10 Screenwriting Tips Aaron Sorkin - Masterclass Interview on The Social Network and A Few Good Men

Oscar nominated screenwriter Aaron Sorkin interview masterclass about writing, screenwriting, lessons from the screenplay and dialogue in The West Wing, A Few Good Men, The Newsroom and The Social Network screenplay.
0:00 - Intro
0:28 - tip 1 - There are rules. They were written over 2000 years ago by Aristotle
0:46 - tip 2 - Learn from other writers, but in the end, stick to your own voice
2:31 - tip 3 - Figure out why you like or dislike a movie
3:33 - tip 4 - Show the audience what the character wants. That want is going to define who he/she is
4:39 - tip 5 - Speak your dialogue out loud, that way you will be sure dialogue is speakable by an actor
5:46 - tip 6 - Writing takes practice
6:22 - tip 7 - it's not that important what your characters are talking about, it's important that the audience says "wow these guys really know what they're talking about"
7:07 - tip 8 - Avoid cliche storylines and think of a unique approach to structure your story
8:46 - tip 9 - Have your own writing quirks. Sorkin likes to drive around, listen to music and take showers 6-8 times a day
11:06 - tip 10 - Have a breathtaking story on how you first fell in love with writing
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#aaronsorkin #screenplay #writing #screenwriting #screenwriter #writingadvice

[@lloydl7425]

What I find most amazing about Sorkin is how he wrote A Few Good Men without being ex-military, a lawyer, or a doctor. Or to write The American President without a career in government. Such insight and empathy.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

That's genuinely interesting.

[@LMX21]

His sister was a JAG lawyer and that’s where the motivation for A few good men originated.

[@oliverford5367]

The Social Network was one of the few movies with realistic portrayals of computers. Wget, perl, etc. Most films are nonsense with computers, I was very impressed with the research.

[@KnightEnterprises]

Because the best films are about characters needs, wants, desires, and the human obstacles that can keep them from getting it, kill them, incarcerate time, etc. The humanistic aspect is what’s best about film and art and humans fight for that in various settings such as military and court rooms.

[@nicholasalexander2594]

I love his passion for writing because you can really hear it in his voice.

[@AxmedBahjad]

I don't want to talk about the writers, directors and screen writers like the most comments in this thread. I want to thank the uploader of these 📹 for his effort, time and insight.

[@JB2387]

Speaking your dialogue out loud is a great tip, this is something I have always done from the moment I started writing, because we've all had those moments when your talking to someone and you say something out loud and you go, "That sounded so much better in my head," so why wouldn't that apply to writing? It does. You can write something and be happy or at least satisficed with it and read it again a hundred times (if you're a little obsessive like I am) and not see a problem, but you say it out loud once and you realize, "Oh, my God, that's terrible." It's a great tip and not just for dialogue, but anything you write, an interaction, an environment, a situation, it applies to everything.

[@rjlingard]

Why do we love Aaron Sorkin?.... Because he gets on base

[@theexpresidents]

Do we care if he walks? We do not.

[@sparshturkane2550]

You can't handle the truth

[@p.quilici9095]

The shower thing is strangely intrinsic. I always have the shower in the back of my mind as a fresh reset... Too funny.

[@NIKONGUY1960]

Extremely inspirational.

[@andrejsorin7340]

i love that he is dressing like a screenwriter from the old hollywood days 😃😃😃

[@Ruylopez778]

Dammit! How could this have happened?

[@OutstandingScreenplays]

😀💯🙌✅

[@JudiChristopher]

Laughing... That will be his "Tag Line" as long as he is alive. He is such a great Artist (screenwriter)... or is that scriptwriter?

[@oshaqlaghari9591]

Mate your channel is underrated.

[@ryderraynes870]

He is one of the best writers in the world in my opinion.

[@BlackOrbits]

Love your screenwriting videos but I will say maybe make the music in the background a little lower next time 👍🏻 as it's hard to focus on the person speaking about the subject they are talking about.

[@simbuashwin]

Even no background music would be better.. it's so banal idk when this gonna change on KZbin videos..

[@JudiChristopher]

Exactly...

[@thorangla2853]

Please listen to what this man is saying. I struggled to get thru this video and I love Sorkin.

[@sunnymufc66]

This man is a genius

[@rahulshankar2093]

“The Rules of Drama are older than Christianity”

[@AA-sn9lz]

Yeah, they were referred to when writing the Bible

[@bubblegirl9854]

Not true

[@canaisyoung3601]

And get just as perverted and corrupted.

[@Matt_Sorensen]

"Needed to Mountain Dew it up" hahaha

[@Nicksrightpodcast]

Agreed! Learn and don’t get offended!:)

[@sandeepbanga6274]

2:49 he says doo doo

[@Longshotsz]

brilliant observation

[@pancheu]

Thanks for creating this!

[@murderhill1947]

"six to eight showers a day...for a fresh start". Yikes! OCD? Remember Jack Nicholson playing a best selling novelist with OCD in As Good As It Gets? Whatever gets you to the finish line I guess. Is there a connection between good writers and their rituals? I guess I should have waited. The ninth tip answers my own question. I also like that he uses modesty well to avoid puffery.

[@theexpresidents]

40 showers is OCD, not 6 or 7.

