Sharon Horgan & Conan Compare Their Writing Process | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

there's a great and I think it's. Nathaniel West but I think he said. Hollywood's the only place where you can. die of enthusiasm and I just loved it. because it's it's nothing but you know. they love it yeah it's fantastic oh my. God I mean everyone's talking about it. yeah. um oh you should have heard it and when. I told people in the room the room went. you know and you hear all those things. and then. um people can hear that for 15 years and. nothing happens yeah imagine if writing.

the life at me it really did frighten me. like I was going to meet these you know. really great writers just to sort of. you know. just to pick their brains or get tips on. how it's done and and sort of realize. they hadn't had anything produced for. like you know extra years and. um. I just I find it really scary because I. just love making stuff of course that. sounds like a really obvious thing to. say but um no but it is it's funny it's.

not uh. you say it's an obvious thing to say but. I meet so many people young people. that talk to me and they say you know. they're interested in. they want to talk to me and how do I do. it and I'll say what is it you want to. do and they they it's clear very quickly. they want to be famous yeah and what I. try to. point out to them is you really have to. love making stuff yeah because there's. no guarantee first of all the the fame. thing. um I always try and tell them is.

this it's it feels almost like a dental. x-ray you almost don't even feel it it's. nothing you get your table a little. faster at a restaurant and you take a. lot of selfies but other than that. there's not it's a very thin broth. there's not a lot there to sustain you. so you really have to like what you're. doing you're like you have to love the. process some of them get it and some of. them look at me. like I'm a very strange old man yeah why. is he babbling about this stuff I think.

that's that's it entirely I think with. um with pulling. I just loved it so much you know I love. the characters and I loved what Dennis. and I were saying and. um it was kind of I I could I could have. gone on doing that for years. and then I found myself in a situation. where you know it's like. I was writing shows I had no idea how it. sort of got myself into that situation. and and just the very thought of doing.

something for for years and because. writing is so hard anyway yeah I mean. you really really do have to love it oh. when people tell me. they love writing I'm very suspicious I. think you the first thing you have to. admit is that it's hard yeah and it can. be miserable. and sitting down and facing a blank page. yeah I can think of few things I was. more miserable. I think I did good work for Saturday.

Night Live uh when I was young but. being up at night trying to think of a. sketch on that deadline was more. terrifying to me than anything I've ever. done as a performer yeah and you get you. get that that it's a mad anxiety isn't. it yeah and I know you've had that too. you've struggled or you've had and. unfortunately. I've had. um. people say to me when does the anxiety. go away and I've had to break it to them. that if you're it's part of the process. yeah it's the it's the rocket fuel yeah.

you need it. um you need to feel bad sometimes in. order to feel good and I'm sure I'm. going to get a lot of people to them you. shouldn't say that that's not true I. don't see another way around it I think. I mean I think your anxiety and some. level of self. I don't want to call it self-loathing. but just. there's part of you that's saying come. on come on yeah you could do better you. need that and when people uh are too. content with the writing process I'm. really suspicious oh God yeah then.

you're not I don't want to read it if. you had too much fun writing it some. sometimes um. sometimes it it doesn't feel like you're. being. um truthful or Earnest with that you. know like you're just being a difficult. um writer person but um. yeah I mean I'm never I'm never happy. until I get to the point where it's kind. of it's all done and I've like chiseled. it into something that really yeah I. genuinely do feel like I put my all and.

everything into that and all the best. bits out of everyone on the team has. gone into it you know all the way across. the line and finally you know we've done. all that work and it's it's ready to go. and at that point I would be happy. here's when I'm happy I'm happy when I. know I've got it it's on there's a lot. of good stuff on the page and now I get. to edit that makes me happy yeah because. it's going through let's tighten it up a. little more let's tweak this maybe this. doesn't follow that so let's move it.

over here because then I know I've got. it yeah now I'm just polishing it I'm. polishing it but it's not done yet. because once it's done I start to get a. little depressed about what's the next. thing so I like that little period it's. I don't know if you've had this but. one of my favorite times is. when I'm done with the performance. and I'm meeting with everybody in the. you know in the dressing room afterwards.

and we're going through the the show and. talking about everything and then I know. we're going out to dinner and I get to. have some wine that moment when I'm. wiping the makeup off but I know I'm. going off to dinner and we're all going. to be wise asses but the show was a. success yeah that's a moment that I. absolutely adore yeah and I know it's. never going to be quite that good again. you know until then until I get to the. next one yeah because it can change on a. dime can't it you know like I've had. um you know I've I've been pretty happy.

with something and someone's gone in and. and sort of fiddled with it and and I've. watched it and gone I want it's a load. of old I mean this is clearly a a. terrible piece of work and so it doesn't. take much for me to sort of lose my. confidence and. um because I I do think there is not a. huge amount of difference in in you know. when something's good and great right. it's just like detail and you know. trusting yourself and your taste and all. that but I remember back in the day I I.

found writing I I it was it was a bit of. a torture because I hadn't figured out. that thing that you just described there. that you can get it all down yeah and. then you start you know the the work of. making a good whereas I would like sit. there and just like try and wait each. word has to be perfect before you write. the next word which doesn't work yeah. which really doesn't work and um yeah it. was actually Dennis um Kelly who I. learned that off you know. um I don't know who he learned it off.

but but yeah just get it all down there. and when you feel like there's some. really good. stuff in the mix of all the terrible. stuff then you're not in a Barbie you've. done a great job of finding these other. people because I know you met Rob. Delaney through Twitter and you guys of. course work together on catastrophe and. that's how I met you you came on. promoting that and remember that. grabbing my attention and thinking okay. this person's really special but you you.

know Finding voices that you know I can. work with this person yeah this person. I mean it is. finding a good creative partner is not. unlike going on a good date it's just. finding that we've got that freeze on. we've got something yeah next I've been. really lucky I don't know how it's. worked out for me really I mean because. I make a show in in the UK called. motherland and that is with um you know. co-writers as well and um.

I don't know I've just gotten really. lucky I think because I do it's a scary. thing isn't it it's a really scary thing. and you know. um any of my writing Partners I've gone. through. um like. you know I've lost confidence with and. myself yeah you know um where I've found. it too hard to sort of say something. that I think is funny just because of. you know just losing my. um confidence but um but it's getting to. that place where you feel like an old. married couple where you really don't. give a you know where you will fart.

in front of them and and not and not be. worried you know right if it smells. I I mean that's a metaphor I'm not I. don't fart in front of Rob Delaney or. Dennis Kelly or. well I think you just said you did and. we've got that now I'd like to say we've. got it on tape but I Know It's All. Digital where do I come from a. difference you know you know the thing. of like not being scared of course say. something's cheap but you say something. funny you know all the people that I. love working with uh I love my exercise.

is what's the worst thing I could do in. this situation what's the what's the and. I I spin out these wild scenarios of. we're here in a restaurant what's the. worst thing I could do that would end my. end me and it's just something where I. make a complete total ass of myself and. I spin it out in great detail and I can. always see it perfectly clearly and. people will be laughing at that and I. don't know what it is but it's it's this. comfort that I can say these horrible.

things to my friends about what I'm. going to do in this restaurant that will. finish me forever. um and uh we talk about it and it's just. a joy it's a joy to have people like. that in your life.