By BetteAndTinaForever

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B&TF: I’d like to ask you some questions about being a screenwriter if that’s okay. Do you write everyday? GT: Hell no! No, I actually do not write everyday. I think everyday. I consider doing almost anything I can do, like research. But I definitely don’t write everyday. I think a lot and procrastinate a lot. B&TF: Do you have a ritual that you go through to prepare yourself for writing? GT: Yes. It’s very specific. I wake up and I don’t talk to anyone, I don’t read emails. I stay in my pajamas, make tea and write until I can’t stand to sit anymore. It has to be first thing in the morning before I’ve spoken to anyone which is why I’m single and have to live alone. B&TF: What kind of tea? GT: It depends. Sometimes I drink detox tea, always I drink peppermint tea and when I’m feeling like I’m really sleepy but I have to get my shit together I drink Yerba Mate.

B&TF: Are any of your scripts available for sale? Like on the internet or somewhere else.

GT: There’s a Go Fish book that compliments the movie. Also there’s a book with American Psycho. Almost any great movie that’s ever been made has a script available; you just need to find where they’re available. Before Go Fish we wrote Do the Right Thing, whish is also a book and the advantage to the books is that most writers will talk about the process they go through so you can get a lot of information that way.

B&TF: What project are you the most proud of being a part of as a director or a writer?

GT: Well, the oldest and the longest lasting is Go Fish because people continue to watch it and even young people will still come up to me and say how it changed their lives – and you know it’s a 16 year old movie. That’s why I feel like everything else I do or have done is gravy. I’m happy to keep doing the work but I do think that’s the best thing that I’ve done.

B&TF: Who’s your inspiration as far as writers?

GT: I would say that I’ve always been influenced by 19th century writers like Kafka, Virginia Woolf but also by Marx Brothers scripts. It’s so all over the place. I read so much and I get inspired in so many different ways. I get asked that all the time but it’s a difficult question to answer. I feel like I get inspired by anything, like I got inspired by something my 85-year-old neighbor did yesterday. You know what I mean?

B&TF: I write for The L Word.com website and sometimes I get ideas while I’m walking and looking around so I understand what you mean. Remember, during Season One…

GT: Do you mean during Season 1 of my life? (laughing)

B&TF: (laughing) I wish we can talk about that…in season one of The L Word introduces Marina to Jenny and Marina asks Jenny, “What’s the most influential book of your life?” What would you say is the most life altering book in your life?

GT: You have to realize that I’m a Gemini and everything changes for me completely on an almost minute to minute basis so every time I read a book it changes. The most recent book I read that was really, really great was “Middlesex” about a hermaphrodite. It’s the way it’s written that inspires me. It really requires patience from the reader and he’s not afraid to tell his story in this rather long, complicated, rather convoluted way that starts right at the beginning. I just thought that was rather impressive and really brave.

B&TF: You’ve been involved with Itty Bitty Titty Committee and Notorious Betty Page. Can you tell me about those experiences?

GT: About being involved with Itty Bitty? Oh, that was super fun - hanging out with Jamie (Babbit) and trying to come up with the concept, being on the set was really fun, running in the hills was really fun.

B&TF: One of my favorite scenes was when you were running with that other girl and you’re like – “let’s go...”

GT: Right, working with Melanie Mayron was really fun. What was the other one you asked me about?

B&TF: The Notorious Betty Page…did you direct it?

GT: I co-wrote it with the director. We worked on that movie for about 9 years. It was so, so satisfying to finally get it made and I really love the lead, I think she’s so good and I really love the movie even though I think a lot of people aren’t going to understand it.

B&TF: I saw it and I thought it was great. Okay, last question. If you had a choice between directing, acting and writing and you could only choose one, what would it be?

GT: (pause) Writing. I hate that question. I think I’d kill myself if I had to make a choice. They all fulfill something different in me but I would have to say writing.

B&TF: Well, let’s hope you don’t have to choose and you’ll be involve in many things.