--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most important question for me when I…" description: "\"The most important question for me when I begin working on a film is where to start. For a book, what makes you convinced there is a story that is wort..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/wim-wenders-9999_book_the-most-important-question-for-me-when_614943.jpg" --- # The most important question for me when I begin working on… ![“The most important question for me when I begin working on a film is where to start. For a book, what makes you convinced there is a story that is worthwhile?” quote by Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/wim-wenders-9999_book_the-most-important-question-for-me-when_614943.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/wim-wenders-9999_book_the-most-important-question-for-me-when_614943.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/wim-wenders-9999_book_the-most-important-question-for-me-when_614943.jpg) > “The most important question for me when I begin working on a film is where to start. For a book, what makes you convinced there is a story that is worthwhile?” [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes that the first step in filmmaking is identifying a clear starting point, while for books the key is recognizing a compelling story worth telling. **In simple terms:** Start with a clear plan for films; find a strong story for books. Key Takeaway Begin with a clear direction or a compelling narrative. Themes creativity process storytelling decision making Mood inquisitive strategic Type guidance inspirational When to use this quote - film production - scriptwriting - novel planning - creative workshops - story evaluation Key Concepts narrative development project planning Questions to Reflect On - What defines a "worthwhile" story for you? - How do you decide where to begin a project? A Different Perspective Finding a starting point can be ambiguous without clear criteria. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) ## Related quotes > [“One cannot judge in advance whether or not the idea of the story is worthwhile because until one has finished writing the story one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/one-cannot-judge-in-advance-whether-or-not-the-idea-of-the-story-is/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [The great thing about film is you start and finish. It's a journey that lasts so long, TV lasts a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-george/the-great-thing-about-film-is-you-start-and-finish-it-s-a-journey/) [Melissa George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-george/) > [When you do a film, you start to get the character, and then it disappears for a year before it's released and you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-davis/when-you-do-a-film-you-start-to-get-the-character-and-then-it/) [Matthew Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-davis/) > [I absolutely loathe adverts. I won't go into the cinema until 20 minutes after the film is due to start because there are so many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/i-absolutely-loathe-adverts-i-won-t-go-into-the-cinema-until-20/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [I know very few people who have literally improvised a film from start to finish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-know-very-few-people-who-have-literally-improvised-a-film-from/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [When you direct your first film, you always start by telling stories that you are familiar with](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-marceau/when-you-direct-your-first-film-you-always-start-by-telling-stories/) [Sophie Marceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-marceau/) > [When you write a novel or paint a picture, you have the opportunity to approach it and back off, tear up pages, write, rewrite,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-davies/when-you-write-a-novel-or-paint-a-picture-you-have-the-opportunity-to/) [Jeremy Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-davies/) > [I definitely want to record an album, direct a film and start my own religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/i-definitely-want-to-record-an-album-direct-a-film-and-start-my-own/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [ We with \[ Marjane Satrapi\] always work together on the script which is very important. We even film each other and we start to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-paronnaud/we-with-marjane-satrapi-always-work-together-on-the-script-which-is/) [Vincent Paronnaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-paronnaud/) > [When you decide you want to make a film, you start listening to everything that anyone has to say about filmmaking and reading everything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ford/when-you-decide-you-want-to-make-a-film-you-start-listening-to/) [Tom Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ford/) > [On a film, you start to get closer and closer with the people you're working with, and it becomes like this circus act or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/on-a-film-you-start-to-get-closer-and-closer-with-the-people-you-re/) [Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/) > [Yeah as the director I consider myself to be the coach, and my actors are my players. So I have to show them how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-cianfrance/yeah-as-the-director-i-consider-myself-to-be-the-coach-and-my-actors/) [Derek Cianfrance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-cianfrance/) > [I like to see a film and then start scoring it in my mind while doing something unrelated. You just grasp a film and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/i-like-to-see-a-film-and-then-start-scoring-it-in-my-mind-while-doing/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [When someone asks me to do a score, I look at the picture two or three times. I never watch the rushes to pick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/when-someone-asks-me-to-do-a-score-i-look-at-the-picture-two-or-three/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) ## More by Wim Wenders > [It's a great lesson in modesty that you realize you're illiterate in a field that you think you're an expert in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/it-s-a-great-lesson-in-modesty-that-you-realize-you-re-illiterate-in/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [The beautiful image today means nothing. It's worthshit. In fact, it's almost as if it has the opposite effect, becauseyou're just like everything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/the-beautiful-image-today-means-nothing-it-s-worthshit-in-fact-it-s/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [The Yanks have colonized our subconscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/the-yanks-have-colonized-our-subconscious/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [On the contrary a film can promote the idea of change without any political message whatsoever but in its form and language can tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/on-the-contrary-a-film-can-promote-the-idea-of-change-without-any/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [Every photo, every 'ONCE' in time is also the beginning of a story starting 'once upon a time...' Every photo is the first frame…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/every-photo-every-once-in-time-is-also-the-beginning-of-a-story/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [The culture of independent film criticism has totally gone down the drain and this seems to come with the territory of the consumer age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/the-culture-of-independent-film-criticism-has-totally-gone-down-the/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [Everything is entertainment; criticism is now entertainment and it seems that the French directors have woken up one day and suddenly realised that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/everything-is-entertainment-criticism-is-now-entertainment-and-it/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [“What is it in the human condition that tries to impose our own view onto others, without the ability, capacity, propensity, to receive somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/what-is-it-in-the-human-condition-that-tries-to-impose-our-own-view/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [To evoke the classic period of Italian cinema in a little film seemed like a great, fun thing to do. I had relations to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/to-evoke-the-classic-period-of-italian-cinema-in-a-little-film-seemed/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [In books they don't have deleted scenes, like with DVDs. You could have your deleted scene in a book as well!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/in-books-they-don-t-have-deleted-scenes-like-with-dvds-you-could-have/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [For years all I seemed to be doing was lobbying politicians and others to persuade them that European culture needed movies, and that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/for-years-all-i-seemed-to-be-doing-was-lobbying-politicians-and/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [Sex and violence was never really my cup of tea; I was always more into sax and violins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/sex-and-violence-was-never-really-my-cup-of-tea-i-was-always-more/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [I can't do a million things anymore like I could when I was younger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/i-can-t-do-a-million-things-anymore-like-i-could-when-i-was-younger/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [If you travel a lot, if you like roaming about in order to lose yourself, you can end up in the strangest places. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/if-you-travel-a-lot-if-you-like-roaming-about-in-order-to-lose/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [So I am getting a little bored with defining one type of film as American and the other European or from somewhere else because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/so-i-am-getting-a-little-bored-with-defining-one-type-of-film-as/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) [Explore all 68 Wim Wenders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) ## 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! 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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": "The most important question for me when I begin working on a film is where to start. 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