Screenwriter Michael Arndt is presumably spending his holiday working diligently on the script for the newest Star Wars movie, but you can spend a bit of your time off getting to know the man who’s about to breathe new life into one of cinema’s most popular franchises.

Arndt spoke at Cody’s Books in the wake of Little Miss Sunshine – and while this lengthy chat about that film and his writing process isn't particularly new, it does give us a glimpse of the man with the daunting task of creating the blueprint for the first installment of a new trilogy. Screenwriters never get the respect actors and directors do, so it’s great to hear Arndt talk about not only how he approaches his work, but see what he’s like as a person. After watching this, it’s hard not to feel like Star Wars is in good hands.

The full talk is just over an hour long, but it’s broken up into handy chapters if you’re pressed for time. Arndt covers tons of details about how he crafted the script for Little Miss Sunshine and takes some insightful questions from the audience. He talks about how he wrote the first draft in a mere three days – then spent the next year rewriting. He reveals where Olive’s name came from, lays out what he thinks are the five most important things a writer needs to know about his story when starting a script, and lots more. It’s a really informative talk that should appeal to Sunshine fans and those curious about the craft of screenwriting. [via LaFamiliaFilm, Fora.TV]

Little Miss Sunshine: The Shooting Script from Cody's Books on FORA.tv