We writers often balk at having to make deep cuts in our screenplays, but I saw something in a doc about winemaking today that I thought I'd pass along.  

 

A winegrower in the Russian River Valley, one of California's premier spots for growing Pinot Noir, was talking about what makes her wine so spectacular.  She was standing at a vine, pruning her pinot noir grapes, and said that what's really important is discipline.  Yes, climate and terroir, and many other things are important to create good wine, but to create truly outstanding wine one must have discipline.  

 

She went on to say that it's vitally important for all the grapes to ripen at the same time, so any that are green, or any that ripen too early have to be cut.  That can mean cutting away and discarding 50% of the fruit on the vine!  

 

Cutting is hard.  There are no cheats in making great wine, and there are no cheats in making great screenplays.  We must remember that when we reach in and make the deep cuts, we may be sacrificing some of the fruit of our labor, but with discipline the final product will be far more balanced and far more attractive to consumers.