be afraid to be selfish
But most importantly, Crouch said you have to allow yourself to be selfish in the first place.
“You have to not want to do anything else and be willing to make these sacrifices,” he said. . Now, the other side of the coin is you get to the other side and you create something that connects with people. Now you have given people a gift.
When you have all the information you need, it’s time to put aside all distractions (from your phone to other stressors in your life) so you can focus on the one thing that’s important to you. It’s not easy because for many of us, time is a luxury. But if you don’t take time out to be selfish now, you won’t be able to see the long-term results of your labor later.
How Blake Crouch forms an image in your mind
Next, you need an image that you can place on the page.
“What really triggers something is an emotion or an image of something,” Crouch said. “When I write a novel, I always have a visual scene clearly in my mind.”
This can be a balancing act in screenwriting, as you don’t always have enough room to perfect your settings. But Crouch reminds writers, “The less you say, the more overall image you leave in people’s minds.”
While this advice applies to novelists or screenwriters, it’s especially important for the latter, since you’ll have to reduce the number of pages and consider how dense your script will be for the reader.
Read more: Does Hollywood really care about the page count of your script?
“good behavior”
page pressure
The different nature of writing a novel or screenplay greatly influenced Crouch’s approach when he began writing.
“Prose has the luxury of wandering. You can be a little more wordy or digress in scenes with characters,” Crouch said. That’s one of the beautiful things about writing a novel that you can explore and play with.
You can do this when you’re in the early “blue sky” writing stages of a screenplay, but as Crouch also advises, screenwriting is a “shrinking process.” You are cutting, cutting, cutting.
“In script form, you have to distill those twists and turns to their essence, strip out all the unnecessary stuff, and ask yourself, ‘Does this scene need to exist?’ If you can’t answer that question, then it needs to go away. But if It does need to be there, so “What’s the best version of this scenario? “What do we really discover? What do these two characters want and what is the point of the conflict?”
But even though Crouch was editing, the choices he made seemed easier to make in the script than in the novel. He said: “I find the process of writing a novel very difficult, requiring first to discover the story, to find the tone…With writing a screenplay, I feel that the words are not so precious. I feel the line of action is not so precious. It feels like jazz.”
Read more: What is the core issue? (Why is it important to your script?)
Blake Crouch writes for an audience
For Crouch, the biggest difference when writing a novel or screenplay is the audience. This is part of the reason why all of his plays are adaptations of his novels rather than original screenplays.
“I wouldn’t go anywhere near this crazy industry… Most original scripts will never be produced. If you’re lucky, the only readers of this stuff are executives and agents,” he said. “A book is something that I create. It’s a physical project and it has an audience no matter what. I don’t need anything from Hollywood to tell a story through my novel.
To be fair, when you go the traditional publishing route, there are going to be roadblocks in your way from agents and publishing executives, just as there are in similar situations in Hollywood.
But if you’re willing to self-publish (or try traditional self-publishing), then Crouch is right, your words will get in front of a larger potential audience. Of course, novels are meant to be read, and even the most beautiful screenplay is still meant to be seen, not read.
“Dark matter”
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When you practice your writing skills in any form, you always write for yourself first. You’re writing about that subject you’re obsessed with so you can see the story you’ve mined from the depths of your soul. The one you sacrificed your time to bring out.
No matter what form you write in, if you don’t put it out there, the audience will only be you. So adopt these tips and start writing!
Read more: Screenplays vs. Novels: 7 Insights from Quentin Tarantino on Screenplays vs. Novels
