Gillian Flynn Shares What David Fincher Taught Her About Screenwriting

Gillian Flynn is an author and screenwriter who has made a mark for herself in the world of dark, complex thrillers, especially about complicated female characters. Her works include Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, and Widows.

Flynn talked craft with David Perell on his How I Write podcast. Most of the conversation is about novels, but she also adapted Gone Girl for the screen, and much of what she says applies to screenwriting too. Some of it comes straight from working with Fincher.

As a writer, she looks for a moment when developing a character. She was stuck behind someone with too many items in the express lane and caught herself thinking about how Amy (of Gone Girl fame) would react.

"I mean, I knew I had Amy when I was standing in the supermarket line one day, and this woman was in front of me in a 10-item line with, like, 22 items or whatever. And I was like, 'Oh, Amy would not like this,' as if she were really my friend."

Here's what screenwriters can take from Flynn about character, suspense, structure, and getting unstuck. Watch the whole conversation below.

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Trap Your Characters with Themselves

Perell asks whether Flynn builds suspense on purpose. She says she doesn't, but she can describe the effect she's after.

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