Overacting is a self-indulgence, while underacting comes either through a lack of talent or a lack of courage.
Gregory PeckRead
When you're a writer, the question people always ask you is, "Where do you get your ideas?" Writers hate this question. It's like asking Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen, "Where do you get your leeches?" You don't get ideas. Ideas get you.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writers are often pressured to reveal the source of their inspiration, but creativity is more about being open to ideas than seeking them out.
In this quote, Connie Willis emphasizes that the process of writing is not about a straightforward extraction of ideas from a fixed source but rather a more dynamic relationship where ideas come to the writer unexpectedly. The analogy of Bogart's character having leeches suggests that just as leeches are a natural part of the environment in the film, ideas are inherent to the creative process, waiting to be discovered and cultivated by the writer.
Themes
WritingCreativityIdeasInspirationArt
In practice
Example use cases
Sharing this quote during a writer's workshop to spark a discussion on the creative process.
Similar quotes
You want to be a writer, don't know how or when? Find a quiet place, use a humble pen.
Paul SimonRead
I'm a rewriter. That's the part I like best . . . once I have a pile of paper to work with, it's like having the pieces of a puzzle. I just have to put the pieces together to make a picture.
Judy BlumeRead
Think of the magic of that foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It's a miracle, and the dance is a celebration of that miracle.
Martha GrahamRead
I had two major activities as a child. I was trying to put on shows with kids in my street, or I was drawing. Actually, what I'm doing now is exactly what I was doing then. Either I'm drawing, or I'm gathering people for a common project. The only difference is that now they are paying me for that.
Marjane SatrapiRead
My first two books are out of print and, okay, they can sleep there comfortably. It's early work, derivative work.
Mary OliverRead