--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writers - all writers, even screenwriters…" description: "\"Writers - all writers, even screenwriters - like to make their mark. I don't think many screenwriters can write. They pass as writers.\" — Elmore Leonard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/985/elmore-leonard-3471_even_writers-all-writers-even-screenwriters-l_529019.jpg" --- # Writers - all writers, even screenwriters - like to make… ![“Writers - all writers, even screenwriters - like to make their mark. I don't think many screenwriters can write. They pass as writers.” quote by Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/985/elmore-leonard-3471_even_writers-all-writers-even-screenwriters-l_529019.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/985/elmore-leonard-3471_even_writers-all-writers-even-screenwriters-l_529019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/985/elmore-leonard-3471_even_writers-all-writers-even-screenwriters-l_529019.jpg) > “Writers - all writers, even screenwriters - like to make their mark. I don't think many screenwriters can write. They pass as writers.” [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers seek recognition, but many claim the title without true skill, especially in screenwriting. **In simple terms:** Writers want fame; some lack real talent. Key Takeaway Focus on genuine craft over titles. Themes authenticity craft recognition Mood critical reflective Type observational analytical When to use this quote - publishing industry - film production - career development - creative workshops Key Concepts screenwriting literary merit professional identity Questions to Reflect On - What defines a true writer? - How can you assess genuine writing skill? A Different Perspective Not all who claim the title produce quality work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Screenwriters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenwriters/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Not a word of my writing has ever been changed by another person's hands, and I don't think many screenwriters can say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-k-vaughan/not-a-word-of-my-writing-has-ever-been-changed-by-another-person-s/) [Brian K. Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-k-vaughan/) > [I think screenwriters, I think editors in the cutting room - they have a lot of responsibility that we don't think about, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-condor/i-think-screenwriters-i-think-editors-in-the-cutting-room-they-have-a/) [Lana Condor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-condor/) > [In real life, people fumble their words. They repeat themselves and stare blankly off into space and don't listen properly to what other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-guest/in-real-life-people-fumble-their-words-they-repeat-themselves-and/) [Christopher Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-guest/) > [A lot of screenwriters write certain characters, certain parts, with actors in mind. I don't really tend to do that. I describe them as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-beacham/a-lot-of-screenwriters-write-certain-characters-certain-parts-with/) [Travis Beacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-beacham/) > [You are the executive director and screenwriter of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-thomas/you-are-the-executive-director-and-screenwriter-of-your-life/) [Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-thomas/) > [Graphic novels and comic books offer an easy foothold into that world, and screenwriters and studio execs gravitate toward those, because I think they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/graphic-novels-and-comic-books-offer-an-easy-foothold-into-that-world/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [A screenwriter is much like being a fire hydrant with a bunch of dogs lined up around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-miller/a-screenwriter-is-much-like-being-a-fire-hydrant-with-a-bunch-of-dogs/) [Frank Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-miller/) > [My parents were screenwriters, and they had four daughters and we all write. So that's amazing. Talk about powerful parents. My mother always said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/my-parents-were-screenwriters-and-they-had-four-daughters-and-we-all/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [From the onset of the 'Live-Read' series, we wanted to hit all the major writers and Woody Allen is simply one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/from-the-onset-of-the-live-read-series-we-wanted-to-hit-all-the-major/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [A great trick that I learned having worked as a screenwriter for many years, the way screenwriters work, is they break the project down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/a-great-trick-that-i-learned-having-worked-as-a-screenwriter-for-many/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [If a story doesn't give you a hard-on in the first couple of scenes, throw it in the goddamned garbage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-fuller/if-a-story-doesn-t-give-you-a-hard-on-in-the-first-couple-of-scenes/) [Samuel Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-fuller/) > [If you've got craft, you got game. If you got game, you can write your way in and out of anything. Writing is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mark-kamen/if-you-ve-got-craft-you-got-game-if-you-got-game-you-can-write-your/) Robert Mark Kamen > [All the reasons which made the initiation of physical force evil, make the retaliatory use of physical force a moral imperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/all-the-reasons-which-made-the-initiation-of-physical-force-evil-make/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Though 'Moneyball' had the talents of screenwriters Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin going for it, they weren't baseball insiders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/though-moneyball-had-the-talents-of-screenwriters-steven-zaillian-and/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) ## More by Elmore Leonard > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [These are rules I've picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I'm writing a book, to help me show rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/these-are-rules-i-ve-picked-up-along-the-way-to-help-me-remain/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“There’s something happening here, I know it. It’s right in front of my face, but I just can’t see it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/there-s-something-happening-here-i-know-it-it-s-right-in-front-of-my/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/the-line-of-dialogue-belongs-to-the-character-the-verb-is-the-writer/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-try-to-leave-out-the-parts-that-people-skip/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I have fun writing. I don't make it a chore. I don't have to struggle with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-have-fun-writing-i-don-t-make-it-a-chore-i-don-t-have-to-struggle/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can't allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/if-it-sounds-like-writing-i-rewrite-it-or-if-proper-usage-gets-in-the/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I don’t think writers compete, I think they’re all doing separate things in their own style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-don-t-think-writers-compete-i-think-they-re-all-doing-separate/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [After 58 years you'd think writing would get easier. It doesn't. If you're lucky, you become harder to please. 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It's in the bible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/a-wife-s-faithful-to-her-husband-subject-to-him-it-s-in-the-bible/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Using adverbs is a mortal sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/using-adverbs-is-a-mortal-sin/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Try not to write the parts that people skip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/try-not-to-write-the-parts-that-people-skip/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I want the reader to know what's going on. So there's never a mystery in my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-want-the-reader-to-know-what-s-going-on-so-there-s-never-a-mystery/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) [Explore all 130 Elmore Leonard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) ## More Even quotes > [Most of the time, I get around perfectly well on my bike and public transportation, even in spite of the Bay Area's almost comically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/most-of-the-time-i-get-around-perfectly-well-on-my-bike-and-public/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [If you're a top 10 guy you should pay a top 10 guy or even a top 5 guy what he deserves, whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aljamain-sterling/if-you-re-a-top-10-guy-you-should-pay-a-top-10-guy-or-even-a-top-5/) [Aljamain Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aljamain-sterling/) > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. 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I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [I love writing fiction and can do it anywhere - I once even missed a flight because I was so engrossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/i-love-writing-fiction-and-can-do-it-anywhere-i-once-even-missed-a/) [Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [Ninety-eight percent of the things that come out of my mouth are intended to be harmless or even charming. They're not ever intended to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/ninety-eight-percent-of-the-things-that-come-out-of-my-mouth-are/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/) [Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/) > [Like in nature, I like things which are based on a few simple principles, even though their manifestation can be very rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabiola-gianotti/like-in-nature-i-like-things-which-are-based-on-a-few-simple/) [Fabiola Gianotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabiola-gianotti/) > [You can't even tell, but a lot of the time your favourite rappers are wearing a bunch of fake jewellery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vic-mensa/you-can-t-even-tell-but-a-lot-of-the-time-your-favourite-rappers-are/) [Vic Mensa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vic-mensa/) > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. 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