Why do some films disappear from memory the moment the credits roll, while others haunt audiences for decades? The difference isn't budget, star power, or marketing muscle—it's truth.What would Toni Morrison (who never wrote a screenplay) have to say to screenwriters?Perhaps a lot, because she understood the secret to literary longevity. If you're tired of writing "content" and want to write stories that matter, this Nobel Prize-winning author would give you a simple but radical principle: center the truth, not the reader.Morrison's approach offers guidance for screenwriters drowning in notes about relatability and "broad appeal.”A literary heavyweight, Morrison built her career on refusing to dilute, dumb down, or sidestep uncomfortable truths—especially regarding race, history, and identity. She vehemently refused to chase reader approval. She demanded reader accountability.Let’s learn more writing lessons via Morrison.Morrison Mandates Truth Over ConvenienceToni Morrison’s literary career suggests she, perhaps, was never all that concerned with indulging the reader. She had her truth—it’s up to you, take it or leave it. Some might call that snobbery, but look closer: it’s strategy.She refused to spoon-feed or cater to imagined expectations. Instead of letting her work make the audience feel good, she turned it into a lens sharpened on reality.Writing to appease the reader leads to softened edges and safer choices. You start dodging complexity, wrapping nuance in feel-good packaging. Similarly, writing for studios, producers, or the imagined viewer can water down originality. Morrison sees that as artistic treason.The White GazeMorrison coined the phrase “white gaze” to describe the...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today