Title: “Writers on Writing” Collection

Dates: 2001-ongoing

Collection Number: WGF—IA—003

Creator/Collector: Writers Guild Foundation

Extent: 80 interviews (31 DVDs; 42 CDs; 6 cassettes; 1 digital recording, totaling approximately 110 hours); 7 PDF files

Repository: Writers Guild Foundation Archive

Abstract: The “Writers on Writing” Collection consists of audiovisual recordings of the “Writers on Writing” symposiums, an interview series the Writers Guild Foundation has hosted since 2001. The series features prominent screenwriters speaking about their careers, writing processes, and topics related to craft and collaboration. Guests have included Judd Apatow, Paul Thomas Anderson, Diablo Cody, Nora Ephron, Lawrence Kasdan, Charlie Kaufman, David Mamet, Nancy Meyers, Christopher Nolan, Alexander Payne, Aaron Sorkin, Steve Zaillian, and others. Select interviews are available to view on the Writers Guild Foundation’s YouTube channel.

Language of Material: English

Access to this collection is unrestricted.

The rights belong to the Writers Guild Foundation. Please contact the Archive for requests to reproduce or publish materials.

“Writers on Writing” Collection . Writers Guild Foundation Archive

The series has been produced by the Writers Guild Foundation since 2001 and is part of the institutional archive.

The nonprofit Writers Guild Foundation was founded in 1966 by a group of prestigious film and television writers with a mission to promote excellence and visibility in the craft of screenwriting and honor and preserve the work of the past. In reaching these goals, the WGF operates the Shavelson-Webb Library and Archive and hosts speaker events, conferences, and mentorship programs to support the next generation of emerging writers.

The “Writers on Writing” Collection consists of audio and video recordings of the “Writers on Writing” symposiums, an ongoing interview series hosted by the Writers Guild Foundation since 2001. A subseries entitled “Spring Storytellers,” which ran from 2004 to 2008, is also included in this collection. The recordings feature 81 interviews with 87 writers and are variously available on DVD, CD (audio only), cassette, and as digital video. At each event a guest screenwriter discusses their career, writing process, and topics related to craft and collaboration. Select interviews are available to view on the Writers Guild Foundation’s YouTube channel. The following interviews are also available as unedited transcripts: Alan Ball, Leslie Dixon, Scott Frank, William Goldman, David Mamet, Eric Roth, and Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor. Writers featured in the series are Jane Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, Guillermo Arriaga, Paul Attanasio, John August, Alan Ball, Jessica Bendinger, Shane Black, William Blinn, Mark Boal, Peter Bowker, Dick Clement, Diablo Cody, Bill Condon, Leslie Dixon, Robert Eisele, Diane English, Delia Ephron, Nora Ephron, Joe Eszterhas, Julian Fellowes, Scott Frank, Stephen Gaghan, William Goldman, Akiva Goldsman, Alfred Gough, Barbara Hall, John Lee Hancock, Nicole Holofcener, Gregory Allen Howard, Charlie Kaufman, Nicholas Kazan, Michael Patrick King, Steve Kloves, Alex Kurtzman, Ian La Frenais, Barry Levinson, Karen McCullah Lutz, David Mamet, Tom McCarthy, Jimmy McGovern, David McKenna, Miles Millar, Ronald D. Moore, Christopher Nolan, Roberto Orci, Alexander Payne, Marco Pennette, Anna Hamilton Phelan, Donna Powers, Wayne Powers, Melissa Rosenberg, Phil Rosenthal, Gary Ross, Eric Roth, David O. Russell, Lorene Scafaria, Tom Schulman, Ron Shelton, Jim Sheridan, Kirsten Smith, Ed Solomon, Aaron Sorkin, Robin Swicord, Jim Taylor, Caroline Thompson, Nia Vardalos, Frances Veber, Matthew Weiner, Stanley Weiser, Audrey Wells, James L. White, Mike White, and Steve Zaillian. The “Spring Storytellers” subseries featured Judd Apatow, James L. Brooks, Ted Elliott, Lowell Ganz, Lawrence Kasdan, Babaloo Mandel, Nancy Meyers, David Milch, Frank Pierson, Kevin Smith, Darren Star, Robert Towne, Phil Rosenthal, and Terry Rossio. A majority of the discussions are moderated by F.X. Feeney.