Maria Popova's Guide on How to Write Something Wise

Essayist Maria Popova recently sat down with David Perell to discuss her research and writing processes. While she is primarily in the blog and essay space, I think a lot of her advice and processes can translate well to screenwriting.

Let’s take a look at some of her points and advice and talk about how you can best implement them into your own work.

Research Away From the Internet

No one is going to dispute that the Internet is one of the most valuable resources and tools that we have in the modern age. Information is accessible today in a way that even we ourselves ten years ago would likely find bizarre. With that said, the Internet can sometimes have blind spots, or contain caricatures of information that is more accurately reported in other ways.

Popova discusses her time in libraries and academic archives for her research on various works that she has published, which are only available in those locations. Lectures with important figures, essays by accomplished scholars, completely undigitized, and stored in a spooky basement in Manhattan.

This isn’t me telling you to infiltrate the New York Public Library’s archives for your next romantic comedy script, but the sentiment is an interesting one. Being able to use more classic resources outside of the internet for research and development in any work of art is an exercise not only in patience, but in broadening your skill set. People watching, interviewing strangers, immersing yourself in an environment you want to depict outside of a Wikipedia article. Try something new in your planning stages. You won’t regret it.

‘Presence Over Productivity’

‘Superbad’Credit: Columbia Pictures

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