--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing can ever be a rule in drama…" description: "\"Nothing can ever be a rule in drama, because then you're saying certain things won't ever happen, and that would be very boring.\" — Steven Moffat" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/steven-moffat-2328_boring_nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-beca_2231520.png" --- # Nothing can ever be a rule in drama, because then you're… ![“Nothing can ever be a rule in drama, because then you're saying certain things won't ever happen, and that would be very boring.” quote by Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/steven-moffat-2328_boring_nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-beca_2231520.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/steven-moffat-2328_boring_nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-beca_2231520.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/steven-moffat-2328_boring_nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-beca_2231520.png) > “Nothing can ever be a rule in drama, because then you're saying certain things won't ever happen, and that would be very boring.” [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Drama must stay flexible; rigid rules make stories predictable and dull. **In simple terms:** Rules in drama limit creativity. Key Takeaway Allow spontaneity in storytelling. Themes creativity drama rules Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing scripts - improvisational theater - creative brainstorming Key Concepts narrative theory artistic freedom Questions to Reflect On - When might a rule enhance a story? - Can constraints spark innovation? A Different Perspective Strict structures can provide useful boundaries for some creators. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [“It is a very strong rule in drama, and in life, that people remain true to their basic natures. They change, and their change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-vogler/it-is-a-very-strong-rule-in-drama-and-in-life-that-people-remain-true/) [Christopher Vogler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-vogler/) > [I always like to play. I cannot sit down and see what's going to happen, because it's boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cabrera/i-always-like-to-play-i-cannot-sit-down-and-see-what-s-going-to/) [Miguel Cabrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cabrera/) > [Before I met you, life used to be so predictable and I knew exactly what was going to happen. It was boring. But from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemis-khan/before-i-met-you-life-used-to-be-so-predictable-and-i-knew-exactly/) [Kemis Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemis-khan/) > [There are certain actors who, when they appear in a drama, you know exactly what you're going to get. That's not me - if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lester/there-are-certain-actors-who-when-they-appear-in-a-drama-you-know/) [Adrian Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lester/) > [If you only do issue-based drama, you can become a boring wanker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-lewis/if-you-only-do-issue-based-drama-you-can-become-a-boring-wanker/) [Damian Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-lewis/) > [The way I view drama is life with the boring bits taken out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/the-way-i-view-drama-is-life-with-the-boring-bits-taken-out/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [I am a fan of all genres. My big thing is to serve the purpose of the script and what the director wants. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-crews/i-am-a-fan-of-all-genres-my-big-thing-is-to-serve-the-purpose-of-the/) [Terry Crews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-crews/) > [I'm not interested in the director's commentary stuff. I think that stuff is really boring. And, if the director explains too much, it takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-m-kahn/i-m-not-interested-in-the-director-s-commentary-stuff-i-think-that/) [Joseph M. Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-m-kahn/) > [The clouds are passing by slowly as the moon appears. Like the clouds, there are certain things which will disappear with the passing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jin-sun-mi/the-clouds-are-passing-by-slowly-as-the-moon-appears-like-the-clouds/) Jin Sun Mi > [When adults come together to form an intimate relationship, each person releases into it unresolved issues from their trans-generational pool of unconscious fantasies. Partners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-raphael-leff/when-adults-come-together-to-form-an-intimate-relationship-each/) [Joan Raphael-Leff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-raphael-leff/) > [Life is what you make it¦If one refuses to use ones imagination..it will be boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-what-you-make-it-if-one-refuses-to-use-ones-imagination-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I'd be very controversial if I said why, and I don't do controversial anymore. That's too passé. So last year. Being controversial is boring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/i-d-be-very-controversial-if-i-said-why-and-i-don-t-do-controversial/) M.I.A > [I don't want easy success. It's boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep/i-don-t-want-easy-success-it-s-boring/) [Sudeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep/) > [Normal is so Boring!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/normal-is-so-boring/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Steven Moffat > [Like most writers, I write about what has happened to me as that involves the minimum amount of research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/like-most-writers-i-write-about-what-has-happened-to-me-as-that/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [“I'm not a psychopath, I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/i-m-not-a-psychopath-i-m-a-high-functioning-sociopath-do-your-research/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [ The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. \[kicks console and yells in pain\] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/the-doctor-this-is-bad-i-don-t-like-this-kicks-console-and-yells-in/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [Don't play games with me! You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand! I'm the Doctor, and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/don-t-play-games-with-me-you-just-killed-someone-i-like-that-is-not-a/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [The universe is big, its vast and complicated, and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/the-universe-is-big-its-vast-and-complicated-and-ridiculous-and/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [Fascinatingly confident, rude people are great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/fascinatingly-confident-rude-people-are-great/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [ Rose: Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas! The Doctor: Who says