I was really enjoying Masterpiece Mystery Sunday night.
That’s because the episode of Case Histories featured a writer with a big role. And the screenwriters for the episode had clearly been having fun—writing in winks for other writers.
At one part of the show, the writer (portrayed as extremely insecure and hesitant) is a visitor in a hospital. The nurse frowns at him and tells him he looks familiar.
“I’m a writer,” he says, looking anxious.
The nurse studies him. “I’ve always wondered about writers,” she says, “Where do you get your ideas from?”
I’m sure all the writers watching the show were laughing…and that no one else thought it was even supposed to be funny. :)
It reminded me that I’ve enjoyed reading books about writers and watching films about writers, too. Sometimes it’s just nice to watch something written just for you.
I don’t have a great memory for titles of movies and books, although I remember enjoying Stranger than Fiction (although it’s sort of a disturbing movie for a writer to watch) and reading Misery (decidedly troubling!) Oh, and that great moment in The Shining where we see what the writer has been busily typing for so long.
I found some lists online of books and films that featured writers:
Films About Writers or Writing:
20 Greatest Movies About Writers
Novels about Writers or Writing:
6 Memorable Books About Writers Writing
Ten Terrific Novels About Writers, Writing, and the Writing Life
40 Books about Writers and Writing (for children)
Have you read books or watched movies about writers? What have you enjoyed?
Elizabeth – Oh, I love the “inside jokes” about writing. That’s why Agatha Christie’s Ariadne Oliver is one of my favourite characters. I just love the way she talks about the art and the craft of writing. I’ve actually done a couple of posts about writers in crime fiction. Here’s one. And here’s another.
Whenever I think about movies about writers, I can help but think about Romancing the Stone. Even before I was a writer, I felt a kinship to Joan Wilder. From the crying in front of her typewriter as she finishes her manuscript to the scene where they meet Juan the Bellmaker and Jack says “Okay… write us out of this one.” to the end where her publisher is crying over a different book – it’s all good (even if it’s not 100% accurate about the industry).
I saw that episode as well and yes, that line did make me laugh.
The Shining came to my mind first. John Cusack played one in 2012 as well. And an insecure writer? Where have I heard that before?
Ahh, the Shining. What a great film. Actually, the book was different my husband says. And he doesn’t want to read it now that we have kids… but I think the movie was fantastic. :D Happy Halloween!
Thanks for the great lists! Time to update my Netflix queue. The Shining is one of those books that I read in my teens and then again in “middle age.” It spoke to me for different reasons at these different times in my life. Love those books that not only hold up, but actually morph. Now need to rewatch the movie.
Margot–Thanks for the links! I loved Ariadne Oliver. She was kind of spacey sometimes, which rang true for me. :)
B.E–I’d forgotten about “Romancing the Stone.” Great example!
Alex–Oh I didn’t know that about 2012. My son and husband watched that and they didn’t even mention a writer!! Oh, gosh, yes–insecure writers. We all are!
LTM–He’s right–it was! Very disturbing, no elements of camp at all (which the movie played with a little.) In my memory, it was mainly about the writer’s struggle with alcohol.
Romancing the Stone! Love that Joan Wilder.
I’ve always loved books, movies and shows about writers! Even when I didn’t think I ever could, it was a fantasy… full range, too–Romancing the Stone, Throw Mama from the Train… and don’t forget Castle! I love Nathan fillion anyway, but a huge part of that shows appeal to me is that he’s a mystery writer… And Harry Dolan’s MC is a writer–there are a bunch of writer jokes in his books.
Writers write about crazy writers. I don’t know why, but 90% of the time a book about a writer is going to have them as insane in a cute way or insane in a frightening way. Maybe we all secretly believe we’re unhinged.
Haha that’s great. My friend and I constantly put in little inside jokes into our WIPs. They’re probably not funny to anyone else, but they’re hilarious to us. On the more general note, I love little things like what you described, where you know it was a ‘shout out’ to other writers out there.
I have to admit, now that I’ve taken up writing, all those movies for / about writers have new meaning. I’m loving it! (And sometimes I do feel like typing out something as creepy as ALL WORK AND NO PLAY…. ; )
Yep, I like them too. Or I like them in books when they are disguised as other creative types – painters, sculptors, tormented artistes! And I love writers taking the piss on themselves like Christie’s Ariadne or Polly Praid in Martha Grimes series with Richard Jury.
The Shining is cool. I watched it on DVD together with little boy some weekends ago (he wanted to go to sleep with lights on that night). My favorite movie involving an author is the Italian film Il Postino (The Postman) about Pablo Neruda and a postman who loved poetry.
Cold As Heaven
When I started writing, I promised myself that I would never have writer as a character. So far, so good. Writing about writers is for writers with no other experience.
One of my favorites is “Finding Forrestor” with Sean Connery. Anna Paquin is in there as well.
Whenever I say I love this movie people ask me why becuase they thought it was horrible. And I really can’t explain why I liked it.