As a writer, I know that creativity begets creativity. Since I only discuss my pseudonymous writing with a few friends, I have to experience creative intercourse elsewhere as well. Reading, of course. But old movies sometimes help.
Movies are stories. A friend was once surprised when I mentioned movies as an intellectual pursuit. They can be that, but they can also be a fairly quick way to digest a story. Reading a novel will take, generally, several days. A movie a couple of hours.
Why old movies? I do like current movies. Some of them can be thought-provoking, such as The Matrix, or any of the Planet of the Apes franchise. Still, old movies often rely on good writing. Special effects couldn’t substitute for lack of story in the old days.
For example, I watched Casablanca at the suggestion of my friend Steve. I was struck not only by how many classic lines it had, but by the fact that the dialogue was witty, intelligent, and entertaining. Old movies often have that.
There’s an element of this that leaks into present day writing as well. It’s been a while since I’ve read an action novel, but these books tend to put you through the paces for mental images without taking too much care for literary quality. That’s what they’re for.
Like old movies, I prefer books that take the time to show some literary awareness. Not every sentence has to sparkle, but it is nice if some of them do. I’ve read books where the first page left me in tears for the beauty of the style. It may not last the whole way through, but it predisposes me to that writer. I will come back again.
A movie will leave out many of the subtleties of the novel on which it’s based (if it is), but it can do a favor for those of us who write. It can become a dialogue partner. And if the dialogue is witty, intelligent, and entertaining, it will keep me coming back for more.
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