Douglas Wood Quotes

Originality is only variation.

As long as there's something original going on, that's all that matters.

What people have to make sure of is that they're not replicating something that already exists. You really have to ask yourself: "Is there a point in me doing this? Has this already been said before? Is this moving things along or is this just adding to the giant pile of junk that's already there?"

I think with Blair Witch and The Sixth Sense, people are much more open to something that is different.

Filmmakers have to really find a unique take on something if they're going to explore an already-explored genre of movies.

When I go into making a movie, personally, I don't try to bring other pieces of movies with me.

My advice to authors would be to try to do something original rather than to try to anticipate what the market is looking for.

The greatness of art is not to find what is common but what is unique.

If they haven't heard it before it's original.

The secret of good writing is to say an old thing in a new way or to say a new thing in an old way.

My material is as new as anything on the dinner table. What difference does it make if I'm 70 or if I'm 20? The audience knows they aren't getting any old stories from me.

It's no fun for me to cover a song and produce it the exact same way as it already exists. When I hear that happening, I have to say, 'What's the point?'

I realized I had something new to say, something that wasn't already out there.

It's hard to find things that haven't been said before or drawn before, but I'm trying.

Originality will be rewarded in any line.

I always want to try to bring something fresh to every book. It's getting harder instead of easier. I feel like I work harder with each book. But I don't want it to show on the pages, that's for sure.

Never follow the crowd in what you do; the crowd has never produced anything of lasting quality, value or beauty.

I admire anyone who can come up with something original. But not originality alone, because there can be originality in stupidity, with no musical description of any emotion or any beauty the man has seen, or any kind of life he has lived.

To idealize: all writing is a campaign against cliché. Not just clichés of the pen but clichés of the mind and clichés of the heart.

I felt, if I'm going to take on some of the most overdone material, which is men and women and affairs and betrayal of friends, I had better have a new take on it. I think my films come from a desperation not to be boring.

You can always find ways to make it different, as long as it's a really well-written script and well-written character.

It is hard to do a film that wants to say something because, unfortunately, most everything has been said.

There's so much going on today. I continually hear, sometimes from artists, that everything's done. It's been done. I fail to see that.

What I try to do with any of my stories, any of my novels, is make them feel very original.

A poor original is better than a good imitation.