--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're writing for theater or TV…" description: "\"When you're writing for theater or TV, it's open-ended in scope. You can write 10 separate pieces that are really effective but have no place on a rock..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/john-parish-81753_pieces_when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it_3187343.jpg" --- # When you're writing for theater or TV, it's open-ended in… ![“When you're writing for theater or TV, it's open-ended in scope. You can write 10 separate pieces that are really effective but have no place on a rock record or whatever.” quote by John Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/john-parish-81753_pieces_when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it_3187343.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/john-parish-81753_pieces_when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it_3187343.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/john-parish-81753_pieces_when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it_3187343.jpg) > “When you're writing for theater or TV, it's open-ended in scope. You can write 10 separate pieces that are really effective but have no place on a rock record or whatever.” John Parish ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explains that theatrical/TV writing often yields many pieces that don’t fit traditional album formats. **In simple terms:** Writing for screen can be fragmented and non‑album. Key Takeaway Adapt writing to the medium’s needs. Themes creativity media writing Mood practical insightful Type creative professional When to use this quote - theater scripts - TV episodes - creative projects - media planning - content strategy Key Concepts format constraints content distribution Questions to Reflect On - How can writers repurpose such pieces? - What platforms suit non‑album content? A Different Perspective May limit exposure for writers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Scope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scope/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Writing for the theater is a whole different can of fish. The music now has the responsibility of so many things. The plot could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-wildhorn/writing-for-the-theater-is-a-whole-different-can-of-fish-the-music/) [Frank Wildhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-wildhorn/) > [I don't find writing for the theater that different from writing a rock song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bryan/i-don-t-find-writing-for-the-theater-that-different-from-writing-a/) [David Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bryan/) > [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 know I'm really good at writing for the theater. I can deny it all I want. Other people can fight me on it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-robert-brown/i-know-i-m-really-good-at-writing-for-the-theater-i-can-deny-it-all-i/) [Jason Robert Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-robert-brown/) > [I began writing for theater, and maybe because of that I've always thought of myself as a theater writer who does work in film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/i-began-writing-for-theater-and-maybe-because-of-that-i-ve-always/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Writing for the theater, you find yourself living a nocturnal life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/writing-for-the-theater-you-find-yourself-living-a-nocturnal-life/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'm not doubtful that I am doing what I should be doing - writing for theater - and that I'm doing it in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-robert-brown/i-m-not-doubtful-that-i-am-doing-what-i-should-be-doing-writing-for/) [Jason Robert Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-robert-brown/) > [Music is very influential to my writing, as are theater and film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hagedorn/music-is-very-influential-to-my-writing-as-are-theater-and-film/) [Jessica Hagedorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hagedorn/) > [When my writing really started to take off was when I made a decision that I would write only what I wanted to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-friedman/when-my-writing-really-started-to-take-off-was-when-i-made-a-decision/) [David Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-friedman/) > [“This is what I believe to be the progress of a writer. You write 10 things, of which one of them will be great.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/this-is-what-i-believe-to-be-the-progress-of-a-writer-you-write-10/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I would rather write 10,000 notes than a single letter of the alphabet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-van-beethoven/i-would-rather-write-10-000-notes-than-a-single-letter-of-the-alphabet/) [Ludwig van Beethoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-van-beethoven/) > [Everyone can collect quotes, it's a bit different to write 10,000 original ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/everyone-can-collect-quotes-it-s-a-bit-different-to-write-10-000/) [William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/) > [You can sort of start to write around 10. You also become a good reader around that time, and you want to imitate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/you-can-sort-of-start-to-write-around-10-you-also-become-a-good/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [Write down 10 things you would do in your life if you had absolutely no fear. Then pick one of them and do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-chandler/write-down-10-things-you-would-do-in-your-life-if-you-had-absolutely/) [Steve Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-chandler/) > [It takes a long time to write 10 good songs. Sometimes you have to write 30 to get 10 good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rabbitt/it-takes-a-long-time-to-write-10-good-songs-sometimes-you-have-to/) [Eddie Rabbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rabbitt/) ## More by John Parish > [I like the way you can stretch things out and leave a huge amount of space that, on a record, would feel like silence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-parish/i-like-the-way-you-can-stretch-things-out-and-leave-a-huge-amount-of/) John Parish > [Collaborations work when both or however many parties are the right people to be working together for whatever reason - whether it's two musicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-parish/collaborations-work-when-both-or-however-many-parties-are-the-right/) John Parish Explore all 3 John Parish quotes ## More Pieces quotes > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [It's amazing how someone can break your heart, but you still love them with all the little pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid/it-s-amazing-how-someone-can-break-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them/) [Sajid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid/) > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [A well-fashioned day - with a beginning and an end, a purpose and a content, a color and a character, a feel and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/a-well-fashioned-day-with-a-beginning-and-an-end-a-purpose-and-a/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [Every woman I have ever loved has left her print upon me, where I loved some invaluable piece of myself apart from me-so different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/every-woman-i-have-ever-loved-has-left-her-print-upon-me-where-i/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [When I was 13, I began relaxing my hair, and that meant when I turned 18 it began to crack and fall off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/when-i-was-13-i-began-relaxing-my-hair-and-that-meant-when-i-turned/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [A thing may in itself be the finest piece of writing one has ever done, and yet have absolutely no place in the manuscript…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-forche/a-thing-may-in-itself-be-the-finest-piece-of-writing-one-has-ever/) [Carolyn Forche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-forche/) > [It would be a piece of ingenuousness to accuse the man of today of his lack of moral code. The accusation would leave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/it-would-be-a-piece-of-ingenuousness-to-accuse-the-man-of-today-of/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buddhism-advises-you-not-to-implant-feelings-that-you-don-t-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The individual, by means of the discipline imposed on him by sport, not only plays and finds relaxation from the various compulsions to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-individual-by-means-of-the-discipline-imposed-on-him-by-sport-not/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) Browse all 6,227 Pieces quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you're writing for theater or TV, it's open-ended in scope. You can write 10 separate pieces that are really effective but have no place on a rock record or whatever.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Parish" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-parish/when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it-s-open-ended-in-scope-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Pieces" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-parish/when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it-s-open-ended-in-scope-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/john-parish-81753_pieces_when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it_3187343.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/john-parish-81753_pieces_when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it_3187343.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/john-parish-81753_pieces_when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it_3187343.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you're writing for theater or TV, it's open-ended in scope. You can write 10 separate pieces that are…” — John Parish", "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": "John Parish", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-parish/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you're writing for theater or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-parish/when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it-s-open-ended-in-scope-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-parish/when-you-re-writing-for-theater-or-tv-it-s-open-ended-in-scope-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 } } ] } ```