We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Daniel Guyton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Daniel below.
Daniel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
For me, the best learning method has already been Trial and Error. I have failed more times than I have succeeded, but each failure has taught me a lesson which I have learned from. I know many people who are afraid of trying something new for fear of making a mistake – but I have learned that mistakes are sometimes the greatest blessings – because they teach us how to improve for the next time. For example, I am a scriptwriter and I have written many scripts that were not well received – but from their reception, I learned what to do differently on my next script. Sometimes it’s just a single line of dialogue or even an entire scene in a script that needs to be revised – but had I not taken the time to write it out in the first place, and then show it to others, I would not know if that line or scene was effective. After many years of this kind of trial and error, I feel like I’ve gotten to a place where I can anticipate pretty well how an audience will respond to something I write. Even still, I love testing out new genres, new character ideas, and new perspectives. Every time is a new adventure, because even though I think I know how the audience will respond, I am never 100% certain. What I do know is that I am capable of correcting, fixing, and learning from any missteps that may occur along the way.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am a playwright, screenwriter, actor and director. Most importantly, I am a storyteller, and each of these skill sets allows me the opportunity to tell stories. In the end, that is what is most imporant to me. I have written plays and screenplays on commission, and I have also written plays and screenplays for my own artistic interests. Each type of writing holds its own fascination for me. Writing for others has the challenge of having to meet someone else’s expectations. Sometimes that can be very frustrating – especially if the client and I disagree on certain elements – but sometimes that disagreement gives me a clearer focus and end goal when I write. Also, having a concrete deadline provides some structure to the writing process. Sometimes, when I write for my own artistic interests, I run into the problem of having too much freedom. No deadline and no constraints sounds ideal for an artist, but it also leaves the project open to procrastination and/or a never-ending process of revision. When I do write for myself, I find that I have to assign myself a deadline, and I have to lay out a set of ground rules. For example, I may say, “This script has to be under 90 pages, and I need to ensure that this event and this event occur before the play ends.” Having these guidelines keeps me focused and driven on the project, and less likely to get into a bunch of “What-if” scenarios that take me down a massive rabbit hole. That said, once I complete a rough draft, I then give myself some freedom to reimagine certain scenes, lines, character arcs, etc. I think “what-if” is a great question to ask – AFTER I complete at least one draft.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I believe that art is incredibly therapeutic and useful for people of all ages – but I especially think it needs to be encouraged in young people. Stella Adler once said, “Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.” As an adult, I find it extremely easy to get depressed, angry and frustrated when I look at any newspaper. However, I have also seen many great things that people can do for one another, so I have context. I can only imagine what this very stark post-9/11, post-Columbine world looks like through the eyes of a young person today. However, I believe that a passion for artwork (either creating it, vieiwing it, or both) can help to put so much of the darkness of our world into context. Through art, we can shape the darkness, sometimes tame the darkness, and often bring light into the darkness – either for ourselves or for our fellow humans. Whenever I hear of a school cutting their arts program, I feel terrible not only for those children, but for the entire community surrounding those children. The arts help children not only express themselves creatively, but they also help children feel like they belong in the world. Art makes people better – better citizens, better human beings. A society that supports artists is a society that is more likely to thrive. Therefore, I believe it is imperative that we supports arts programs in schools – not only for the young people who directly benefit, but also for the citizens that those young people will eventually interact with. We all grow together.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
When I was a young storyteller, I believed the most important thing in the world was fame and notoriety. I wrote many shocking and grotesque stories, with the mindset that “No publicity is bad publicity.” As long as people were talking about my work, I considered it a win. Unfortunately, I also discovered along the way that some audience members were not just turned off my work, but actively hurt by it – which was never my intention. What I have learned over the years is that art isn’t – or at least shouldn’t be – just about the artist. It is about the audience and the artist interaction. It’s a mutual agreement made between the storyteller and the listener. If both parties are collaborating effectively, it is a beautiful marriage. If the storyteller is simply trying to shock the audience, they might be effective in the short term, but the audience will often turn on the storyteller once the shock wears off. There is a betrayal there that I was not fully cognizant of as a young person. I liken it to a marriage. If one person constantly tries to trick or fool their partner – and the partner does not enjoy this – then the marriage is not likely to survive. Granted, some people love to be fooled, they love to be shocked and they love to be surprised, so this dynamic CAN be effective – but it needs to be agreed upon up front. What I have learned over the years is that it is entirely possible to keep the audience surprised – even shocked on occasion – but without betraying their trust. For example, if an audience learns to care about a character, and then learns some shocking truth about them, that can be quite powerful. In my earlier days of writing, however, I sometimes neglected the part about getting the audience to care about the character first, and I just went straight for the shock. This might be effective in a B-level horror movie, but not if the artist wants to be taken seriously. Heck, even in a B-level horror movie, the audience makes an agreement with the artist. They know what they’re signing up for. It took me several years to learn this lesson, but I believe my artwork (and the reception I’ve received from it) have improved tremendously because of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.danguyton.com
- Instagram: @dguyton21
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dguyton21
- Twitter: @dguyton21
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DanielGuyton
Image Credits
Jayson Crawford T’Shauna Mae Henry