We’re in the business of communicating.

So, if you’re an art director, you appreciate visual communication.

And, if you’re a copywriter, you appreciate good writing.

Art directors collect pieces of design, or illustration, or photography they really like.

Copywriters are that way with writing.

Often they collect quotes from famous people, headlines, song lyrics, or  film quotes.

Just because they’re nice pieces of writing.

It might be the rhythm of the words or the imagery.

But there’s something about it that you really like.

I know a few other people who enjoy this as much as I do, so we’ll often play it by email.

Just send the film quote and see if the other person can name the movie.

Or send a piece of a lyric and see if they can name the song.

If you’re really cool you don’t even name the song.

Just send back another piece of the same lyric.

It’s a way to add a little fun to sharing pieces of writing you like.

Of course, film quotes and lyrics are also about context (actor, plot, music, etc).

But finding any excuse to study good writing, think about, question it, must make you better at it.

 

Here’s are some off the top of my head..

 

FILMS:

 

“I’ve killed women and children.

I’ve killed everything that walks or crawls.

And I’m here to kill you Little Bill.”

 

“One’s too many and a hundred’s not enough.”

 

“Nemesis: righteous retribution manifested by an appropriate agent.

In this case an horrible cunt: me.”

 

“Okay leave in a huff. And if that’s too soon leave in a minute and a huff.”

 

“That man there is a hero.

He killed fifteen Japs.

Thirty if you like.”

 

“I know it’s a bit Mumsy. But I find I’m going in more for that sort of thing nowadays.”

 

“Is this some white cunt’s joke that black cunts don’t get?”

 

 

LYRICS:

 

“Then we’ll put our dark glasses on,

and make love until the dawn.

And when the sunlight comes streaming in,

We’ll get up and do it again.”

 

“French girls they want Cartier.

Italian girls want cars.

And American girls want everything in the world

you can possibly imagine.”

 

“Van Gogh did some eyeball pleasers.

He was quite a pencil squeezer.

He didn’t do The Mona Lisa.

That was an Italian geezer.”

 

“I’m invited in for coffee

and I give the dog a bone.”

 

“You better watch how you’re talking

and where you’re walking

or you and your homies will be lying in chalk.”

 

“Not everyone who smiles at a child is a paedophile.

Some people are just nice.”