I can kid people, including myself, into believing that something on the page will work. But when you film it, you just think, "Oh ...".
Alex GarlandI never feel a huge need for backstory in my novels or films. Quick sketches are often enough. When you encounter people in life - like a chance encounter at a bar or wherever you happen to be - you make these incredibly quick, quite intricate decisions about people based on very small amounts of coded information. We're good at that. Long descriptions prior to meeting someone or as you're getting to know them almost don't work.
Alex GarlandMy first attempt at writing was very unstructured and formless, with shifting points of view. I was trying to understand how long form might work, and I realized I had something shapeless. It was a total car wreck. But I still felt I could pull it off. So I ditched that attempt and started writing in the opposite manner, in first person, with a driving narrative.
Alex GarlandWhen you develop an infatuation for someone you always find a reason to believe that this is exactly the person for you. It doesnโt need to be a good reason. Taking photographs of the night sky, for example. Now, in the long run, thatโs just the kind of dumb, irritating habit that would cause you to split up. But in the haze of infatuation, itโs just what youโve been searching for all these years.
Alex Garland