--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think longer that you sit on a…" description: "\"I think longer that you sit on a screenplay the longer you sit. I'm a firm believer that you can write the magic out of a movie, out of a screenplay. I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83e/todd-farmer-19376_believer_i-think-longer-that-you-sit-on-a-screenp_122581.jpg" --- # I think longer that you sit on a screenplay the longer you… ![“I think longer that you sit on a screenplay the longer you sit. I'm a firm believer that you can write the magic out of a movie, out of a screenplay. I'm not saying that the first draft is always the best draft but a lot of times the magic is in the first couple of drafts. T” quote by Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83e/todd-farmer-19376_believer_i-think-longer-that-you-sit-on-a-screenp_122581.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83e/todd-farmer-19376_believer_i-think-longer-that-you-sit-on-a-screenp_122581.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83e/todd-farmer-19376_believer_i-think-longer-that-you-sit-on-a-screenp_122581.jpg) > “I think longer that you sit on a screenplay the longer you sit. I'm a firm believer that you can write the magic out of a movie, out of a screenplay. I'm not saying that the first draft is always the best draft but a lot of times the magic is in the first couple of drafts. T” [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The creative spark often appears early; while later drafts can improve, the initial drafts frequently contain the most compelling ideas. **In simple terms:** First drafts often hold the magic. Key Takeaway Early drafts can be the most powerful. Themes creativity writing process drafting film Mood enthusiastic reflective Type advice industry insight When to use this quote - screenwriting workshops - film development meetings - script revisions Key Concepts creative intuition Practical Applications - preserve early ideas - use early drafts as a foundation Questions to Reflect On - Why do we sometimes dismiss early drafts? - How can we balance polishing with preserving original energy? A Different Perspective Later revisions can uncover deeper layers that early drafts miss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believer/) [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Screenplay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenplay/) [Screenplays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenplays/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [A good book or movie or screenplay should be emotionally satisfying. When they're done, you want people to breathe a deep sigh and say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-peretti/a-good-book-or-movie-or-screenplay-should-be-emotionally-satisfying/) [Frank Peretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-peretti/) > [I've done some stuff with Thomas Jane and Tim Bradstreet in the comic world and it was interesting to me how close to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/i-ve-done-some-stuff-with-thomas-jane-and-tim-bradstreet-in-the-comic/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [The graphic novel? I love comics and so, yes. I don't think we talked about that. We weren't influenced necessarily by graphic novels but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/the-graphic-novel-i-love-comics-and-so-yes-i-don-t-think-we-talked/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [By the time I was doing "Kill Bill," it was so much filled with prose that, you know, I start seeing why people write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/by-the-time-i-was-doing-kill-bill-it-was-so-much-filled-with-prose/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [If you don't have a brilliant screenplay, then you either have amazing actors who give you the chance to improve whatever is on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/if-you-don-t-have-a-brilliant-screenplay-then-you-either-have-amazing/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [I've been a professional athlete, I've directed films, I've run a company with 150 employees, and nothing compares to writing a screenplay. Just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-peralta/i-ve-been-a-professional-athlete-i-ve-directed-films-i-ve-run-a/) [Stacy Peralta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-peralta/) > [Writing a screenplay is like climbing a mountain. When you’re climbing, all you can see is the rock in front of you and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/writing-a-screenplay-is-like-climbing-a-mountain-when-you-re-climbing/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [It's really hard to write a screenplay, it's nauseating. All those great writers that tried to write screenplays, they couldn't do it, most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hampton-fancher/it-s-really-hard-to-write-a-screenplay-it-s-nauseating-all-those/) [Hampton Fancher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hampton-fancher/) > [On the one occasion where I did try writing a screenplay, I found the rewriting just unendurable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/on-the-one-occasion-where-i-did-try-writing-a-screenplay-i-found-the/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [I never could have written the screenplay because I would have been forced to learn new software and I can't learn one more thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-never-could-have-written-the-screenplay-because-i-would-have-been/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [A screenplay is really an instruction manual, and it can be interpreted in any number of ways. The casting, the choice of location, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/a-screenplay-is-really-an-instruction-manual-and-it-can-be/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [I