There are nearly thirteen million people in the world. None of those people is an extra. They're all the leads of their own stories. They have to be given their due.

She was nice. Nice is good.

There's a point I can get to where I start writing character and then through the dialogue, after all of this preparation, the thing starts to feel like it's a character developing through the dialogue. A lot of character traits do come from writing dialogue, but I have to be ready to do it.

I have a tendency to hire people who tend to be unattractive to the studios. Maybe this is a bad idea.

I try when I'm writing to leave enough "space" for people to have their own interpretation, and not to direct it toward one conclusion. Then the audience would not be reacting, because they are being preached to or lectured at. I don't have that much to say that I think people should listen to me.

You and I share the same DNA. Is there anything more lonely than that?

I think I've had pretty good experiences for the most part with the people who have directed my screenplays.