Paul Laverty interview

The interview with screenwriter Paul Laverty from the latest issue of the Guild's magazine, UK Writer, is now available online at the Guild's website.

Can you describe your working relationship with Ken Loach?

We’ve been working together now for over ten years now and it’s always been very organic. We’re constantly kicking ideas around. I often prefer to put something down on paper as soon as possible so that it stops being abstract. It could be anything - a rough notion, a premise, a snatch of dialogue or a character idea. Sometimes it’s mostly questions. Somehow on paper it can begin to live, and it’s much easier to talk about something concrete.

We might then spend time talking about the best way to tell the story – there are always so many choices to be made – but when we feel we’re on the right track I’ll go away to write the first draft, though even then it often changes. It’s important to feel free in the moment, and Ken respects that space. If it lives the story should surprise me too.