Everything has to be pulling weight in a short story for it to be really of the first order.
There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.
When everyone is determined to present someone as a monster, there are two possibilities: either he is a saint or they are not telling the whole story.
Our stories always contain average, ordinary people. They are the most unsuspecting victims of all.
I am an architect of words; there is no limit to the number of 'stories' I can create!
Some of the best stories start out with a person who absolutely does not want anything to do with an adventure.
Telling a story is like playing a fiddle. No one want's to hear it when it's done badly
The challenge of the writer is to transform—artistically and imaginatively—a unique personal experience into a universal, meaningful story.
I edit my own stories to death. They eventually run and hide from me.
Mark Twain had a way of telling stories that shifts your consciousness away from labels.
West Side Story was terribly important because of the style of the dancing and the gangs of New York.
I think there's a stigma to some degree about the outer boroughs and Jersey, and whether their stories are worth telling.
I've been spoiled by this project. I was given the script and went in to read, realizing that this was a powerful story and one that wasn't told very often.
Can you imagine what it would be like if all the Aussie film talent was able to make Australian stories?
I always liked the story of Noah's Ark and the idea of starting anew by rescuing the things you like and leaving the rest behind.
The Indian story has never been written. Maybe I am the man to do it.
If someone knows me and likes me or my work, they're more likely to allow me to tell their story. But it also cuts the other way.
Gastronomy is my hobby. I'm simply the casting director. Once I've brought all the right people together, it is they who must work together to tell a story.
My style of writing is to allow the story to unfold on its own. I try not to structure my work too rigidly.
Jack Benny was, without a doubt, the bravest comedian I have ever seen work. He wasn't afraid of silence. He would take as long as it took to tell the story.
The more work you put in on your outline and getting the skeleton of your story right, the easier the process is later.
