--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before I'd written movies, I never could…" description: "\"Before I'd written movies, I never could do big set-piece scenes with a lot of different speakers - when you've got twelve people around a dinner table..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/joan-didion-497_ability_before-i-d-written-movies-i-never-could_1379859.jpg" --- # Before I'd written movies, I never could do big set-piece… ![“Before I'd written movies, I never could do big set-piece scenes with a lot of different speakers - when you've got twelve people around a dinner table talking at cross purposes. I had always been impressed by other people's ability to do that.” quote by Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/joan-didion-497_ability_before-i-d-written-movies-i-never-could_1379859.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/joan-didion-497_ability_before-i-d-written-movies-i-never-could_1379859.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/joan-didion-497_ability_before-i-d-written-movies-i-never-could_1379859.jpg) > “Before I'd written movies, I never could do big set-piece scenes with a lot of different speakers - when you've got twelve people around a dinner table talking at cross purposes. I had always been impressed by other people's ability to do that.” [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing complex scenes with many characters is challenging; the author admires others who can weave multiple voices into a cohesive narrative. **In simple terms:** Managing many speakers in a scene is hard, but others do it well. Key Takeaway Study techniques for multi‑character dialogue. Themes writing dialogue complexity voice literature Mood reflective analytical inspirational Type instructional observational literary When to use this quote - screenwriting - novel writing - theatre - podcast production - conference panels Key Concepts narrative structure character interaction scene composition authorial admiration skill development Questions to Reflect On - What methods help keep each character’s voice unique? - How can you ensure clarity in crowded dialogue? A Different Perspective Balancing distinct voices without confusing the audience is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) [Dinner table](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner-table/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) ## Related quotes > [I don't care if people even discuss what I did. But if anyone is ever sitting around the kitchen table talking about my career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/i-don-t-care-if-people-even-discuss-what-i-did-but-if-anyone-is-ever/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [I don't have much time for real violence at all. I think there are infinitely better ways of changing the world than using violence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-purefoy/i-don-t-have-much-time-for-real-violence-at-all-i-think-there-are/) [James Purefoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-purefoy/) > [I want to get the American people to start sitting at a table together and talking to each other, holding court, and enjoying a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-lebrock/i-want-to-get-the-american-people-to-start-sitting-at-a-table/) [Kelly LeBrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-lebrock/) > [I hate sitting around a table and talking about what a play might mean. I'm the person who's always like, 'Can we get up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-leo-butz/i-hate-sitting-around-a-table-and-talking-about-what-a-play-might/) [Norbert Leo Butz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-leo-butz/) > [People are sitting at their kitchen table talking about how they're going to pay their bills, and we can speak to the hearts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/people-are-sitting-at-their-kitchen-table-talking-about-how-they-re/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [I have written movies that won prizes at Cannes and Venice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-vincenzoni/i-have-written-movies-that-won-prizes-at-cannes-and-venice/) Luciano Vincenzoni > [Over the years I've never written or made movies about political themes 'cause while they do have current critical importance, in the large, large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/over-the-years-i-ve-never-written-or-made-movies-about-political/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I've always written towards movies that take place across two worlds. Most of the movies that I've worked on take place in two worlds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/i-ve-always-written-towards-movies-that-take-place-across-two-worlds/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [Screenplays aren't written to be read, they're written to be made into movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/screenplays-aren-t-written-to-be-read-they-re-written-to-be-made-into/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [It's intuitive in terms of when I read a piece of material or I hear about a project. 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In my opinion, the vast majority of scripts written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/every-year-i-hear-people-complain-that-the-quality-of-screenplays-and/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I never really thought I went away because I've written all of the movies and I'm produced them all and certainly provided services about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-w-s-anderson/i-never-really-thought-i-went-away-because-i-ve-written-all-of-the/) [Paul W. S. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-w-s-anderson/) ## More by Joan Didion > [To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-shift-the-structure-of-a-sentence-alters-the-meaning-of-that/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [I work every day. Sometimes I don't accomplish anything every day, but if I don't work every day, I get depressed and get afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-work-every-day-sometimes-i-don-t-accomplish-anything-every-day-but/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [Style is character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/style-is-character/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [California is a place in which a boom mentality and a sense of Chekhovian loss meet in uneasy suspension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/california-is-a-place-in-which-a-boom-mentality-and-a-sense-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“I went because I was interested in the alchemy of issues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-went-because-i-was-interested-in-the-alchemy-of-issues/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“Why did I write it down? 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I recognize it in myself - there is a basic indifference toward people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-m-not-very-interested-in-people-i-recognize-it-in-myself-there-is-a/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“Was there ever in anyone's life span a point free in time, devoid of memory, a point when choice was any more than sum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/was-there-ever-in-anyone-s-life-span-a-point-free-in-time-devoid-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“Research to date has shown that, like many other stressors, grief frequently leads to changes in the endocrine, immune, autonomic nervous, and cardiovascular systems;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/research-to-date-has-shown-that-like-many-other-stressors-grief/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“By the end of the week she was thinking constantly about where her body stopped and the air began about the exact point in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/by-the-end-of-the-week-she-was-thinking-constantly-about-where-her/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“I just can't see the upside in this," I heard myself say by way of explanation. Later he said that if John had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-just-can-t-see-the-upside-in-this-i-heard-myself-say-by-way-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [ I read so ravenously that I would read through whole categories. I was crazy about reading biographies. \[...\] I think biographies are very urgent… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-read-so-ravenously-that-i-would-read-through-whole-categories-i-was/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [To those of us who remained committed mainly to the exploration of moral distinctions and ambiguities, the feminist analysis may have seemed a particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-those-of-us-who-remained-committed-mainly-to-the-exploration-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) [Explore all 515 Joan Didion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. 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Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 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