A WGAW member since 1965, William Goldman passed away on November 16, 2018.
The revered wordsmith was a five-time Writers Guild Award nominee for Best Screenplay, winning in 1970 for BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID and in 1977 for ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN
His other credits include MARATHON MAN, MISERY, HARPER, MAGIC and the beloved THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
In his honor, we are proud to share a reprint of the first print issue of OnWriting from January 1993, which featured a thoughtful conversation between William Goldman and fellow screenwriter John Patrick Shanley (MOONSTRUCK AND DOUBT).
The interview was edited by Arlene Hellerman and conducted while Goldman’s CHAPLIN was in theaters and the day before the release of Shanley’s ALIVE.
In the piece, Goldman states, “I can’t do a screenplay until I know what the structure is, I just can’t do it. I can write all kinds of terrible scenes, but I won’t know really what I’m doing until I have that spine.”
Click below to read the full conversation.
