Screenwriting 101: Horton Foote
“It’s a very mysterious thing — writing. It’s like acting: You can study techniques until you drop over on your face. Then there’s the x…
“It’s a very mysterious thing — writing. It’s like acting: You can study techniques until you drop over on your face. Then there’s the x factor. It’s not fair, because I know the most wonderful, the hardest-working people in the world that are actors. They know all the technical things, but nothing much happens. The same with many writers that I know. But with certain writers, their talent is the essence of the person. It’s something that’s uniquely theirs. It’s — Grace, maybe. It’s like the palm of your hand. It’s your voice. You can pick up certain stories and know immediately who wrote that story after three or four paragraphs. I don’t think that can be taught, and I don’t know where that comes from. It’s one of the great mysteries, as far as I’m concerned.”
— Horton Foote
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