Terry Rossio Quotes

Most aspiring screenwriters simply don't spend enough time choosing their concept. It's by far the most common mistake I see in spec scripts. The writer has lost the race right from the gate. Months - sometimes years - are lost trying to elevate a film idea that by its nature probably had no hope of ever becoming a movie.

Anger is a more noble emotion than indifference.

Human beings are compelled to adopt a belief system; some paradigm to provide meaning, purpose, and understanding to our lives. A quick survey of the world shows that pretty much any idea will do - it need not reflect reality or truth, merely function to fascinate, distract, and compel. We are designed for belief, not for truth.

It is a rare man who can prevail in the face of comfort. Freedom is fragile and elusive, for rarely does the appreciation of it exceed the pleasure of being able to tell others what to do. There is but one tick on the accuracy scale between 'optimism' and 'denial.'

You should quit trying only after two conditions have been met: 1.) You've given yourself a legitimate shot. 2.) Trying is no longer fun.

My lousy way of getting it done is better than your great way of not doing it.

Self-esteem is the prize awarded by you to you for playing by your own rules - in which case, you'd think it would be easier to come by.

You are an adult when, faced with important decisions, you choose to have more faith in yourself than anything else.

It seems quite proper to fear achievement, which, after all, is proof that you've successfully moved an experience from the delightfully anticipated future into the forever and sadly lost past. Avoid as long as you can the ultimate indignity: a lifetime achievement award.

The resolve to diet is most easily summoned on a full stomach.

Success is less rare than the courage to attempt it.

How do we not rue the many unchosen paths in life? A blessed lack of imagination. There are enough real glories along any path to swamp our meager ability to picture alternatives.

Talent is truth on display.

Personal happiness is so important, most choose to let someone else take care of it.

A fool harvests his opinions in the spring.

Most will choose to leave someone who can't bear to see them go.

Mistakes are the byproduct of action - and thus an accurate gauge of effort.

Once learned, the ability to disagree with a smile pays valuable dividends for a lifetime.

I'm tempted to say, 'Writing treatments is like designing a film by hiring six million monkeys to tear out pages of an encyclopedia, then you put the pages through a paper-shredder, randomly grab whatever intact lines are left, sing them in Italian to a Spanish deaf-mute, and then make story decisions with the guy via conference call.' But no... compared to writing treatments, that makes sense, too.

In Hollywood, story content of movies follows a hierarchy of power, not the relative quality of various ideas. Hollywood does not lack for quality writing. It's just that quality writing commonly has to be sacrificed in order to propel a film into production. A studio needs a star and a director to make a film, so those are the folk who'll define the content. If they don't have the same creative sensibilities, then the content will change.

It's easier to be old than young. You make just as many blunders, but you've become much more adept at not recognizing them.

A child should have every advantage - including those taught by disadvantage.

You must -- you MUST -- choose well.