Not Knowing the Purpose: What HBO's Deadwood Taught Me About the Writing Process

This is a brief look at the unique and brilliant writing process author David Milch used to create HBO's Deadwood, arguably the greatest written television show of all time. If you enjoyed this snippet, I encourage you to check out his recent memoir, "Life's Work."

[@HyperInvest210]

Don’t stop on the videos man. U have a gift.

[@TheBaylor22]

Fabulous show, incredible writing and dialogue, great actors! One of greatest television series ever put together!! Milch was a certified genius!

[@CecilQuetzalcoatl]

Excellent video as always. You're quickly becoming one of my favorite KZbin channels. Keep up the good work!

[@rottensquid]

This is a particularly good video. I never got far into Deadwood myself, but I get that it's one of the best shows ever made, and you make a good case here for why. I think the process of learning to be a writer is to read everything by Syd Fields' and Bob McKees and whoever else, and then sort of forget it all. Most of the principals they talk about only matter if you're trying to diagnose what's wrong. It's crucial to understand the underlying structure of storytelling, but writing isn't like building a house. Art is chaotic. It's a process of tricking your creative mind into giving up its secrets. It's making space for inspiration, and then grabbing it when it appears. If you start with the four quadrants of a typical three-act structure, and fill in your particulars like it's a questionnaire, you'll make a perfectly structured perfect bore. If the story doesn't surprise you as you're writing it, it's not going to surprise anyone. So what's the point of all those books, all that theory? Simple, it's for editing, assembling, rewriting, and, most important, answering questions that come up. When you've given the character what they want and they're still not happy, what do you do? You go back to McKee, and his "negation of the negation" theory. Then, you confront your characters like you would confront yourself, and ask them what they really need. And perhaps what they need most is something they can never accept. Suddenly, you realize you've written a tragedy. The hardest thing to do with a story is to trust it to know where it's going, to follow it rather than try to master it, even if you're not sure you want to. That's when the magic happens. When you think you know what you're saying, that's when you get into trouble.

[@ShadyForest]

This upload is good timing as I just "finished" my draft of an essay for a summer research program at a college I'd like to attend. I'm very antsy to get the application in as soon as possible, but letting it sit and then change as new ideas come in the following days is probably the better move.

[@alpha8here]

I subbed a few days ago, and I must say; Please keep going. These Insights are so interesting to listen to

[@bucksdiaryfan]

Youre right! My writing process is (1) word vomit (2) organize (3) add (4) edit (5) edit (6) edit.... if you hold yourself to the standard of instant well organized and well written material you tend to lock yourself in a perpetual state of self censorship

[@realitypro]

Accurate. Worthy of the view. Good insights.

[@philstone5389]

Good work my good sir I'm a fan!!!

[@LanguageFilm]

Awesome, thank you!

[@jayaprakash387]

Excellent video

[@robertfisher1285]

I know you dont normally do Episodes. But I think you would really enjoy Gargoyles' Episode called Grief. Its always been my favorite.

[@charliestokes4520]

Thank you for this

[@kastor6647]

So his writing process is like a Role Playing Game type of approach.

[@hokehinson5987]

First season was just a shock! Wow what a cast. second season barely treading water. 3rd season just another jaded period t.v. show. Somehow the show just became to commonplace, to predictable. Likewise, HBO's Rome followed the same route, shockingly original then over time morphed into an adult soap opera like deadwood. Was wondering where the tide commercials were hiding.....