I also thought of myself as the Sonny Barger of the film industry.

Writing requires a great deal of skill, just like painting does. People don't want to learn those skills.

A lot of directors don't know what they want to do. Every director I've seen that was a good director that I've admired knew exactly what he wanted to do. They didn't sit there and think about it.

Also, they don't understand - writing is language. The use of language. The language to create image, the language to create drama. It requires a skill of learning how to use language.

I've always had trouble with authority.

I suppose when I started out I would have liked to have been the darling of critics or something, but everybody wants to be loved and admired.

I became a loner. I became a mountain man. A lot of those things are very good qualities and they help you do your work, help you be singular and keep the artistic integrity of your work intact, but they don't make it very easy to live your life.