--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If all that's going on in your scenes is…" description: "\"If all that's going on in your scenes is what's going on in your scenes, think about it a long time.\" — William Goldman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/william-goldman-1095_ifs_if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is_3162850.png" --- # If all that's going on in your scenes is what's going on… ![“If all that's going on in your scenes is what's going on in your scenes, think about it a long time.” quote by William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/william-goldman-1095_ifs_if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is_3162850.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/william-goldman-1095_ifs_if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is_3162850.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/william-goldman-1095_ifs_if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is_3162850.png) > “If all that's going on in your scenes is what's going on in your scenes, think about it a long time.” [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A scene should have stakes beyond its immediate action; it must reflect deeper narrative purpose. **In simple terms:** Scenes need underlying meaning, not just surface action. Key Takeaway Ensure each scene serves a larger story goal. Themes storytelling scene construction purpose Mood analytical thoughtful Type instructional philosophical When to use this quote - film scripts - stage plays - TV episodes Key Concepts thematic depth dramatic tension Questions to Reflect On - What hidden purpose does your scene serve? - Does every scene need a subtextual layer? A Different Perspective Focusing too much on subtext can stall pacing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Screenwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenwriting/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I have been given a lot of roles that are downtrodden, mammy-ish. 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The thing to be cautious of is trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-lynskey/i-feel-like-any-actor-should-always-be-thinking-about-how-to-serve-2/) [Melanie Lynskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-lynskey/) > [“...behind the scene, under the surface of reality, you are all actors, marvelously skilled at playing parts and in getting lost in the mazes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/behind-the-scene-under-the-surface-of-reality-you-are-all-actors/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [I heard I'm going to have scenes with Lady Gaga so I'm hoping it's true. 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There were four guards outside waiting. At ten seconds per guard, she began figuring, but then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/buttercup-could-picture-westley-rounding-the-final-corner-there-were/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [“Well, you haven’t once said you loved me.’ ‘That’s all you need? Easy. I love you. Okay? Want it louder? I love you. Spell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/well-you-haven-t-once-said-you-loved-me-that-s-all-you-need-easy-i/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [You think this is a trap then?" the Count asked. "I always think everything is a trap until proven otherwise," the Prince answered. "Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-think-this-is-a-trap-then-the-count-asked-i-always-think/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [“He nodded, took a step away. “I’ll send for you soon. 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Everybody knows that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/sonny-don-t-you-tell-me-what-s-worthwhile-true-love-is-the-best-thing/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Explore all 281 William Goldman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. 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Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. 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Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If all that's going on in your scenes is what's going on in your scenes, think about it a long time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Goldman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is-what-s-going-on-in-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ifs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is-what-s-going-on-in-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/william-goldman-1095_ifs_if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is_3162850.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/william-goldman-1095_ifs_if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is_3162850.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/william-goldman-1095_ifs_if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is_3162850.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If all that's going on in your scenes is what's going on in your scenes, think about it a long time.” — William Goldman", "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": "William Goldman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If all that's going on in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is-what-s-going-on-in-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/if-all-that-s-going-on-in-your-scenes-is-what-s-going-on-in-your/#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 } } ] } ```