--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The stuff that I write doesn't work very…" description: "\"The stuff that I write doesn't work very well as background music. You have to watch it from beginning to end and pay attention as if you were watching..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69d/aaron-sorkin-2826_attention_the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very_2399533.png" --- # The stuff that I write doesn't work very well as… ![“The stuff that I write doesn't work very well as background music. You have to watch it from beginning to end and pay attention as if you were watching a play.” quote by Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69d/aaron-sorkin-2826_attention_the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very_2399533.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69d/aaron-sorkin-2826_attention_the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very_2399533.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69d/aaron-sorkin-2826_attention_the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very_2399533.png) > “The stuff that I write doesn't work very well as background music. You have to watch it from beginning to end and pay attention as if you were watching a play.” [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His writing demands active listening, not background ambience; it's like a play. **In simple terms:** His work requires focused attention. Key Takeaway Listen actively. Themes writing attention music media Mood thoughtful analytical Type creative insightful When to use this quote - film scoring - theatre productions - audio design Key Concepts narrative focus audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - Can music enhance narrative without distracting? - How to balance immersion and focus? A Different Perspective May limit use as ambient sound. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Attention Watching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-watching-6004918/) [Background music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/background-music/) [Backgrounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backgrounds/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Stuff Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff-write-274747/) [Watch Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watch-beginning-6004917/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/) [Watching Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watching-play-294332/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [One of the biggest challenges in the past for me in working on the networks was that audiences have grown accustomed to television being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/one-of-the-biggest-challenges-in-the-past-for-me-in-working-on-the/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [You know, one of the tragedies of real life is that there is no background music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/you-know-one-of-the-tragedies-of-real-life-is-that-there-is-no/) [Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-proulx/) > [I love when I reach Marcus on the phone and as he says hello, I can hear the music he's listening to in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-love-when-i-reach-marcus-on-the-phone-and-as-he-says-hello-i-can/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [First I think I was interested in the stories, and later on, I became more interested in the language itself, so the stories became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/first-i-think-i-was-interested-in-the-stories-and-later-on-i-became/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The neo-conservative critics of leftist critics of mass culture ridicule the protest against Bach as background music in the kitchen, against Plato and Hegel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/the-neo-conservative-critics-of-leftist-critics-of-mass-culture/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) > [If people enjoy watching me play, or if I can have a good interaction with somebody, that's a win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennys-sandgren/if-people-enjoy-watching-me-play-or-if-i-can-have-a-good-interaction/) [Tennys Sandgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennys-sandgren/) > [When I set out to write, I see it very visually. I almost feel like a reporter. I'm relating what I'm seeing and hearing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-brown/when-i-set-out-to-write-i-see-it-very-visually-i-almost-feel-like-a/) [Sandra Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-brown/) > [I'm pretty in tune with everything that happens on the PGA TOUR. Jordan Spieth is my guy. I love watching him play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-curry/i-m-pretty-in-tune-with-everything-that-happens-on-the-pga-tour/) [Stephen Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-curry/) > [You can learn from watching others play and I have friends on other teams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-knox/you-can-learn-from-watching-others-play-and-i-have-friends-on-other/) [Kevin Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-knox/) > [When I got the call that the Patriots were interested, it was a very surreal feeling. I've always looked up to watching them play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hogan/when-i-got-the-call-that-the-patriots-were-interested-it-was-a-very/) [Chris Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hogan/) > [When I was younger, Fernando Torres was one of my idols. I used to go to the games every week when he was at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mullin/when-i-was-younger-fernando-torres-was-one-of-my-idols-i-used-to-go/) [Paul Mullin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mullin/) > [Wayne Chrebet, obviously, I love watching him play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hogan/wayne-chrebet-obviously-i-love-watching-him-play/) [Chris Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hogan/) > [I've got massive respect for Marta, I've loved watching her play, and I love seeing what she does on the ball. If I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-kirby/i-ve-got-massive-respect-for-marta-i-ve-loved-watching-her-play-and-i/) [Fran Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-kirby/) > [Music is just sound - what's more important to me is behavior. I'm watching these play-offs - basketball - it's interesting to watch behavior,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-shorter/music-is-just-sound-what-s-more-important-to-me-is-behavior-i-m/) [Wayne Shorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-shorter/) > [You get a pretty good read by watching the play, and knowing what you would have done - having done most of the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pronger/you-get-a-pretty-good-read-by-watching-the-play-and-knowing-what-you/) [Chris Pronger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pronger/) ## More by Aaron Sorkin > [Conflict, when used as a device, makes for good television and bad journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/conflict-when-used-as-a-device-makes-for-good-television-and-bad/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Film doesn't have to worry. Movies are awesome. There's no war going on, theaters aren't going to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/film-doesn-t-have-to-worry-movies-are-awesome-there-s-no-war-going-on/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [People don't live their lives in a series of scenes that form a dramatic narrative, they don't speak in dialogue, they're not lit by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/people-don-t-live-their-lives-in-a-series-of-scenes-that-form-a/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [One of the biggest challenges in the past for me in working on the networks was that audiences have grown accustomed to television being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/one-of-the-biggest-challenges-in-the-past-for-me-in-working-on-the/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [You're going to fall down, but the world doesn't care how many times you fall down, as long as it's one fewer than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/you-re-going-to-fall-down-but-the-world-doesn-t-care-how-many-times/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [We live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/we-live-in-a-world-that-has-walls-and-those-walls-have-to-be-guarded/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [As an audience member, I like the sound of something that's been written - I like it to sound written. And then, of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/as-an-audience-member-i-like-the-sound-of-something-that-s-been/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [She's a person; the doctor pronounces her dead, not the news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/she-s-a-person-the-doctor-pronounces-her-dead-not-the-news/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [It's nice that HBO is in business with the audience and not with the advertisers. There's a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/it-s-nice-that-hbo-is-in-business-with-the-audience-and-not-with-the/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [“TOBY: The world can move or not by changing some words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/toby-the-world-can-move-or-not-by-changing-some-words/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [I had never thought of doing television. But my agent wanted me to meet John Wells, who had had a lot of success producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/i-had-never-thought-of-doing-television-but-my-agent-wanted-me-to/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Government should be a place where people can come together, and no one gets left behind. No one…gets left behind. An instrument of good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/government-should-be-a-place-where-people-can-come-together-and-no/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Television from its inception had the number one goal to alienate as few people as possible. That's why if you look at 1950s, 1960s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/television-from-its-inception-had-the-number-one-goal-to-alienate-as/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Josh: So, Toby, it’s election night. What do you say about a country that goes out of its way to protect even those citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/josh-so-toby-it-s-election-night-what-do-you-say-about-a-country-that/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [The hardest thing for me is getting started. If I'm writing a script, really 90 per cent of it would be just walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/the-hardest-thing-for-me-is-getting-started-if-i-m-writing-a-script/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) [Explore all 148 Aaron Sorkin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The stuff that I write doesn't work very well as background music. You have to watch it from beginning to end and pay attention as if you were watching a play.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aaron Sorkin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very-well-as-background-music-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very-well-as-background-music-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69d/aaron-sorkin-2826_attention_the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very_2399533.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69d/aaron-sorkin-2826_attention_the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very_2399533.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69d/aaron-sorkin-2826_attention_the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very_2399533.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The stuff that I write doesn't work very well as background music. You have to watch it from beginning to…” — Aaron Sorkin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aaron Sorkin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The stuff that I write doesn't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very-well-as-background-music-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/the-stuff-that-i-write-doesn-t-work-very-well-as-background-music-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```