Chism: I THINK CREATIVITY IS EVERYWHERE.
I SEE CREATIVITY WITH MY GRANDMOTHER COOKING.
I SEE IT AT THE WINERY, MAKING WINE.
I SEE CREATIVITY WITH A MOTHER AND HER CHILD.
FOR WRITING, IT'S BRINGING THAT CREATIVITY INTO STRUCTURE.
THAT'S WHERE THE TRICKY PART BEGINS.
IT'S ALWAYS A SPARK.
IT'S ALWAYS THAT QUICK MOMENT OF [GASPS] I ALMOST FEEL LIKE,
"AH, SOMETHING CAME TO ME," OR I HAVE AN IDEA.
IT COULD BE A WORLD, IT COULD BE A CHARACTER,
IT COULD BE A SITUATION,
A QUESTION I MIGHT BE ASKING MYSELF ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
BUT THAT WILL ALWAYS HAPPEN IN AN INSTANT.
AND THE SLOW BURN IS THE DETAILS.
SOME PEOPLE USE NOTE CARDS TO DO THIS. I USE NOTEBOOKS.
IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT HOW I'M THINKING ABOUT THE DETAILS
WHEN I'M WRITING IN LONGHAND
THAT MAKES IT FLESH OUT A LITTLE EASIER FOR ME.
I WILL HAVE A QUESTION OR HAVE AN IDEA.
IT MIGHT BE I WANT TO EXPLORE SECRETS,
COULD BE JEALOUSY, COULD BE AN ACTUAL SITUATION.
AND I'LL JUST BEGIN TO JUST WRITE NOTES ABOUT IT,
SNIPPETS OF DIALOGUE, LOCATIONS.
IT MIGHT BE A WARDROBE IDEA. IT COULD BE A PLOT POINT.
BUT IT ALL, IN A RANDOM WAY, GOES INTO THESE NOTEBOOKS.
THEN I GO BACK AND JUST READ THE NOTEBOOKS AND HIGHLIGHT --
THAT CHARACTER GOES THROUGH THIS,
THAT CHARACTER THEN EXPERIENCES THAT.
BUT JUST GOING THROUGH THE BOOKS,
ADDING THE DIALOGUE, ADDING THE STORY BEATS,
FINDING THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE THROUGH ALL THE JOURNALS
THEN HELPS ME EITHER WRITE IT
IN AN OUTLINE FORM OR IN NOTE CARDS.
AND THEN FROM THERE, I LOOK AT THE STRUCTURE OF THE WHOLE STORY
UNTIL I FEEL I HAVE ENOUGH SORT OF JUICE TO GO TO MY LAPTOP.
IF I'VE WRITTEN A CHARACTER THAT HAS THAT JOB,
NO MATTER WHAT I'M WRITING,
I WILL TRY TO FIND A PERSON THAT DOES THAT JOB.
IF IT'S A LAWYER, IF IT'S A DOCTOR,
IF IT'S A BAND DIRECTOR FOR "DRUMLINE,"
I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE THAT DO IT BECAUSE I LIKE THE LANGUAGE.
I LIKE AS A DIRECTOR, EVEN,
TO JUST SEE THEIR MANNERISMS, SEE THEIR GRIND.
IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT EXPERIENCING IT YOURSELF.
YOU ADD A LAYER OF REALNESS TO THE WORLD
THAT PEOPLE RESPOND TO, YOU KNOW?
WE ARE HERE.
SO I'M HERE ON WHAT I FREQUENTLY DO,
WHICH IS SORT OF RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS,
WHERE I GO TO THE PLACES THAT I SET PICTURES
AND TALK WITH THE PEOPLE, LIKE, EAVESDROP.
I HEAR STORIES.
AND I MET THIS INCREDIBLE FAMILY
THAT HAS REALLY LIVED AN EXPERIENCE HERE MAKING WINE
THAT SO SUITS THE STORY THAT I WANT TO TELL.
IT WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THE SETTING
OF 500 ACRES IN THE MIDDLE OF NAPA
WHERE IT'S JUST, LIKE, THE ONLY BLACK FAMILY
THAT MAKES WINE UP HERE.
A LOT OF IT IS NOT REALLY THEIR HISTORY OR THEIR EXPERIENCES,
BUT IT'S HOW I SEE THEM AND EVEN HOW I IMAGINE
THEIR EXPERIENCES MIGHT BE HERE.
IT JUST WAS AN ENVIRONMENT THAT I JUST FOUND FUNNY,
LIKE THE DOOR LEADING INTO THE WINE CAVE.
IT LOOKED LIKE IF BLACK HOBBITS LIVED IN NAPA.
WHAT IS IN THAT DOOR
BEHIND THIS PERFECT LITTLE FAMILY VICTORIAN?
WHAT IS THAT?
WHEN I GET THAT MUCH OF A SWIRL
OF IDEAS AND JOKES AND QUESTIONS,
THEN I KNOW I'M IN THE SWEET SPOT.
I KNOW THE WELL IS DEEP ENOUGH THAT I CAN GET ENOUGH OUT OF IT.
IT'S THE SAME UP HERE WITH DAVID,
OBSERVING HIM, SOMETIMES WRITING OUT HERE
WHILE HE'S RUNNING THROUGH THE VINEYARDS OR BARREL TASTING
OR DOING ANY NUMBER OF THE THINGS
HE DOES AS A FARMER AND WINEMAKER HERE.
SOMETIMES IT'S JUST QUIET TIME BY MYSELF,
ORGANIZING ALL OF THE THINGS
THAT I'M QUESTIONING AND THINKING
AND TRYING TO BRING STRUCTURE TO A LOT OF STIMULATION.
I ALWAYS WRITE THROUGH THE BLOCK.
I JUST TELL MYSELF, "JUST WRITE IT. IT'S GONNA BE BAD.
IT'S OKAY. JUST WRITE IT."
IF I DON'T, I PANIC.
BUT I TYPICALLY PACE THROUGH MY HOUSE IN SLIPPERS.
YOU HAVE TO WEAR A HOODIE TO KEEP THE IDEAS IN YOUR HEAD
BECAUSE THERE ARE FEW IDEAS AT THIS POINT
WHEN YOU'RE BLOCKED.
YOU'RE JUST STRUGGLING.
THE HOODIE IS KEY FOR ME.
I DO BELIEVE THAT STORY ABOUT EVERYBODY HAS A STORY TO TELL.
AND YOUR POINT OF VIEW IS THE MOST VALUABLE THING AS A WRITER.
IT'S NOT SO MUCH THE SITUATION.
YOUR POINT OF VIEW TO THE SITUATION
IS WHAT MAKES YOU VALUABLE AS A WRITER.
THAT'S WHAT I RELY ON.
IF IT'S A SUBJECT MATTER THAT HAS BEEN TOUCHED ON BEFORE,
THEN I DIG DEEPER INTO MY OWN POINT OF VIEW ON IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M OFFERING.