Some interesting quotes

Browsed this blog and found some interesting stuff:

All drama is conflict. Without conflict, you have no character; without character, you have no action. Without action, you have no story, and without story, you have no screenplay.
- Syd Field, teacher to writing screenplay

Reminiscent of "Adaptation". In fact I think the guy on stage used exactly these words. Is his name even Syd Field itself?

Next an excerpt from a book review on Japanese literature. Read more and you might get an idea of the fascinating world of Japanese literature:

Sei Shonagon has the most extraordinary air of self-satisfaction. Yet, if we stop to examine those Chinese writings of hers that she so pretentiously scatters about the place, we find that they are full of imperfections. Someone who makes such an effort to be different from others is bound to fall in people’s esteem, and I can only think that her future will be a hard one. She is a gifted woman, to be sure. Yet, if one gives free rein to one’s emotions even under the most inappropriate circumstances, if one has to sample each interesting thing that comes along, people are bound to regard one as frivolous. And how can things turn out well for such a woman?

- The Murasaki Shikibu Diary, translated by Ivan Morris

Jealousy and spite aside, how very astute observation of human nature already at that time of Heian Japan! In my writing class I read one of the essays written by the subject of the above criticism, Sei Shonagon. ("The Pillow Book", a collection of Shonagon's essays, is apparently a famous classic) I think Ivan Morris' translation is delightful, as once again proven here above in his translation of Sei Shonagon's rival's work. Must read both one day.

More:

There is a burden of grace on the recipient. That’s part of know how to BE loved, and it doesn’t always come naturally.

Everything has a cost
Our gains rarely outweigh our losses
The past is precious
Progress is an illusion

These are just relevant or interesting to me because they verbalised and unclouded some beliefs of mine. Everyone goes through processes of unclouding to gain faith in their beliefs.