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The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one – America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.

Aaron Sorkin

I consider plot a necessary intrusion on what I really want to do, which is write snappy dialogue. But when I’m writing, the way the words sound is as important to me as what they mean.
AARON SORKIN

Consider Dialogue Important Intrusion Mean Necessary Plot Snappy Writing
Any time you get two people in a room who disagree about anything, the time of day, there is a scene to be written. That’s what I look for.
AARON SORKIN

Disagree Look People Scene Two Written
The stuff that I write doesn’t work very well as background music. You have to watch it from beginning to end and pay attention as if you were watching a play.
AARON SORKIN

Background Beginning End Music Play Stuff Watch Writing
My preference would have been to not go back on the air after 911, at all until the time felt right but that wasn’t an option.
AARON SORKIN

Air Back Been Felt Option Preference Time
There are television critics, movie critics, and theater critics too who I like and who I follow and I get genuinely bummed when they don’t like something that I’ve written because I usually agree with them.
AARON SORKIN

Critic Follow Genuinely Television Theater
Trying to guess what the (mass) audience wants and then trying to satisfy that is usually a bad recipe for getting something good.
AARON SORKIN

Audience Bad Getting Recipe Trying Usually Want
I’ve never met anyone who has said, “My goal is to make America mediocre.” That’s a kind of hard-right conservative fallacy.
AARON SORKIN

America Anyone Conservation Conservative Country Goal Hard Right Mediocre Met
There are no Asian movie stars
AARON SORKIN

Change Expect Less More Seem Should Thinking
I want to convey that I’m crazy about the Kardashians – but I’m not sure which is which.
AARON SORKIN

Convey Crazy Kardashian Not Sure Want
And a wheat thin the size of Lake Tahoe.
AARON SORKIN

Lake Size Tahoe Thin Wheat
People who don’t know anything tend to make up fake rules, the real rules being considerably more difficult to learn.
AARON SORKIN

Anything Considerable Difficult Fake Learn People Real Rule Tend
To use a basketball metaphor, West Wing cast was a group that liked to pass as much as they liked to shoot.
AARON SORKIN

Basketball Group Like Metaphor Pass West Wing
Certainly, last year we did an episode about the census and sampling versus a direct statistic. You just said the word ‘census’, and people fall asleep.
AARON SORKIN

Census Certain Episode Fall People Sampling Statis Versus Year
A news organization has a much different responsibility. I might not be telling you the whole story. I might not be telling you a story in a manner that is properly sophisticated.
AARON SORKIN

DifferentTelling might Organization Responsibility Sophisticated Stories
I’m a playwright. All I care about is the play being good.
AARON SORKIN

Be Care Good Play Playwright
It’s populated by people who, by and large, have terrific communication skills. Every day is an extraordinary day. For me, it was just a great area for storytelling.
AARON SORKIN

Communication Large People Populated Skill Terrific
Conflict, when used as a device, makes for good television and bad journalism.
AARON SORKIN

Conflict Divide Journalism Television
I’m terribly afraid of failure. When your identity is wrapped up in writing and you’ve written something that doesn’t work, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
AARON SORKIN

Afraid Failure Identity Tough Writing
I don’t believe there are two sides to every argument. I think the facts are the center. And watching the news abandon the facts in favor of “fairness” is what’s troubling to me.
AARON SORKIN

Argument Believe Center Side Thinking Two Watching
My resting pulse as a writer is writing idealistically and romantically; aspirationally. My taste lies in quixotic heroes.
AARON SORKIN

Aspirationally Hero Lies Lying Pulse Resting Romantically Taste Writing
The guy who wins the Oscar for Best Actor has a much higher bar to clear than the woman who wins best actress.
AARON SORKIN

Actress Bar Clear Guy Oscar Winning Woman
When I feel that something I’m writing is going well, everything in my life is good and the things in my life that aren’t good are completely manageable. If it’s not going well, Miss America could be standing there in a swimsuit handing me a nobel price and I wouldn’t be happy about it
AARON SORKIN

Academy Award Father Guinea Insist Pig Respect Roxy Sorkin Won
I have a lot of respect for people who are great at ad-libbing, and for writers and directors who are able to create a scene in which that works.
AARON SORKIN

Able Create Director Hero People Writer
Never argue with a drunk or a fool.
AARON SORKIN

Arguing Drunk Fool never
I’m terribly afraid of failure. When your identity is wrapped up in writing and you’ve written something that doesn’t work, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
AARON SORKIN

Afraid Failure Identity Tough Writing
With a television series, there’s a hard deadline, and so you have to write even when you’re not writing well.
AARON SORKIN

Deadline Hard Not Well Series Television Write Writing
If you feel that strongly about something, you have an obligation to try and change my mind.
AARON SORKIN

Change Mind Obligation Strongly Trying

The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one – America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.

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The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one – America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.

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Popular Authors

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