Aaron Sorkin on Writers' Block

 In 2016, TV and film screenwriter, playwright, and director Aaron Sorkin was interviewed by Stephen Galloway for The Hollywood Reporter.

GALLOWAY: You’ve said that writer’s block is your default position. How do you get over that? 

SORKIN: I take six or eight showers a day.

GALLOWAY: That’s a lot.  

SORKIN: Yeah, and I’m not a germophobe. It has nothing to do with that. I have a shower at home, I have a shower at the office. It’s a do over. It’s a reset. If it’s not going well, if I can’t think of anything, I get in the shower, I take a shower, I put on different clothes, and try again.  On a really bad day, I’ll be incredibly clean.

In 2021, he was interviewed by Sonya Alexander for Script.

ALEXANDER: What do you do to overcome writer's block?

SORKIN: Writer’s block is my default position! Peppered by ‘I have a thing now.’ I allow myself to be miserable for a bit. I like driving around, listening to music I listened to in high school. I talk out loud to myself. Start arguments with myself. When I was doing The West Wing, I received a delivery from Scott Sassa. It was a headset. He told me he was next to me at a light one time and I looked like a madman talking to myself.

ALEXANDER: Did you use the headset?

SORKIN: Yes, I did…!

In 2022, he told Focus on Film:

So which one is it, Aaron?

I suspect he uses these three and a few more depending on his state of mind at the time.

If I ever meet him, I'll ask him. 

But it really doesn't matter.

Cause he deals with it and the result is great writing.

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Aaron Sorkin is known for his sharp wit used in writing fast-paced dialogue and rousing monologues. His work includes A Few Good Men, the West Wing, The Social Network, Steve Jobs, Moneyball, and The Newsroom.

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Sources: 

The Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/why-aaron-sorkin-wont-dish-leonardo-dicaprio-ben-affleck-his-real-life-gambling-drama-mollys-game-878142/

Script: https://scriptmag.com/interviews-features/overcoming-obstacles-an-interview-with-aaron-sorkin

Focus on Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4ezVssQlwk