BJ Novak on The Office, Tarantino, and Finding His Voice as a Writer

BJ Novak joins James Patterson on Hungry Dogs for a conversation about ambition, burnout, and storytelling. The Office star and author of The Book With No Pictures reflects on turning down the role of showrunner during the show’s peak, what he learned from doing stand-up comedy, and how working with Quentin Tarantino on Inglourious Basterds shaped his creative outlook. They also dig into the craft of writing and directing, why audience humility matters, and the difference between chasing success and finding meaning in your work. 00:00 Intro 01:10 The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak 05:52 Turning Down The Office Showrunner Offer 08:19 Lessons from Mel Robbins, Bill Clinton, and George Bush 13:31 Working with Quentin Tarantino 17:31 Directing and Writing Vengeance 20:08 Directing Advice and the Importance of Tone 22:35 Challenges of Screenwriting in Hollywood 26:48 The Art of Outlining Stories 29:27 Character Development in Writing 31:06 New Projects and Ideas