--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A creative person can suddenly realize…" description: "\"A creative person can suddenly realize it's not 90 minutes. They haven't got to do three acts, they haven't got to do the arc, but they can do other th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/steven-knight-2205_arcs_a-creative-person-can-suddenly-realize-i_2232431.jpg" --- # A creative person can suddenly realize it's not 90… ![“A creative person can suddenly realize it's not 90 minutes. They haven't got to do three acts, they haven't got to do the arc, but they can do other things. I think just as novellas turned into novels, I think that television series can begin to have that depth.” quote by Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/steven-knight-2205_arcs_a-creative-person-can-suddenly-realize-i_2232431.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/steven-knight-2205_arcs_a-creative-person-can-suddenly-realize-i_2232431.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/steven-knight-2205_arcs_a-creative-person-can-suddenly-realize-i_2232431.jpg) > “A creative person can suddenly realize it's not 90 minutes. They haven't got to do three acts, they haven't got to do the arc, but they can do other things. I think just as novellas turned into novels, I think that television series can begin to have that depth.” [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A creative person can expand storytelling beyond traditional structures, allowing deeper, novel‑like depth in TV series. **In simple terms:** Creators can give TV series more depth beyond standard arcs. Key Takeaway Explore non‑standard narrative forms. Themes creativity storytelling media depth Mood inspired curious Type analytical visionary When to use this quote - TV series development - screenwriting workshops - creative retreats - pilot pitching Key Concepts Narrative structure genre blending Questions to Reflect On - How can you break conventional TV structures? - What benefits arise from deeper storytelling? A Different Perspective Traditional formats may limit audience expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [90 minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/90-minutes/) [Arcs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arcs/) [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-person/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Havens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/havens/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novellas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novellas/) [Novellas Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novellas-turned-5027251/) [Novels Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels-think-812369/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Series](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/series/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Think Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-television/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) ## Related quotes > [Suddenly, after years of television being the poor relation and film being everything, it now feels like film is a conjuring trick. It's like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/suddenly-after-years-of-television-being-the-poor-relation-and-film/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I grew up Spanish, so I grew up watching a lot of novellas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-gonzalo/i-grew-up-spanish-so-i-grew-up-watching-a-lot-of-novellas/) [Julie Gonzalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-gonzalo/) > [My father thought a novel was a broken short story. There's something to that. Many of my favorite novels are novellas. The authors of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-hunt/my-father-thought-a-novel-was-a-broken-short-story-there-s-something/) [Samantha Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-hunt/) > [“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it." Goethe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-alan-fahey/whatever-you-can-do-or-dream-you-can-begin-it-goethe/) [Paul Alan Fahey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-alan-fahey/) > [Those around you can have their novellas, sweet, their short stories of cliché and coincidence, occasionally spiced up with tricks of the quirky, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/those-around-you-can-have-their-novellas-sweet-their-short-stories-of/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [I only respond to Telemundo when it's about novellas, in regards to music or movies they have nothing to do with it; that's mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jencarlos-canela/i-only-respond-to-telemundo-when-it-s-about-novellas-in-regards-to/) [Jencarlos Canela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jencarlos-canela/) > [“I write novellas, short books, whatever. I set out to write a good story not write a dictionary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-e-hodges/i-write-novellas-short-books-whatever-i-set-out-to-write-a-good-story/) [Jason E. Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-e-hodges/) > [I love movies like 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' that are based on short novellas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-ramsay/i-love-movies-like-the-postman-always-rings-twice-that-are-based-on/) [Lynne Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-ramsay/) > [I write novellas because I don't like loose sprawling prose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harrison/i-write-novellas-because-i-don-t-like-loose-sprawling-prose/) [Jim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harrison/) > [“No one, none of us have rights. There is no destiny. We have responsibilities to ourselves and each other. We have responsibilities and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-fatah-steele/no-one-none-of-us-have-rights-there-is-no-destiny-we-have/) [Brian Fatah Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-fatah-steele/) > [I like to give people novels I think they would like, on no particular occasion - just when we're in a bookstore together. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-like-to-give-people-novels-i-think-they-would-like-on-no-particular/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [My novels are very much the same, as I think many people's novels are. No matter how hard I try to do otherwise, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/my-novels-are-very-much-the-same-as-i-think-many-people-s-novels-are-2/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“My message will be very clear; it is that I think we have to continue to read novels. Because I think that the novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marie-g-le-cl-zio/my-message-will-be-very-clear-it-is-that-i-think-we-have-to-continue/) [Jean-Marie G. Le Clezio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-marie-g-le-cl-zio/) > [No one goes to the toilet in novels. You'd think none of us had bladders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/no-one-goes-to-the-toilet-in-novels-you-d-think-none-of-us-had/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [My novels are very much the same, as I think many people's novels are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/my-novels-are-very-much-the-same-as-i-think-many-people-s-novels-are/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) ## More by Steven Knight > [There's a convention in English stuff that if something is more than 100 years old, people have to say 'do not' instead of 'don't.