--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always think that the writer is doing…" description: "\"I always think that the writer is doing the vast majority of the director's work, in a sense. If you're a writer who is also going to direct, you're do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/harold-ramis-4057_block_i-always-think-that-the-writer-is-doing_3139310.jpg" --- # I always think that the writer is doing the vast majority… ![“I always think that the writer is doing the vast majority of the director's work, in a sense. If you're a writer who is also going to direct, you're doing all your preparation: You're already visualizing everything, you're imagining how the lines are going to be read, you see the blocking in your…” quote by Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/harold-ramis-4057_block_i-always-think-that-the-writer-is-doing_3139310.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/harold-ramis-4057_block_i-always-think-that-the-writer-is-doing_3139310.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/harold-ramis-4057_block_i-always-think-that-the-writer-is-doing_3139310.jpg) > “I always think that the writer is doing the vast majority of the director's work, in a sense. If you're a writer who is also going to direct, you're doing all your preparation: You're already visualizing everything, you're imagining how the lines are going to be read, you see the blocking in your head, and you know the rhythm and the pacing.” [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers who also direct bring a unified vision, handling both script and visual storytelling. **In simple terms:** Writer‑directors control story from page to screen. Key Takeaway Embrace dual roles for cohesive storytelling. Themes creativity film collaboration vision craft Mood enthusiastic pragmatic inspirational Type creative professional instructional When to use this quote - film production - screenwriting workshops - indie filmmaking - creative planning Key Concepts screenwriting directing visualization rhythm Questions to Reflect On - How does dual responsibility impact creative control? - What challenges arise when a writer directs? A Different Perspective Directing also requires managing actors and crew, not just vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/block/) [Direct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct/) [Direct Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct-doing-5587520/) [Director Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director-work-584199/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [Pacing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacing/) [Preparation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preparation/) [Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm/) [Think Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-writer/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Visualizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visualizing/) [Writer Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-doing-371993/) [Writer Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-going-1039014/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Being reasonably direct about what you're doing, being comfortable, is the best way to do things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-schwarzman/being-reasonably-direct-about-what-you-re-doing-being-comfortable-is/) [Stephen A. Schwarzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-a-schwarzman/) > [I always claim that the writer has done 90 percent of the director's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-always-claim-that-the-writer-has-done-90-percent-of-the-director-s/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I like to think each writer is doing his or her part. Feeding the lake, as Jean Rhys said. And maybe there are different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-kushner/i-like-to-think-each-writer-is-doing-his-or-her-part-feeding-the-lake/) [Rachel Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-kushner/) > [No... a novel is a long business. I'm a slow writer, even when I'm doing very well I write slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/no-a-novel-is-a-long-business-i-m-a-slow-writer-even-when-i-m-doing/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [It's funny, particularly when you're a writer and you're doing well, you have that sense of like, "Oh! 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But you also just want to know there's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/i-think-as-the-writer-you-re-always-going-to-mourn-something-left-out/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [It's very unlikely that a writer is going to make a living by writing. So then the question is: how do you balance work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/it-s-very-unlikely-that-a-writer-is-going-to-make-a-living-by-writing/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [I'm only an actor. I'm not a writer. I'm not going to leave any legacy. All I've ever done is learn the lines and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-m-only-an-actor-i-m-not-a-writer-i-m-not-going-to-leave-any-legacy/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## More by Harold Ramis > [Somebody once told me that if you laugh at a George Bush joke, or you send an email cartoon to your friends that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/somebody-once-told-me-that-if-you-laugh-at-a-george-bush-joke-or-you/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I've always thought that comedy was just another dramatic expression. I try to measure the amount of truth in a work rather than just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-ve-always-thought-that-comedy-was-just-another-dramatic-expression/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [You can perceive life as tragic, or you can laugh at the tragedy of it and that turns it into comedy. 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It turns out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/it-doesn-t-take-any-longer-to-improvise-10-takes-than-it-takes-to/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [As much as I liked acting for its playfulness and the reward of hearing big laughs wash over you on a stage, I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfulness-and-the-reward-of/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I've never taken a script to the stage or to principal photography and said, "This is perfect. This is as good as it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-ve-never-taken-a-script-to-the-stage-or-to-principal-photography/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I realized that my righteous indignation was a form of entertainment for me. I loved getting pissed off at injustice. 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Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-parker/) [Browse all 1,755 Block quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/block/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I always think that the writer is doing the vast majority of the director's work, in a sense. 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