Roger Zelazny Quotes

When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap.

There's not a formula that I'm following; it's just how I feel at the time. For instance, I did a very experimental film called 'Hardcore Henry,' and that was simply because I thought the filmmaker was very interesting and a risk taker. A film like that had never been made before, so I chose to do that at the time.

My absolutely favorite time of working on a project is the time I spend not knowing what it is. Because the longer you live inside that period, the likelier you are to discover something new.

Our real discoveries come from chaos, from going to the place that looks wrong and stupid and foolish.

I have a gut reaction to stuff that I read. Either it's a filmmaker that I really want to work with, or it's a story that I really want to be a part of and help serve, or there's a character that I feel I can bring something unique to. That's really what it's about. I would go crazy, if I just relied on the same tricks and did the same thing, all the time. It was just be no fun, at all. I really do need to try something different, every time out, and do something that scares me, a little bit.

Sometimes when an idea flashes, you distrust it because it seems too easy. You qualify it with all kinds of evasive phrases because you’re timid about it. But often, this turns out to be the best idea of all.

None of us understand what we're doing, but we do beautiful things anyway.

Trust your creativity.

U2's best work has always been when we didn't know what we're doing.

Trust that little voice in your head that says 'Wouldn't it be interesting if...'; And then do it.

My advice to female directors is not to wait until you feel like your ideas have been pre-certified or until you think you've gotten some approval for them. Then it's too late! Follow your gut. That's hard to do, but the only way to be original.

Some of the screen's best moments were realized because a director went against all reason, all logic. No matter how incredible a story seems, it can be made credible. If you feel an insane idea strongly enough, you've usually got something.

Creativity can be described as letting go of certainties.

I think when you've had success, publishers and reviewers and readers are willing to let you try something new if you've already proven yourself. They're excited about what you're doing, you have people interested in it, and actually waiting for it. It's empowering.

Don't play what's there, play what's not there.

In my work, I have never had any use for anything that I have known in advance.

When I try to write I try to write something different every time. That's the challenge.

I'm never worried about being upstaged. I love to have the best, most individual people come in and see if we hit on something.

A man of genius makes no mistakes; his errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.

You need to get outside of your comfort zone to write songs that are interesting, songs that are compelling, songs that are different from what other people are writing.

If I like a make-up artist's look, even if nobody knows about her, I use her. New people give me energy.

There has to be an element of risk-taking for me in my work.

My methodology is not knowing what I'm doing and making that work for me.

The hardest thing is the idea. Ideas come from somewhere but as far as we know they come from nowhere.

I always want to do something I haven't done before and get to work with other actors, writers, or directors that I want to work with.