Quotes About Craft

Hardboiled crime fiction came of age in 'Black Mask' magazine during the Twenties and Thirties. Writers like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler learnt their craft and developed a distinct literary style and attitude toward the modern world.

'The Fourth Hand' was a novel that came from twenty years of screenwriting concurrently with whatever novel I'm writing.

I understand, certain scenes have to have a lot of takes. As an actor, I think it's quite nice to have a handful of takes, because you don't want to do it once or twice; I think once or twice sometimes is quite terrifying because you don't really feel like you've given them what you want.

Many movie stars or American Idol contestants sort of fall into theater... and say, 'Oh, yeah, I would love to do theater.' And then they get here and say, 'Oh, wait a minute, this actually is a craft!' It's not just show up one day and do it. It's show up eight times a week, twice on Wednesdays and twice on Saturdays.

I felt film is art and there are people that constructed that art - and that made me want to be a filmmaker.

Well, the secret to writing is writing. It's only a secret to people who don't want to hear it. Writing is how you be a writer.

At the end of the day, what actors really want to do is act a lot and not wait around in the trailer.

As a producer, you really have - you're able to hand-pick all the talent that you want to be surrounded with.

Unfortunately, most actors want to play off their own personal mystique and good looks and whatever, but that will only carry you but so far.

I stopped asking a long time ago, "why would you want me to play that?" I'm an actor. That's what I do.

I learned to distrust writers who talked about how they squeezed the blood onto the typewriter. They just don't want you to know how much fun they have - you'll resent it.

Win with ability, not with numbers.

If you want to learn the craft of war, ponder over this book. The teacher is as a needle, the disciple is as thread. You must practice constantly.

I wonder if she was goin' to quilt it or just knot it?

I'm not a good crime writer. I'm not good with plots... so I have to do something else.

I learned my business in the theater and in television, particularly working with the actors. You can learn much more in the theater than directing a movie, because then you have no time when you are shooting a movie to really work with the actors. You have to learn this craft somewhere else.

A rhyme doesn't make a song.

I am always happy to use my song and dance training.

Just knowing how to rap doesn't necessarily mean that you're a good songwriter.

I definitely consider myself a songwriter first because that's my best attribute.

I'm a songwriter first.

First and foremost, I consider myself a songwriter.

There's a lot of craft that goes into achieving a hit song - at the beginning of your career, you're usually more inspiration than craft, and you get great when those intersect. A skilled songwriter can get you to that intersection.

I think if you're a good songwriter, that's what you are first - not a star or celebrity.