We all know that screenwriting can be a slog so here are 19 quotes from master screenwriters to motivate, inspire and learn from to keep you focused on writing your screenplays.
2D+1D-10%
2nd Draft = 1st Draft – 10%. Stephen King
Writing is a marathon, not a sprint. Robert McKee
A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but not necessarily in that order. Jean-Luc Godard
If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act. Billy Wilder
My three Ps: passion, patience, perseverance. You have to do this if you’ve got to be a filmmaker. Robert Wise
I became quite successful very young, and it was mainly because I was so enthusiastic and I just worked so hard at it. Francis Ford Coppola
A good film script you should be able to do completely without dialogue. David Mamet
You can make a movie about anything, as long as it has a hook to hang the advertising on. Roger Corman
First get your facts, then distort them at your leisure. Mark Twain
Only someone who is well prepared has the opportunity to improvise. Ingmar Bergman
Develop a clean line of action for your leading character. Billy Wilder
I strive to create movies that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. John Milius
I’m on a mission to make sure that I make something that I’m proud of. George A Romero
The event that occurs at the second act curtain triggers the end of the movie. Billy Wilder
I left the ending ambiguous because that is the way life is. Bernado Bertolucci
The thing about writing is if you really try, if you do it every day and put in your time, you get better. Francis Ford Coppola
You can’t fix a bad script after you start shooting. The problems only get bigger as they move to the big screen. Howard Hawks
Every good screenwriter that I know of spends an awful lot of time rewriting. Robert Towne
Don’t get it right, get it written. Not sure who but love it
