--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The things that I'm interested in…" description: "\"The things that I'm interested in directing are fiction, because then you're not married to a particular reality.\" — Dustin Lance Black" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46a/dustin-lance-black-4536_directing_the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-direct_826042.png" --- # The things that I'm interested in directing are fiction… ![“The things that I'm interested in directing are fiction, because then you're not married to a particular reality.” quote by Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46a/dustin-lance-black-4536_directing_the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-direct_826042.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46a/dustin-lance-black-4536_directing_the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-direct_826042.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46a/dustin-lance-black-4536_directing_the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-direct_826042.png) > “The things that I'm interested in directing are fiction, because then you're not married to a particular reality.” [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fiction allows creators to explore ideas without being constrained by factual reality. **In simple terms:** Fiction frees creative direction. Key Takeaway Embrace imaginative storytelling. Themes creativity fiction artistic freedom Mood reflective inquisitive Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - screenwriting - novel writing - role‑play - concept development Key Concepts narrative flexibility imagined worlds Questions to Reflect On - What truths do you embed in fictional stories? - How does fiction influence perception of reality? A Different Perspective Fiction may still reflect underlying truths, limiting pure escapism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Directing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directing/) [Directing Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directing-fiction-515423/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction Married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-married-515424/) [Interested Directing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested-directing-515425/) [Particular Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular-reality-515426/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [I just don't want to make the same old movies. I'm not interested in it. Directing's hard. It takes up a lot of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-just-don-t-want-to-make-the-same-old-movies-i-m-not-interested-in/) [Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/) > [Acting is always the priority and I love doing what I do, but I'm also very interested in directing and writing and getting a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skyler-gisondo/acting-is-always-the-priority-and-i-love-doing-what-i-do-but-i-m-also/) [Skyler Gisondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skyler-gisondo/) > [I just started to want to be more hands on, and again, because of the nature of this job which was to evaluate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-urbinati/i-just-started-to-want-to-be-more-hands-on-and-again-because-of-the/) [Rob Urbinati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-urbinati/) > [I wanted to be a director first to protect my writing. I'm a playwright and you don't need to protect your writing when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-lonergan/i-wanted-to-be-a-director-first-to-protect-my-writing-i-m-a/) [Kenneth Lonergan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-lonergan/) > [I would consider directing. I think directing myself would be tough, but I'm definitely interested in directing. I might start off directing a play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/i-would-consider-directing-i-think-directing-myself-would-be-tough/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [I was just interested in directing. So I just kept having a go at trying to write little scripts and get things together, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-capaldi/i-was-just-interested-in-directing-so-i-just-kept-having-a-go-at/) [Peter Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-capaldi/) > [I'm very interested in directing actors - many directors direct cameras.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marquand/i-m-very-interested-in-directing-actors-many-directors-direct-cameras/) [Richard Marquand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marquand/) > [I was already interested in directing when I was very young. I knew that was something I was going to be doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/i-was-already-interested-in-directing-when-i-was-very-young-i-knew/) [Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/) > [I'm interested in directing, but it's a real headache. Directing can be a real pain in the ass, because you not only have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-wise/i-m-interested-in-directing-but-it-s-a-real-headache-directing-can-be/) [Ray Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-wise/) > [I'm interested in directing movies about situations that I've lived, so they are almost a personal essay about what I've come to believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-m-interested-in-directing-movies-about-situations-that-i-ve-lived/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [There is so much I'd love to do in this industry. I'm honestly interested in directing even a little more so than acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-kenney/there-is-so-much-i-d-love-to-do-in-this-industry-i-m-honestly/) [Emma Kenney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-kenney/) > [I'm interested in directing attention and focus, explored through playing cello.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-roman/i-m-interested-in-directing-attention-and-focus-explored-through/) [Joshua Roman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-roman/) > [I've always been interested in directing. I started acting when I was thirteen years old, so I've had some desire to do something else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-directing-i-started-acting-when-i-was/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [If the film isn't in some way going to study behavior then I'm not interested, but the reason why I'm not interested in directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/if-the-film-isn-t-in-some-way-going-to-study-behavior-then-i-m-not/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I've always been interested in directing, writing, and producing, so when I went behind the scenes, it was like a whole new world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsai-martin/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-directing-writing-and-producing-so/) [Marsai Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsai-martin/) ## More by Dustin Lance Black > [That's what I learned most about directing on my own - you've got to build a family, a filmmaking family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/that-s-what-i-learned-most-about-directing-on-my-own-you-ve-got-to/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I watched Sean Penn, you know, bring Harvey Milk to life. I was on the set every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-watched-sean-penn-you-know-bring-harvey-milk-to-life-i-was-on-the/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I love the true life stories and the biopics - people say I'm pigeonholed, but it's a fantastic kind of pigeonhole - but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-love-the-true-life-stories-and-the-biopics-people-say-i-m/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [Gay people are more powerful when they work with lesbians. We become more powerful when we're L, G, B and T.