Diablo Cody: The 7 Things No One Tells You About Being a Top Screenwriter
Vulture is generally great, but it’s especially gratifying whenever they promote screenwriters. And they seem to do that a lot as this latest piece featuring Diablo Cody demonstrates. An excerpt:
With her first produced screenplay, 2007’s Juno, Diablo Cody won an Oscar and became something of a rarity in the screenwriter world: a celebrity herself, à la Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Kaufman, and Matt and Ben. Juno made her an in-demand writer in Hollywood, and she followed it up with two more films (Jennifer’s Body, Young Adult), a TV show (The United States of Tara), and much uncredited rewriting work. Her next script is also her directorial debut, Paradise, the story of a pious young woman (Julianne Hough) who, after suffering through a fiery plane crash, heads to Las Vegas to experience sin (the film is currently on VOD, and in theaters October 18). In six short years, Cody has experienced wild success, backlash, and everything in between, so for our How to Make a Movie series, we asked her to share the seven things nobody tells you about being a top screenwriter.
1. You will be held accountable for your words.
Writers drink, and therefore we often exhibit poor judgment. In 2007, when Juno came out, people were wearing rhinestone-embellished trucker caps and I was making bad decisions, too. I said a lot of stupid things in interviews because I figured no one was paying attention — who cares about screenwriters, generally? But my big mouth got me into trouble countless times. As a “visible” writer, you have to learn to conduct yourself like an actor. Say what you’ve been coached to say. Don’t talk shit about anyone. Behind closed doors, I’m still a drunk train wreck, but in interviews, I try to channel Sandra Bullock or someone else the public finds charming.
2. You will be a big deal for about ten seconds.
Since I “broke through” (ugh) six years ago, countless younger, funnier, smarter writers have flocked to Hollywood and TOOK MY JERB. That’s the nature of this business. Just ask any of the actresses who were on the cover of Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Issue in the nineties. Believe me, they all want to murder Emma Stone right now. You will be replaced. Keep your head down and work as much as you can.
You can read the rest of the Vulture feature here.
Cody “broke through” six years ago. I launched this blog at nearly the same time. That got me thinking: When did I do my first post on her? As it turns out, a mere 4 days after my first post: May 20, 2008. You can read that post here where I noted the project Jennifer’s Body she had just signed onto as well a reference to the Showtime TV series Cody did “The United States of Tara.”
Safe to say I’ve been a Diablo Cody fan pretty much since Day 1. Okay, Day 4!
As to Vulture’s “How to Make a Movie Series,” I am all over that and will be spotlighting those features as they roll out. This weekend: Wes Anderson.
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