“Novels are a marathon, while screenplays are a sprint”

Simplified Meaning:

Writing a novel takes a lot of time and involves much detailed planning and creativity, similar to running a marathon which requires endurance and sustained effort. You have to develop complex characters, intricate plots, and detailed settings, which can take months or even years. For example, J.K. Rowling spent several years developing the Harry Potter series. In contrast, writing a screenplay is faster and more focused, like running a short race where you need to be quick and precise. A screenplay must quickly establish the story, characters, and dialogue, and movie scripts often need to be completed within tight deadlines. Directors like Quentin Tarantino write their scripts keeping in mind that they have to be engaging and fast-paced. If you want to write a novel, be ready for a long journey, but for a screenplay, prepare for an intense but shorter effort. Both require hard work, but they challenge your skills in different ways.