[@tj-uq4yz]

Awesome tips!

[@Screenplay-Sessions]

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

[@nicoblaytherealflamingo445]

Skateboard and mountain dew it up when he wrote about small group of students fromHarvard... Who virtually brought the world together. #bajablast

[@jeevanmaria]

Great videos keep makin'em

[@allendelree953]

My plan is simple . Finish . Mail to the Writers Guild of America , east and west . Repeat .

[@JudiChristopher]

If I remember correctly... they only allow you to send it to either East or West... Not both... and it cost to do that too... I need to find out for sure.

[@michaeldvick]

such a great video, but the music detracts

[@JudiChristopher]

I would love to LISTEN to Aaron Sorkin... ... but the BACKGROUND (Noise) Music is too LOUD!

[@howardkoor2796]

Thank u

[@Longshotsz]

Agree with a lot but #10 is really stupid. that being said, I do have a great story on how I fell in love with writing.

[@sureshbm7136]

There is no such a good story, there is no values of #10

[@gundamzing]

This feels like a list of actual screenwriter tips, instead of writer-director tips.

[@maniveiszadeh8030]

the unrelenting background music is like a drill bit into the head

[@JudiChristopher]

OH MY GOSH... I'm so glad I'm not the only one that feels that way!!!

[@High_101]

@5:00 why was the first rule changed?

[@thecurbsidechoir8783]

10:46 possible #11, it might be easier to write with coke.

[@jesaispasvraimentquoiecrireici]

The top 3 I learned from him: 1. aaaaa 2. aaaaaa 3. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

AA AAA AAAA

[@temporarystranger95]

One of the most brilliant writers of his generation. I didn’t know he was also supposed to be one of the greatest public speakers of his generation, too.

[@justanameonyourscreen5954]

13:53...so it's not just me...

[@mariarahelvarnhagen2729]

Is Aristotle's Work As Chang Zongyu Important ?

[@mariarahelvarnhagen2729]

Does His Mother Plato Deserve Dignity ?

[@achristianson4059]

What do you do do ??

[@oliverford5367]

#2 is his weakness. He's great for one style of character - the genius who can rattle off facts and statistics. But outside of that he struggles. Studio 60 failed because he couldn't write comedy. The GOAT of writing intellectual dialogue but weak out of that area.

[@lotrgirl275]

6-8 showers a day. He must have mad eczema. Still brilliant tho!

[@Balin93]

How did you get him to say all these things while only on the right hand side of the screen? lol

[@michaelz9892]

Soundtrack is annoying...

[@JudiChristopher]

YES... the background music is too loud.

[@pascalcooper4518]

The only reason to learn the rules is so you can break em.

[@falz55]

I've got nice movie stories/pitch but failed to build u a good script

[@boymiyagi]

Oh to not be in a water crisis🙃

[@6663000]

Lose the background music.

[@veritas6335]

What is the massively irritating musical jumble going on in the background? It is distracting, disrespectful of Sorkin's advice, of the man himself and frankly just stupid. What morons turn out these stupid jumbles? Surely Sorkin had nothing to do with it. Like the rest of us, he is well aware that screenwriting advice does not need a musical accompaniment.

[@camillesfeir1251]

Deshaun Watson

[@allendelree953]

Write a new original .

[@clokinne5138]

The bite-sized leg inadvertently trick because secretary chiefly gather during a ratty good-bye. bitter, misty possibility

[@justiceagape882]

日啊有俄

[@justiceagape882]

李哦俄 分两枚

[@danitellopeelio]

"I take about 6-8 showers a day" Don't fucking do that. What a waste of water. Just so you can "have a fresh start"? Oo, that pissed me off.

[@2012fsv]

Yes! More judgement please! Just what the world needed, thank you!

[@JudiChristopher]

He is teasing... Lord get a grip!

[@heliumlemon15]

I couldn't make it past the first 6 seconds.

[@juanylopezangel526]

Take showers

[@johndeagle4389]

uh what uh uh terrible uh uh uh speaker uh.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

Who cares. I can still understand him.

[@azure5644]

I’m watching this so that I know what not to do. Aaron Sorkin has some of the most boring, predictable characters and stupid dialogue I’ve ever seen.

[@stevendufour]

Well, as long as we don’t see your name in the writing credits of an acclaimed movie or two.. my advice to you is to best keep that opinion to yourself. Be humble and learn from all writers.

[@James-nv1wf]

@@stevendufour Guys like Sorkin and those he mentioned get industry breaks and b/c of the resources allotted to them are eventually labelled "masterminds" through the same media that made them.

[@Ruylopez778]

Well, fair enough if you see it that way, but it seems to sell, so it's worth investigating what people like about his writing, and take away whatever helps you. Like Bruce Lee said, "Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially your own"

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

Ok, so: "There aren't rules." "Don't learn from other writers. Don't stick to your own voice." "Don't try to figure out why you liked it disliked a show or movie." "Don't show the audience what the character wants, cuz it won't define who they are." "Don't speak your dialog aloud." "Writing doesn't take practice" "Go for cliche stories. Avoid unique approaches" Sounds a bit fucking stupid, doesn't it, bruv?

[@oskaretc]

out of curiosity, who do you like?

[@simonwang8780]

Agreed! Learn and don’t get offended!:)