--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Noah Hawley] just a fantastic writer…" description: "\"[Noah Hawley] just a fantastic writer. It's always about the script, it's always about the book; it always is. If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/lauren-shuler-donner-11057_book_noah-hawley-just-a-fantastic-writer-it-s_912574.jpg" --- # \[Noah Hawley\] just a fantastic writer. It's always about… ![“[Noah Hawley] just a fantastic writer. It's always about the script, it's always about the book; it always is. If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage. That's what attracted me to him first and foremost.” quote by Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/lauren-shuler-donner-11057_book_noah-hawley-just-a-fantastic-writer-it-s_912574.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/lauren-shuler-donner-11057_book_noah-hawley-just-a-fantastic-writer-it-s_912574.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/lauren-shuler-donner-11057_book_noah-hawley-just-a-fantastic-writer-it-s_912574.jpg) > “\[Noah Hawley\] just a fantastic writer. It's always about the script, it's always about the book; it always is. If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage. That's what attracted me to him first and foremost.” [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer’s work must be fully documented; without a script, a performance cannot succeed. **In simple terms:** Scripts are essential for production. Key Takeaway Ensure thorough scripting before staging. Themes creativity discipline production authorship Mood critical thoughtful Type evaluative professional When to use this quote - Film development - stage play rehearsals - writing workshops Key Concepts Screenwriting theatre project management Questions to Reflect On - Do you value spontaneous creativity over scripts? - How does script fidelity affect artistic freedom? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on script may limit improvisation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fantastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantastic/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [ With Legion, we're our own universe. It gives Noah \[Hawley\] the freedom to do what he wants to do. Because we play with so… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/with-legion-we-re-our-own-universe-it-gives-noah-hawley-the-freedom/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [I could use a Chris Matthews-level speech writer to script everything I say. That would be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-morey/i-could-use-a-chris-matthews-level-speech-writer-to-script-everything/) [Daryl Morey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-morey/) > [Michael Koryta is that rare author who is at once a compelling story teller and a fantastic writer. From the first sentence of THOSE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/michael-koryta-is-that-rare-author-who-is-at-once-a-compelling-story/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [I want to do good stories, and I want to work with really interesting people. And if it's Noah Hawley forever, that's also amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-keller/i-want-to-do-good-stories-and-i-want-to-work-with-really-interesting/) [Rachel Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-keller/) > [I think Noah Hawley's writing is hilarious, and I love a good dark joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/i-think-noah-hawley-s-writing-is-hilarious-and-i-love-a-good-dark-joke/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [There are so many scripts and they are fantastic. I think I would like to do something different, maybe something smaller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/there-are-so-many-scripts-and-they-are-fantastic-i-think-i-would-like/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [I think a lot of times it just looks like Hollywood actors in Halloween costumes, you know? And I think what we’re going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-teller/i-think-a-lot-of-times-it-just-looks-like-hollywood-actors-in/) [Miles Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-teller/) > [Sometimes during a show or a film, while you're shooting it, you'll think, "This is great, it's going to be fantastic, the script is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-turner/sometimes-during-a-show-or-a-film-while-you-re-shooting-it-you-ll/) [Aidan Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aidan-turner/) > [Making the unbelievable believable is different on a set with 'Fantastic Four,' where it's like, 'Wind machines! Because the airship is coming in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/making-the-unbelievable-believable-is-different-on-a-set-with/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [I have a Twitter account; I have a fantastic Facebook page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-king/i-have-a-twitter-account-i-have-a-fantastic-facebook-page/) [Angus King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-king/) > [I'm attracted to the garden, without a doubt, but I always try and image the wolf that's there, too. And that wolf would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-light/i-m-attracted-to-the-garden-without-a-doubt-but-i-always-try-and/) [Michael Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-light/) > [Many people, including myself, thought of Jobs as an inventor, an Edison-like figure, but he wasn't. I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [What Sri Chinmoy does is God-given! He has a tremendous, a fantastic creative urge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/what-sri-chinmoy-does-is-god-given-he-has-a-tremendous-a-fantastic/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [I always loved as a kid reading 'Spider-Man,' and the 'Fantastic Four' would show up... it was all about that larger universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-reed/i-always-loved-as-a-kid-reading-spider-man-and-the-fantastic-four/) [Peyton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-reed/) > [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More by Lauren Shuler Donner > [In the past, I've been a workaholic. I'm trying not to be anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/in-the-past-i-ve-been-a-workaholic-i-m-trying-not-to-be-anymore/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [Producing is figuring out how to make each character have a distinct voice, how to make the story twist and turn - that's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/producing-is-figuring-out-how-to-make-each-character-have-a-distinct/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [I think people really don't understand what a producer does versus what a director does. I mean, the producer is often the person that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/i-think-people-really-don-t-understand-what-a-producer-does-versus/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [ With Legion, we're our own universe. It gives Noah \[Hawley\] the freedom to do what he wants to do. Because we play with so… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/with-legion-we-re-our-own-universe-it-gives-noah-hawley-the-freedom/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [When I was in my 20s, I was always sick. I was always feeling exhausted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/when-i-was-in-my-20s-i-was-always-sick-i-was-always-feeling-exhausted/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [The first writer I developed a script with was John Hughes, and that was 'Mr. Mom.' That was my first feature film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/the-first-writer-i-developed-a-script-with-was-john-hughes-and-that/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [ What we always want to say \[in X-men\] is, "It's OK to be yourself, and actually it's a gift to be yourself. Whatever it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/what-we-always-want-to-say-in-x-men-is-it-s-ok-to-be-yourself-and/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [Somehow we allow, if a character goes to the dark side, if we're hooked into that character - I'm obsessed with Peaky Blinders. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/somehow-we-allow-if-a-character-goes-to-the-dark-side-if-we-re-hooked/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [People would congratulate Dick for my movies. It bothered me for a long, long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/people-would-congratulate-dick-for-my-movies-it-bothered-me-for-a/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [The first two actors we cast were Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Because we started so highbrow, we were able to get anyone. Plus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/the-first-two-actors-we-cast-were-patrick-stewart-and-ian-mckellen/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [I like having an idea, or hearing an idea, and getting it into a proper script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/i-like-having-an-idea-or-hearing-an-idea-and-getting-it-into-a-proper/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [I think the time has changed. Because of 9/11, because of the economy, it is more and more now. There is a darker awareness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/i-think-the-time-has-changed-because-of-9-11-because-of-the-economy/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [I was attracted to the comics because of the characters and, particularly, Wolverine because he is so complex. He is so damaged and tragic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/i-was-attracted-to-the-comics-because-of-the-characters-and/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [The thematic core of 'X-Men' is tolerance. It's that for those of us who are different in any way - in a big way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/the-thematic-core-of-x-men-is-tolerance-it-s-that-for-those-of-us-who/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [In the Marvel world, some characters have similar powers. Initially some people might bump up against it, but if they really looked into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/in-the-marvel-world-some-characters-have-similar-powers-initially/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) [Explore all 62 Lauren Shuler Donner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[Noah Hawley] just a fantastic writer. 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