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/gay-people-are-more-powerful-when-they-work-with-lesbians-we-become/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I get emotionally attached to someone if I talk to them on the street corner for five minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-get-emotionally-attached-to-someone-if-i-talk-to-them-on-the-street/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [For Coca-Cola to take a pro-diversity, pro-equality stance creates a lot of goodwill in the LGBT community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/for-coca-cola-to-take-a-pro-diversity-pro-equality-stance-creates-a/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [In this miraculous, beautiful universe of ours, where it's an absolute miracle that our eyes and ears can witness it all, we somehow have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/in-this-miraculous-beautiful-universe-of-ours-where-it-s-an-absolute/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [You can't keep treating people differently under the law because of their differences. That's not America. I dare say that's not even a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/you-can-t-keep-treating-people-differently-under-the-law-because-of/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [There has been this resurgence in anti-LGBT language in the U.K. and the U.S., and the rest of the world. In the U.S. we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/there-has-been-this-resurgence-in-anti-lgbt-language-in-the-u-k-and/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [Have I always agreed with my Southern, military, Mormon family? Absolutely not. Have we always figured out how to get along? Yes! At the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/have-i-always-agreed-with-my-southern-military-mormon-family/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I think of the biopics I've written as exploring a more grown-up side of myself, through other characters' lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-think-of-the-biopics-i-ve-written-as-exploring-a-more-grown-up-side/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I wrote 'Milk' for me. I wrote it for the younger version of me that had no clue that there are people who'd ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-wrote-milk-for-me-i-wrote-it-for-the-younger-version-of-me-that-had/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I'd say I'm not sure about Christianity, but I sure do like their Christ and the lessons about turning the other cheek, about forgiveness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-d-say-i-m-not-sure-about-christianity-but-i-sure-do-like-their/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I like the gray movies. I don't know if audiences always... it makes them work a little harder. And they have to work hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-like-the-gray-movies-i-don-t-know-if-audiences-always-it-makes-them/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [Being right is overrated! If someone is saying that they're right about the future, that's a claim only a fool would make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/being-right-is-overrated-if-someone-is-saying-that-they-re-right/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) [Explore all 109 Dustin Lance Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) ## More Directing quotes > [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/) [John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [That's what I learned most about directing on my own - you've got to build a family, a filmmaking family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/that-s-what-i-learned-most-about-directing-on-my-own-you-ve-got-to/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I took on the role of CEO, which involves directing the Management Team and overall day-to-day operations of 500.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-tsai/i-took-on-the-role-of-ceo-which-involves-directing-the-management/) [Christine Tsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-tsai/) > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [When I see my movies on the editing table, I do think I could have done them a certain way. The satisfaction is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/when-i-see-my-movies-on-the-editing-table-i-do-think-i-could-have/) [Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/) > [For me the dream is the freedom to make all the crazy ideas I have in my head into movies. I truly love directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-ozeki/for-me-the-dream-is-the-freedom-to-make-all-the-crazy-ideas-i-have-in/) [Nicholas Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-ozeki/) > [The producing thing has come quite naturally to me. I feel like for directing, I would like to be more technically-savvy. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/the-producing-thing-has-come-quite-naturally-to-me-i-feel-like-for/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I'm addicted to directing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-shankman/i-m-addicted-to-directing/) [Adam Shankman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-shankman/) > [Making a movie and not directing the little moments is like drinking a soda and leaving the little slurp puddle for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/making-a-movie-and-not-directing-the-little-moments-is-like-drinking/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Directing films is easier said than done. The job needs a lot of sensibility to put many things in place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-sethupathi/directing-films-is-easier-said-than-done-the-job-needs-a-lot-of/) [Vijay Sethupathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-sethupathi/) > [I starred in a Broadway play that was Sidney Poitier's first directing job and the cast was Lou Gossett, Cicely Tyson, Diana Ladd and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steinberg/i-starred-in-a-broadway-play-that-was-sidney-poitier-s-first/) [David Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steinberg/) > [I don't get nervous when I'm directing a play. It's not like acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/i-don-t-get-nervous-when-i-m-directing-a-play-it-s-not-like-acting/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) > [My dad's a prominent theatre director in Toronto, so I grew up in that world, directing and producing theater since I was a teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gass-donnelly/my-dad-s-a-prominent-theatre-director-in-toronto-so-i-grew-up-in-that/) [Ed Gass-Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gass-donnelly/) > [The hardest part about directing is getting everyone on the same page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-marshall/the-hardest-part-about-directing-is-getting-everyone-on-the-same-page/) [Rob Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-marshall/) [Browse all 1,163 Directing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The things that I'm interested in directing are fiction, because then you're not married to a particular reality.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dustin Lance Black" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-directing-are-fiction-because-then/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Directing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-directing-are-fiction-because-then/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46a/dustin-lance-black-4536_directing_the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-direct_826042.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46a/dustin-lance-black-4536_directing_the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-direct_826042.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46a/dustin-lance-black-4536_directing_the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-direct_826042.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The things that I'm interested in directing are fiction, because then you're not married to a particular…” — Dustin Lance Black", "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": "Dustin Lance Black", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The things that I'm interested in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-directing-are-fiction-because-then/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/the-things-that-i-m-interested-in-directing-are-fiction-because-then/#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 } } ] } ```