Ep. 98 - Brian Koppelman: The Art of Super-Creativity

The James Altucher Show

Brian Koppelman joins James again today to answer all those questions that James was kicking himself for not asking during their first interview back in November.

Writing the super hit, Solitary Man, was a challenge different than any other Brian had yet taken on. And he tells James that he "got stuck." Fear would set in; he would see his limitations and get sidetracked.

Up until that time, Brian had been able to lean on his creative partner, David Levien, to help him find the way to power through the moment after his initial creativity wore off.

But when he was writing Solitary Man and showed it to Dave, he told him that it was clear Brian had to write this one himself. He had the character right, he had the voice right, and he had the tone down.

This was really the first time Brian had to complete a major work himself. Growing up with ADHD made this a real challenge for Brian. Dave had always been there in the past to push them through, but not this time.

So to help him move past his fears, Brian decided to do stand-up comedy. Not just going up on a stage once, but taking this on as a serious craft. He found that getting rejected helped him push through his writer's block.

Brian practices his craft in every medium every day. He hosts a podcast, produces hugely successful Vine video clips, and he's currently shooting a new TV pilot, Billions.

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