Advertising is the art of the tiny. You have to tell a complete a story and deliver a complete message in a very encapsulated form. It disciplines you to cut away extraneous information.

It's show business. No show, no business.

I think most people don't react well to being screamed at. It's counterproductive.

The story drove the book. That had a very seminal effect on the way I saw writing and storytelling. If you can set a character in a story that is compelling and has a backbone, you draw people in.

I get bored with establishing shots of people getting out of cars and walking into buildings, getting into elevators and then 45 seconds later they have a line.

It was like in Samoa when they'd put up a movie screen on the beach and show movies and the locals would run behind the sheet to see where the people went. It was pretty grim.

And the consumer doesn't care. They don't watch networks, they watch TV shows.

I try to just communicate what I want done as clearly and simply as possible.

People recognize certain things, like 'D' means 'this dialogue stinks.' We're dealing with shows that are written here, shot in New York and posted back here. Accurate communication is a necessity.

I was raised not to be rude, but I also try to get the best work out of people.

The threat to free television. The reason television is free is because it is a life support system for commercials. That fundamental aspect is about to change.

Everyone basically has one aria to sing over their entire life.

Don't call what isn't prophecy "prophecy." Don't say "the Lord told me" if you're not about to quote a Bible verse.

They will call you immoral if you dare to describe their immorality

The writer crafts their ideal world. In my world, everyone has really long conversations or just picks apart pop culture to death and everyone talks in monologue.

The greatest scientists are artists as well.

I'm particularly weird because I don't even like being looked at.

We prate of freedom; we are in deadly fear of life, as much of our own American scene betrays.

Human beans are for Borrowers—like bread’s for butter!

Investing in girls' education is the very best thing we can do, not just for our daughters and granddaughters, but for their families, their communities, and their countries.

I know President Obama and Secretary Clinton are committed to bringing America together. This needs to be a time of redemption, not a time of recrimination.