Playwright and screenplay writer John Logan made an appearance at Watersprite nominally as a source of guidance for hopeful screenwriters. In reality, he was much more a source of inspirational anecdotes and intense real life experience. Engaging and charismatic, he spoke to a large, captive audience about his journey into writing and his ongoing projects. Having spent the past thirty years writing, Logan’s continued passion for his craft is relentless, allowing him to speak freely and genuinely about his diverse and impressive body of work.

Logan discussed both his personal experiences and his advice for aspiring writers, allowing him to display his incredible aptitude for storytelling and his relentlessly down-to-earth attitude towards his career. There was never a sense of complacency in Logan’s narration; he still painted a picture of a man working hard to hone his skills, rather than one allowing himself to enjoy his handiwork. If anything, Logan stressed his own insignificance, speaking emphatically about the power of other people, and the nature of film as a collaboration rather than a personal project. In a particularly self-effacing moment, he described his own tendency towards gaining a god complex over his work and thus viewing his characters as mere marionettes to play with, rather than as creations having real, living potential.

Personal anecdotes weaved seamlessly into Logan’s more practical recommendations, reinforcing the sense that this was someone who had landed on his feet through passion and perseverance – to the point that his life and work were virtually inseparable. Particularly striking was Logan’s account of his time as an impoverished young writer, who was on the one hand living on tinned tuna, yet also continuing to turn down work if it didn’t fit with his artistic integrity. This personal sense of taste and style is something that Logan still holds dear, as was made clear in his declaration that your career is defined by the things you say no to, and as such, your career is built by being selfish over your time and talent.

As both a playwright and a screenplay writer, the inevitable discussion of difference and similarity had Logan reaching impressively into his literary knowledge. His primary acknowledgement in the differences between screen and stage was that of time, whereby each second of film will come with a price tag and the overall project will take years to plan. He then revealed that his route to efficiency and economy with screenplay was achieved through a consideration of poetry, and in particular, how it is possible in sonnets for so much to be expressed in a comparatively small amount of writing.

John Logan’s appearance at Watersprite was empowering and overwhelming. Both reactions, though, are a credit to both his natural skill as a storyteller, and to his awe-inspiring commitment. This combination of characteristics allowed him to present his incredible experiences in a truly engaging manner. His earnest and upfront nature contrasts starkly with his achievements, which he can now reflect upon with casual ease. That Logan can narrate his own tale of wide-ranging success with such openness and warmth is remarkable, while his knowledge and flair must surely be something aspiring screenwriters should aim to achieve.