Excellent quote. This echoes the book review in last week's New Yorker about Creative Writing programs. In the end, a writing teacher teaches craft and context, inspires and guides, mentors. But whether one can learn "creative" writing is a debate for the ages.

When I "teach" I spend the first two sessions on the log line. Why? Because that may determine the fate of the project that my student is going to work on. I may not know how good a writer is, or how good he or she will turn out to be, but I know if he has a strong concept, he may end up with something that the business part of show business may want to add to their development pile!

Top Ten, I stress the story concept all the time here and in class. So much of a movie's success is determined by studio marketing dept being able to create a campaign that cuts through all the 'noise' in cultural marketplace. A great story concept, particularly a clean high-concept, helps that marketing process immeasurably.

Take The Hangover. Fantastic high concept. Great trailer. And the movie is so-so. In fact, several of my friends think it's really pretty poor. Yet it's the fastest R-rated movie to hit $100M B.O. I'd say largely on the strength of the story concept.

So people, listen to Top Ten. He's a working screenwriter, a pro. You can not overestimate the importance of story concepts.