William Forrester [to Jamal]
What you write in this apartment stays in this apartment. No exceptions.
Most-quoted character in Finding Forrester (2000): in 19 of its 25 quotes
Most scenes with: Jamal Wallace (12)
No thinking -- that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is... to write, not to think!
More lines from William Forrester
6 quotes William Forrester William Forrester The key to a woman's heart is an unexpected gift at an unexpected time.
William Forrester My name is William Forrester. [pointing to a 'writers's wall of fame picture] I'm that one.
William Forrester Bolt the door, if you're coming in.
William Forrester Why is it that the words that we write for ourselves are always so much better than the words we write for others?
William Forrester [Jamal opens the letter]
Dear Jamal, Someone I once knew wrote that we walk away from our dreams afraid that we may fail or worse yet, afraid we may succeed. You need to know that while I knew so very early that you would realize your dreams, I never imagined I would once again realize my own. Seasons change young man, and while I may have waited until the winter of my life, to see the things I've seen this past year, there is no doubt I would have waited too long, had it not been for you.
Scenes with William Forrester
12 scenes
Women will sleep with you if you write a book?
Forrester Women will sleep with you if you write a bad book.
I came back to see, if you could help me out with my writing.
Forrester Here's one: 5,000 words on why you'll stay the **** out of my home!
Forrester In some cultures it's good luck to be wearing something inside-out.
And you believe that?
Forrester No, but it's like praying: what do you risk?
Forrester Paragraph three starts...with a conjunction, "and." You should never start a sentence with a conjunction.
Sure you can.
Forrester No, it's a firm rule.
No, it was a firm rule. Sometimes using a conjunction at the start of a sentence makes it stand out. And that may be what the writer's trying to do.
Forrester And what is the risk?
Doing it too much. It's a distraction. And it could give your piece a run-on feeling. But for the most part, the rule on using "and" or "but" at the start of a sentence is pretty shaky. Even though it's still taught by too many professors. Some of the best writers have ignored that rule for years, including you.
Man, **** you, William! You wanna know what the real bullshit is? How about you let me take it on this one cause you're too damn scared to walk out that door and do something for somebody else. You're too damn scared, man! That's the only damn reason.
Forrester You don't know a goddamn thing about reasons; there are no reasons! Reasons why some of us live and why some of us don't! Well, fortunately for you you have decades to figure that out.
Yeah, and what's the reason in having a file cabinet full of writing and keeping the shit locked so nobody can read it? What is that man? I'm through with this shit.
Forrester I have an homeland that I have not seen for too long.
Oh, you mean Ireland?
Forrester Scotland, for God's sakes!
I'm messing with you, man!
Forrester [While Jamal is typing on Forrester's typewriter]
Punch the keys, for God's sake!
Forrester [Jamal begins to hit the keys harder]
Yes... Yes! You're the man now, dog!
It should be noted that this particular line has become a popular internet meme, leading to the creation of sites such as YTMND.
You ever enter one of those?
Forrester Writing contest?
Yeah.
Forrester Once, long time ago.
Did you win?
Forrester Well of course I won!
Like money or somethin’?
Forrester The Pulitzer.
Forrester No conventional greetings today?
Why have me rewrite something you published?
Forrester Be careful where you take this.
Why didn't you tell me some magazine ran it?
Forrester Why the hell should it matter?
You should have told me.
Forrester What did you do with it?
I turned it in. I turned it in. I had to show them something.
Forrester You promised me anything we wrote in here would stay in here.
I know. I know. I know! I just thought...
Forrester Shut up. What are they telling you?
I go on probation unless I write a letter saying I was wrong.
Forrester Then write the letter.
Look, I already told you I'm not reading or writing anything.
Forrester If you got him, he gets you. Write the letter.
And then, you'd let him do that? Is this supposed to be some kind of another lesson? I'm getting tired of all of these lessons. Whenever every time I come here. And the title of your essay is right at the top of my paper. What's the lesson in that?
Forrester I'm not the one who turned it in.
Then you talked all that trash when all you had to say was: "Jamal, keep this one in here because it already got printed in the New Yorker." That's all you had to say. Maybe I could use a little help.
Forrester No, that's not an option.
You don't even have to go anywhere.
Forrester I said, that's not an option.
I'm sorry, man. I'm getting used to people not helping out with me.
Forrester Oh, Christ. Not that self-pity father bullshit.
What did you say? Man, **** you, William! You wanna know what the real bullshit is? How about...you letting me taking it on this one 'cause you're too damn scared to head out that door and do something for somebody else. You're too damn scared, man! That's the only damn reason.
Forrester You don't know a goddamn thing about reasons. There are no reasons! Reasons why some of us live and why some of us don't! Well, fortunately for you, you have decades to figure that out.
Yeah! And what's the reason in having a file cabinet full of writing and keeping the shit locked so nobody can ever read it, huh? What is that, man? I'm done with this shit.
We've been talking about your book at school.
Forrester People have been talking about it for years. They just haven't been saying anything.
I think I got it down, though. I figure you were writing about how life never works out.
Forrester Really? You had to read a book to figure that out?
Forrester About those free-throws...Did you miss them? Or did you "miss" them?
Forrester Do you know what people are most afraid of?
What?
Forrester What they don't understand. And when we don't understand, we turn to our assumptions.
Other characters in Finding Forrester
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