don't generate a storyline and then fill it out in the course of writing. The story actually generates in the course of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/i-don-t-generate-a-storyline-and-then-fill-it-out-in-the-course-of/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/) Deon Taylor > [If I could find the right kind of property, get tied in with the right movie, I'd love to be involved, but I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/if-i-could-find-the-right-kind-of-property-get-tied-in-with-the-right/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) ## More by Todd Farmer > [It's a weird partnership. For me and Patrick, if you've met him, we're not very much alike. But we bring such different tools to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/it-s-a-weird-partnership-for-me-and-patrick-if-you-ve-met-him-we-re/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [I put in all the dirty words. It works really well. 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We did the same thing with this.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/in-a-way-it-was-a-modern-story-but-it-played-to-all-those-1980/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [So we have that, where there are moments where it's just Nic Cage and Amber Heard and you're in the car with them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/so-we-have-that-where-there-are-moments-where-it-s-just-nic-cage-and/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [As long as we work within the budget and are responsible, which by the way it's amazing how many people aren't but we are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/as-long-as-we-work-within-the-budget-and-are-responsible-which-by-the/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [It's modern day. It is modern day. Some of the cars are older but it is absolutely modern day. There are modern cars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/it-s-modern-day-it-is-modern-day-some-of-the-cars-are-older-but-it-is/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [It's funny, if you go back and look at all those old movies a lot of times they didn't have the budget for music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/it-s-funny-if-you-go-back-and-look-at-all-those-old-movies-a-lot-of/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [I think it's just as viable a way of telling a story as anything else but for right now we like playing around with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/i-think-it-s-just-as-viable-a-way-of-telling-a-story-as-anything-else/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > ['Scissorman' is terrifying. The studio at the time didn't want Scissorman because they were afraid that he'd look silly to which my response was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/scissorman-is-terrifying-the-studio-at-the-time-didn-t-want/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [It's not like we were forced to do something we didn't want to do. I mean, when you see that scene you'll realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/it-s-not-like-we-were-forced-to-do-something-we-didn-t-want-to-do-i/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) [Explore all 32 Todd Farmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) ## More Believer quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [I've always been a believer in research. 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I just used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-wogan/oh-i-m-a-great-believer-in-the-power-of-the-pause-radio-is-a-bit/) [Terry Wogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-wogan/) > [Jesus taught that the mark of the Christian is the observable love shown among all true believers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/jesus-taught-that-the-mark-of-the-christian-is-the-observable-love/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [I'm a great believer in people and their untapped potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-bester/i-m-a-great-believer-in-people-and-their-untapped-potential/) [Alfred Bester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-bester/) > [Revival is the Spirit's passion within the believer to know and to obey the total will of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/revival-is-the-spirit-s-passion-within-the-believer-to-know-and-to/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [I'm not a great believer in awards-of course the fact that I've never won one has nothing to do with it at all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/i-m-not-a-great-believer-in-awards-of-course-the-fact-that-i-ve-never/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [Intuitionists think that there are cases in which, say, some identity statement between real numbers is neither true nor false, even though we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-f-heck/intuitionists-think-that-there-are-cases-in-which-say-some-identity/) [Richard F. Heck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-f-heck/) > [The Bible is shallow enough for a new believer to wade in, but deep enough for a theologian to drown in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-j-lawson/the-bible-is-shallow-enough-for-a-new-believer-to-wade-in-but-deep/) [Steven J Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-j-lawson/) > [Christ is our temple, in whom by faith all believers meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/christ-is-our-temple-in-whom-by-faith-all-believers-meet/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [The problem with Prosperity Theology is not that it promises too much, but that it aims for so little. 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