Go Into The Story Interview: Robin Swicord

Prolific Hollywood screenwriter whose latest movie is Wakefield.

Robin Swicord is a writer, producer, and director whose movie credits include Little Women, Matilda, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Jane Austen Book Club, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Her latest is Wakefield which Robin wrote and directed, and stars Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner.

Recently I interviewed Robin about her lengthy and successful career in Hollywood. Here are links to the six installments of the entire conversation:

Part 1: “That was the beginning of my film education: Straight‑up 16‑millimeter copies of film classics.”

Part 2: “When I was a kid and I saw the “Little Women” movies on TV, cut up with dry‑cleaning commercials, I thought, ‘Wait, that’s not the book. That isn’t right. This book isn’t about who these girls grow up and marry. This book is about something else.’”

Part 3: “I do believe that it is essential to remain engaged with the world, not just be in my little room writing. I also think that service to others is important, just in terms of your own development as a human being.”

Part 4: “With screenplays, of course, as dramatists we rigorously follow the narrative line, with every scene ending with a plot point or some kind of change, and every scene pushing the next into existence.”

Part 5: “For me, the more time you spend thinking deeply about the story in terms of “What is it that I am really trying to say here?” and the more personal that you can make it, using what you yourself have contended with, or those things you’re maybe afraid to think about much — that’s going to be juicy writing.”

Part 6: “There’s no single way to get into Hollywood. You just have to push your way in through writing well, and making sure you give a copy of your script to everyone you run into.”

Entire Interview

I have seen Wakefield. It is an engrossing tale of a man deconstructing his life in a fascinating fashion. You may learn more about Wakefield here.

Robin is repped by UTA.

For more of my interviews with screenwriters, filmmakers, and industry insiders, go here.