Rian Johnson Quotes

I've always thought that, as a romance writer, I had the best job in the world. I sit around all day making up emotion-drenched, conflict-laden stories that push my heroes and heroines to the edge of sanity. Then I give them a happy ending.

If I ever wrote a script myself, it would be strongly emotional material.

I enjoy pushing my characters to the limit. No matter how far out there I go, I look for things that make the characters human.

The novelist must ground his work in faithful study of human nature.

I think it's a short story writer's duty, as well as writing well about emotions and characters, to write story.

I don't really approach stories to make them different from other stuff I've seen, I just try to get into the character, into his or her head. Try to make it as funny, as scary or as wild as I can so that I really like it.

Short stories are often strong meat. Reading them, even listening to them, can be challenging, by which I do not mean hard work, simply that a certain amount of nerve and maturity is required.

So I work hard to present the human side of my characters while not neglecting the plot.

I always prefer to write songs about emotional situations and heartbreak because I like getting into the character.

Everyone thinks they can write a play; you just write down what happened to you. But the art of it is drawing from all the moments of your life.

I'm not in the business of meddling with people's destinies - and yes, my characters are real people to me. They have histories and thoughts and yearnings and hurts and misgivings and pleasures that don't belong to me.

To create a fully formed character full of life, struggle, and humanity is tough.

I'm not an autobiographical writer, but I am a writer who deals with human emotion on all levels.

The more you put out there, the more you have to resolve. 'Air' is the most literary comic I've written so far, and that poses problems.

People sometimes seem surprised because often, you know, you know, there's a lot of tortured characters in the stuff I write.

I don't do issue writing. I do character writing.

If your character is just out there acting a fool, viewers are gonna say, 'Why am I watching this?' But if he's whispering, 'I don't really want to die,' there's a level of vulnerability cemented in these bad characters.

I think that people are fascinated with the stories, with human nature and the dark turns it can take.

Because I grew up on 'Star Wars', that was the best example of creating a full and rich world to me as a writer. When I was watching those movies as a kid, I wanted to know more about every damn character in that universe. There was always a hint that there was a story there that you just weren't getting to see.

Whenever I write, I try and approach my stories from some kind of universal theme or idea or emotion.

I tend to lean toward romance, characters, and relationships when I write, so I have to add to the setting elements and world-building when I revise.

Some of my most enjoyable moments as a writer have come while conjuring a meet cute.

The story, not the money, excites me.

I'm really not interested in writing about science at all. I mean, I try to get the information right, the details right. But fiction isn't good at conveying information: It's good at telling stories about people in interesting situations.

How can you turn down Marks and Gran? Their scripts are so rich in texture.