Sarah Waters Quotes

As a storyteller, when you're writing a movie and when you're directing, you want to keep people entertained. That's the whole point, right? It has to be entertaining.

In making films, I'm constantly looking for people who are in conflict and who are going to surprise you and challenge you.

I'm drawn to a good story, really, as I hope most people are. For me, it's the story that's going to stay with you eventually, not necessarily the genre. I go to watch a film because of the story, not because it was a Western or a comedy.

The essence to me of all good drama is argument.

There's a real art to telling a story in two hours, and that will always be something that people are very, very interested in.

I have a certain kind of a taste for what will make a good movie or a good play or theater.

Of course, I'm not allowed to talk about the script, but I can say it is a really good story.

I always think plot is what you fall back on if you can't write, to keep things going.

There is always something I gain from watching a movie, whether it's a silly romantic comedy or an art film.

Movies are all about plot. Theater, even if it's story heavy, it's about ideas. Theater has to resonate in your heart in a way that movies don't.

All the writing elements are the same. You need to tell a good story... You've got good characters... People think there's some dramatic difference between writing 'Little Bear' and the 'Hunger Games,' and as a writer, for me, there isn't.

Films don't always tell a story; some films can achieve effect just by being razzle-dazzle or rock n' roll. That's part of the fare that's out there. And that's okay. For me, I place more value on a story.

I think that those are the things that you can uniquely do with film that are difficult to do anywhere else: they can bring a picture to life, give it a natural and historical context and make you feel that everything else is suddenly credible.

I made mistakes in drama. I thought drama was when actors cried. But drama is when the audience cries.

A film with an untidy plot cannot grip the audience and define their emotional response.

A film engages you emotionally and intellectually.

Film is very condensed.

We like drama. Even in our comedy, we like drama.

There came this point where I sat down with all my notebooks and I had to start to write, when I thought: this whole notion of writing for the person who understands nothing, the average reader... He has to die! I can't have him in my head. And so the person I started writing for was the homicide detective.

Listen to great storytellers; slowly, you will learn about voice, timing, tension, structure, climax - all the things you need to tell stories that will capture the imagination of your audience.

What I've realized is that a film operates both on the intellectual and emotional levels, and if you can find a way to tell a riveting story and draw ideas out of that, it's very powerful.

I love a really good storyline.

Good storytelling appeals to me - good writing.

Drama is action, sir, action and not confounded philosophy.

Storytelling is storytelling. Good stories need compelling characters and interesting conflicts. That's the bottom line no matter what medium you're writing for.