I'm not, red-bicycle-when-you-were-twelve? Rose: \[shocked\] What? The Doctor: And everybody… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/rose-look-at-you-beaming-away-like-you-re-father-christmas-the-doctor/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [River Song? Amy Pond? Hardly weak women. It's the exact opposite. You could accuse me of having a fetish for powerful, sexy women who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/river-song-amy-pond-hardly-weak-women-it-s-the-exact-opposite-you/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman are back in Cardiff, back in the box, and back in action - for one of our scariest adventures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/peter-capaldi-and-jenna-coleman-are-back-in-cardiff-back-in-the-box/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [Madge: I don't know why I keep shouting at them. The Doctor: Because every time you see them happy you remember how sad they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/madge-i-don-t-know-why-i-keep-shouting-at-them-the-doctor-because/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [If it’s time to go, remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/if-it-s-time-to-go-remember-what-you-re-leaving-remember-the-best/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [The Doctor: 'You know when grown-ups tell you everything's going to be fine, but you really think they're lying to make you feel better?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/the-doctor-you-know-when-grown-ups-tell-you-everything-s-going-to-be/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [“Hello, old friend. And here we are. You and me, on the last page. By the time you read these words, Rory and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/hello-old-friend-and-here-we-are-you-and-me-on-the-last-page-by-the/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [“Rory: Amy. I'm gonna need a little help here. Amy: Just stop it! Rory: Just think it through, this will work. This will kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/rory-amy-i-m-gonna-need-a-little-help-here-amy-just-stop-it-rory-just/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [Brainy's the new sexy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/brainy-s-the-new-sexy/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) [Explore all 169 Steven Moffat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) ## More Boring quotes > [Normal is so Boring!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/normal-is-so-boring/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't want easy success. It's boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep/i-don-t-want-easy-success-it-s-boring/) [Sudeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep/) > [I'd be very controversial if I said why, and I don't do controversial anymore. That's too passé. So last year. Being controversial is boring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/i-d-be-very-controversial-if-i-said-why-and-i-don-t-do-controversial/) M.I.A > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Life is what you make it¦If one refuses to use ones imagination..it will be boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-what-you-make-it-if-one-refuses-to-use-ones-imagination-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had sort of had a 21st birthday when I was 17, 18 years old living in Japan. I had all of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wright/i-had-sort-of-had-a-21st-birthday-when-i-was-17-18-years-old-living/) [Sarah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wright/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I'm bored of being bored because being bored is very boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachithra/i-m-bored-of-being-bored-because-being-bored-is-very-boring/) [Sachithra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachithra/) > [The films I find boring are the ones that have no space for the audience's misconceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-decker/the-films-i-find-boring-are-the-ones-that-have-no-space-for-the/) [Josephine Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-decker/) > [It is an interesting law of romance that a truly strong woman will choose a strong man who disagrees with her over a weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-an-interesting-law-of-romance-that-a-truly-strong-woman-will/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I've always felt that dark lyrics with dark music is pretty useless. Maybe that's a strong statement - not useless, but for me, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bird/i-ve-always-felt-that-dark-lyrics-with-dark-music-is-pretty-useless/) [Andrew Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bird/) > [Something is wrong if workers do not look around each day, find things that are tedious or boring, and then rewrite the procedures. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taiichi-ohno/something-is-wrong-if-workers-do-not-look-around-each-day-find-things/) [Taiichi Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taiichi-ohno/) > [Plumbing is usually boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/plumbing-is-usually-boring/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Eventually one discovers that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/if-something-is-boring-after-two-minutes-try-it-for-four-if-still/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [Acting is an escape from the boring person that I am in real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/acting-is-an-escape-from-the-boring-person-that-i-am-in-real-life/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) Browse all 3,123 Boring quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nothing can ever be a rule in drama, because then you're saying certain things won't ever happen, and that would be very boring.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Moffat" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-because-then-you-re-saying/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boring" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-because-then-you-re-saying/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/steven-moffat-2328_boring_nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-beca_2231520.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/steven-moffat-2328_boring_nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-beca_2231520.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/steven-moffat-2328_boring_nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-beca_2231520.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nothing can ever be a rule in drama, because then you're saying certain things won't ever happen, and that…” — Steven Moffat", "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": "Steven Moffat", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nothing can ever be a rule...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-because-then-you-re-saying/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/nothing-can-ever-be-a-rule-in-drama-because-then-you-re-saying/#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 } } ] } ```