The challenge is not to write truth, but to write seductive believability. – Stephen J. Cannell
9 thoughts on “Quotable”
Ah, there’s a name I know well because many of the shows he worked on were in the hey-day of television for me—The Greatest American Hero, Rockford, A-Team, Hardcastle & McCormick, Riptide etc. Great memories!
He knew his stuff. What I like about this quote is that writing “truth” or “reality” shouldn’t be the goal of the fiction writer (we’re not doing documentaries here). We stylize “reality” for an effect, to “seduce” the reader into our story. As Chaucer puts it in A Knight’s Tale, “Yes, I lied. I’m a writer. I give the truth scope!”
Rule number one: no matter what happens, fly the airplane.
2. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.
3. When in doubt, hold your altitude. Nobody ever collided with the sky.
4. Truly superior pilots are those who use their superior judgment to avoid those situations where they might have to use their superior skills.
5. Fuel is liquid altitude. The only time you have too much is when you’re on fi re.
6. Flying, like life, is full of possibilities: can’t do…won’t do…shouldn’t do…
7. It’s better to be on the ground wishing you were the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground.
8. Never let an airplane take you somewhere your mind didn’t get to fi ve minutes earlier.
9. Emergency landings are done to save lives, not airplanes.
10. The three most useless things in aviation are runway behind you, altitude above you, and fuel not in your tanks.
11. There are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots.
12. The takeoff is optional but the landing is mandatory
13. It is identify then verify.
14. Weather or not, not.
The pilot in command is the fi nal authority to the safe operation of the aircraft .
While I agree “seductive believability” is an important part of fiction, and indeed a challenge to create, I believe emotional truth is also crucial. Essential, in fact.
Ah, there’s a name I know well because many of the shows he worked on were in the hey-day of television for me—The Greatest American Hero, Rockford, A-Team, Hardcastle & McCormick, Riptide etc. Great memories!
He knew his stuff. What I like about this quote is that writing “truth” or “reality” shouldn’t be the goal of the fiction writer (we’re not doing documentaries here). We stylize “reality” for an effect, to “seduce” the reader into our story. As Chaucer puts it in A Knight’s Tale, “Yes, I lied. I’m a writer. I give the truth scope!”
Rule number one: no matter what happens, fly the airplane.
2. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.
3. When in doubt, hold your altitude. Nobody ever collided with the sky.
4. Truly superior pilots are those who use their superior judgment to avoid those situations where they might have to use their superior skills.
5. Fuel is liquid altitude. The only time you have too much is when you’re on fi re.
6. Flying, like life, is full of possibilities: can’t do…won’t do…shouldn’t do…
7. It’s better to be on the ground wishing you were the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground.
8. Never let an airplane take you somewhere your mind didn’t get to fi ve minutes earlier.
9. Emergency landings are done to save lives, not airplanes.
10. The three most useless things in aviation are runway behind you, altitude above you, and fuel not in your tanks.
11. There are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots.
12. The takeoff is optional but the landing is mandatory
13. It is identify then verify.
14. Weather or not, not.
The pilot in command is the fi nal authority to the safe operation of the aircraft .
Love these, Alan!
Could you also say, “No matter what happens, write the story…”?
It seems to me that “seductive believability” should always aim at revealing the truth.
While I agree “seductive believability” is an important part of fiction, and indeed a challenge to create, I believe emotional truth is also crucial. Essential, in fact.
Perhaps that’s what he meant by “seductive.”
I’m with Dale — fiction needs seductive believability and emotional truth.