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-a-convention-in-english-stuff-that-if-something-is-more-than/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [There's lots of different ways of writing stuff and lots of different mindsets to have, but I think when it's your own creation, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-lots-of-different-ways-of-writing-stuff-and-lots-of-different/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [It's such a gift when you know who you're writing for and you know that that actor is capable of so much that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/it-s-such-a-gift-when-you-know-who-you-re-writing-for-and-you-know/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I'm not a great film-goer, and I never have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-m-not-a-great-film-goer-and-i-never-have-been/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [There's no writers room, or any other writer involved. I write everything from beginning to end. Maybe it's just me not being able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-no-writers-room-or-any-other-writer-involved-i-write/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I've realized that the only thing I'm interested in is the performance. If the performance is right, then I'm happy. You offer up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-ve-realized-that-the-only-thing-i-m-interested-in-is-the/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [“It seems to me, that if there is a bad taste in your mouth, you spit it out. You don't constantly swallow it back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/it-seems-to-me-that-if-there-is-a-bad-taste-in-your-mouth-you-spit-it/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [With FX in particular, they've been fantastic and were really hands off. I mean, it helps that you've got Ridley Scott on your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/with-fx-in-particular-they-ve-been-fantastic-and-were-really-hands/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I often find in the film world, that it's very self-referring. If you talk to someone about films, they talk about them in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-often-find-in-the-film-world-that-it-s-very-self-referring-if-you/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Whenever I went to L.A. the first thing people said in the meeting, no matter what it was about, was how much they loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/whenever-i-went-to-l-a-the-first-thing-people-said-in-the-meeting-no/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [ I've spent three hours with Snoop Dogg, talking about how he loved \[Peaky Blinders series\]. And David Bowie loved it. The late Leonard Cohen… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-ve-spent-three-hours-with-snoop-dogg-talking-about-how-he-loved/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I think the best research is people you meet and things that they say, rather than second hand accounts of something. I think when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-think-the-best-research-is-people-you-meet-and-things-that-they-say/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Writing, when it works, one needs to access whatever it is that creates dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/writing-when-it-works-one-needs-to-access-whatever-it-is-that-creates/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Making a film is hard because you're not dealing with the intangible. When you're writing, it's perfect because it's only in your head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/making-a-film-is-hard-because-you-re-not-dealing-with-the-intangible/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [There's a grown-upness about television now that wasn't there before. You do know you're doing stuff for adults who can tell the difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-a-grown-upness-about-television-now-that-wasn-t-there-before/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) [Explore all 179 Steven Knight quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) ## More 90 minutes quotes > [If you don't have to drag yourself off the field exhausted after 90 minutes, you can't claim to have done your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nichols/if-you-don-t-have-to-drag-yourself-off-the-field-exhausted-after-90/) [Bill Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nichols/) > [Sometimes you have faced no shots during 90 minutes, and in minute 91, there is a shot. You always need to be focused, concentrated,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-ter-stegen/sometimes-you-have-faced-no-shots-during-90-minutes-and-in-minute-91/) [Marc-Andre ter Stegen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-ter-stegen/) > [It gives me a lot of confidence to play with my feet, and I have to be focused for 90 minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisson/it-gives-me-a-lot-of-confidence-to-play-with-my-feet-and-i-have-to-be/) [Alisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alisson/) > [The truth is I would always like to play 90 minutes, do it in every game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-jimenez/the-truth-is-i-would-always-like-to-play-90-minutes-do-it-in-every/) [Raul Jimenez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-jimenez/) > [I used to play Sunday football, but I have all but given up, because I'm too old and fat. After a 45-minute match I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omid-djalili/i-used-to-play-sunday-football-but-i-have-all-but-given-up-because-i/) [Omid Djalili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omid-djalili/) > [To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work... I've found that a minimum of 90 minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/to-work-effectively-you-need-uninterrupted-blocks-of-time-in-which/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [I just have to put even more focus and concentration in for 90 minutes and try to be mistake-free, while also expressing myself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-doherty/i-just-have-to-put-even-more-focus-and-concentration-in-for-90/) [Matt Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-doherty/) > [In football, the only game I know is the 90-minutes game. It's not mind games; I don't try to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mourinho/in-football-the-only-game-i-know-is-the-90-minutes-game-it-s-not-mind/) [Jose Mourinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mourinho/) > [You have 22 episodes to start from zero to hero; you can really take a nice, big, long arc. In a film, it's tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-horner/you-have-22-episodes-to-start-from-zero-to-hero-you-can-really-take-a/) [Craig Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-horner/) > [When I was a kid, I played maybe seven or eight hours a day. So, to play 90 minutes every three days or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/when-i-was-a-kid-i-played-maybe-seven-or-eight-hours-a-day-so-to-play/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [You're out there on a high wire without a net, and that's the way actors operate. They have to be fearless about how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-durning/you-re-out-there-on-a-high-wire-without-a-net-and-that-s-the-way/) [Charles Durning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-durning/) > [I don't think that anyone should be working out more than 60 to 90 minutes, four to five days a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kaiser/i-don-t-think-that-anyone-should-be-working-out-more-than-60-to-90/) [Anna Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kaiser/) > [It's really not that hard. If I do a Tonight Show, it's six or seven minutes. If I do a concert, it's 90 minutes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-mandel/it-s-really-not-that-hard-if-i-do-a-tonight-show-it-s-six-or-seven/) [Howie Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-mandel/) > [It's war for 90 minutes in the Manchester Derby. You cannot give anything less than 100 percent concentration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelechi-iheanacho/it-s-war-for-90-minutes-in-the-manchester-derby-you-cannot-give/) [Kelechi Iheanacho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelechi-iheanacho/) > [It's a 90 minute game for sure. In fact I used to train for a 190 minute game so that when the whistle blew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/it-s-a-90-minute-game-for-sure-in-fact-i-used-to-train-for-a-190/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) [Browse all 101 90 minutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/90-minutes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A creative person can suddenly realize it's not 90 minutes. They haven't got to do three acts, they haven't got to do the arc, but they can do other things. 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