“I made the statement years ago which is often quoted that 80 percent of life is showing up. People used to always say to me that they wanted to write a play, they wanted to write a movie, they wanted to write a novel, and the couple of people that did it were 80 percent of the way to having something happen. All the other people struck out without ever getting that pack. They couldn’t do it, that’s why they don’t accomplish a thing, they don’t do the thing, so once you do it, if you actually write your film script, or write your novel, you are more than half way towards something good happening. So that I was say [sic] my biggest life lesson that has worked. All others have failed me.”

—  Woody Allen

Interview for The Collider (2008) http://collider.com/entertainment/interviews/article.asp/aid/8878/tcid/1/pg/2.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "I made the statement years ago which is often quoted that 80 percent of life is showing up. People used to always say t…" by Woody Allen?
Woody Allen photo
Woody Allen 229
American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, author, p… 1935

Related quotes

Woody Allen photo

“I made the statement years ago which is often quoted that 80 percent of life is showing up.”

Woody Allen (1935) American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, author, playwright, and musician

People used to always say to me that they wanted to write a play, they wanted to write a movie, they wanted to write a novel, and the couple of people that did it were 80 percent of the way to having something happen. All the other people struck out without ever getting that pack. They couldn’t do it, that’s why they don’t accomplish a thing, they don’t do the thing, so once you do it, if you actually write your film script, or write your novel, you are more than half way towards something good happening. So that I was say [sic] my biggest life lesson that has worked. All others have failed me.
Interview for The Collider (2008) http://collider.com/entertainment/interviews/article.asp/aid/8878/tcid/1/pg/2.

Woody Allen photo
Virginia Woolf photo
Meena Kandasamy photo

“Who does the novel belong to? I am writing about a different reality, so I need to shape it to fit my reality. You don’t want to do the same. You don’t want to do the done thing. To take a risk, you still need to be absolutely on the margins. I am doing what I want to do.”

Meena Kandasamy (1984) Indian poet

On how she defines herself as a writer in “Meena Kandasamy: ‘If I was going to write my life story, I would condense that marriage to a footnote’” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/25/meena-kandasamy-interview-exquisite-cadavers in The Guardian (2019 Nov 25)

George Lucas photo

“The fans are all upset. They’re always going to be upset. Why did he do it like this? And why didn’t he do it like this? They write their own movie, and then, if you don’t do their movie, they get upset about it.”

George Lucas (1944) American film producer

On Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, "Keys to the Kingdom" at Vanity Fair (2 January 2008) https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/02/indianajones200802
2000s

Tyra Banks photo
Woody Allen photo

“Showing up is 80 percent of life.”

Woody Allen (1935) American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, author, playwright, and musician

Attributed
Context: I have learned one thing. As Woody says, "Showing up is 80 percent of life." Sometimes it’s easier to hide home in bed. I’ve done both. - 1977 August 21, New York Times, Section 2: Arts and Leisure, He’s Woody Allen’s Not-So-Silent Partner by Susan Braudy, Page 11 (ProQuest Page 83), New York.

Ward Cunningham photo

“Anonymity relieves refactoring friction. Have learned that people want to sign things. But try to write in a way where you don’t have to know who said it.”

Ward Cunningham (1949) American computer programmer who developed the first wiki

Crucible of Creativity (2005)
Context: Anonymity relieves refactoring friction. Have learned that people want to sign things. But try to write in a way where you don’t have to know who said it. But when someone who is not in a giving mood uses anonymity (spammers), that abuse can drive us away from anonymity. But I hope we can drive the ill-intended out without having to give up the openness.

Related topics