The Mad Pulp Philosophy...

of movies, especially writing movies is as follows:

- Write what you wish it to be.
- Use what you know.
- Serve the story.

Brian Clemens - the extremely prolific writer-producer of THE AVENGERS, THE NEW AVENGERS, THE PROFESSIONALS and THRILLER - once said he wrote the story as he wanted to see it, then went back after and fact-checked. Yes, he tweaked it a bit here and there if it served the story, but generally he didn't need to do so.

This is an extremely different take on the old writers adage, "Write what you know." It's different in that it addresses the whole energy of ideas. Sometimes I read an article or a blurb on the web and I say, "Bill, you bastard - there's a story there!" Then I furiously bookmark the site and start writing down notes, finding a structure, thinking of a character...

And I very rarely go back to the web page to "fact check." If I did that, it would rob me of the energy of the creative process... and that doesn't serve the story. We are in the business of telling the biggest, best lies we can. That's why we use facts and don't just report them.

Who cares the Nazis never invaded the US?
Who cares that they gave up a lot of their zeppelin work by 1939?
Who cares they never had a Der Mord Legion?

Dum vivimus servimus - While we live, we serve (the story)... and not just the facts.