Writing is such an industry now. In many ways, that's a…
““Writing is such an industry now. In many ways, that's a good thing, in that it removes all the muse-like mystique and makes it a plain old job, accessible to everyone. But with industry comes jargon. I was aware that jargon was starting to fill those growing shelves of Writer's Self Help books, not to mention the blogosphere. Wherever I looked, the writing of a script was being reduced to A, B, C plots, Text and Subtext, Three Act Structure and blah, blah, blah. And I'd think, that's not what writing is! Writing's inside your head! It's thinking! It's every hour of the day, every day of your life, a constant storm of pictures and voices and sometimes, if you're very, very lucky, insight.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote argues that treating writing as a commercial industry strips away its creative mystery, reducing it to formulaic structures and jargon, while true writing is an internal, continuous mental process.
In simple terms: Writing is more than formulas; it's a constant mental activity.
Value intuition over rigid frameworks.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- screenwriting
- personal journaling
- creative workshops
- daily brainstorming
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance structure with spontaneous creativity?
- What practices keep your inner voice alive?
Rigid structures can limit originality and personal voice.