The Purest Idea

2nd July 2016 | for Creatives | artist integrity, reaching your audience, Ricky Gervais, protect the art, ideas  |       

"As long as I can get exactly what's in my head with minimum compromise, I don't care where it's going. I don't care if, in five years' time, they've discovered telepathy, that I can just have ideas and blink and people get them all around the world. You know, we don't know what the medium's going to be, so I'll have whatever delivers the purest idea that I have to the most people."

— Ricky Gervais

Similar for Creatives

no compromise

"As an artist, you want as many people to see your work as possible with no compromise.  .... I don't want to .... have it watered down, and follow a soap opera, and have all the edges filed down and have someone interfere.  ....  Delivering the exact thing that I made ... that's so important to me, you know, that's, I said, the ideal of the most beautiful and purest thing. And it's how little it can be ruined from your brain to the observer. And that's the way you do everything yourself, really, because, you know, I've probably only produced and directed to protect my writing, the idea, you know?"

Talk to me about your ideas

"Writers seeking to break in are often so concerned with sounding salable that they put it before craft.  It's off-putting.  The more the writer seems focused on selling, the less genuine the craft tends to be.  Talk to me about your ideas, your characters, your worlds: That's how to excite me."

Protect Your Voice and Your Vision

"You've got to protect your voice and your vision from everybody, really.  Even the best-intentioned editors.  And I mean, I love my editor; I've been with Vicky Wilson for over 35 years.  She's wonderful, and her remarks on the finished manuscript are always terrific.  But I don't go to her to discuss a germinating idea."

take heed

"I want anyone who has ever had an idea shot down by a supposed authority to take heed.  I have to say, my gasted is totally flabbered that anyone would dissuade a student from pursuing something based on an idea alone."

give yourself permission

"You have to give yourself permission, say to yourself, 'I'm not foolish for wanting this.'  All writers have to fight the same fight.  I have to write 2,000 words today, no matter what.  That's my discipline, and that's me protecting the work."

Join my mailing list!

Don't miss a single, riveting word! Be the first to hear of new releases, special promotions, and other news and nifty things...