Quotes About Story

Everyone has a captivity narrative; today we call it memoir.

There was every reason, however, why she would have a natural ear for a narrative technique later described as a "system wherein a second (main) story is woven into, or placed behind, the superficial semitransparent one.

Many pretenders to wisdom say that this is all trick and make-believe and nothing more, that there is no such thing as paleface cemeteries, doughy-nosed and gummy-eyed, and never was. Well, perhaps it was just another empty invention – there are certainly fables enough in this world. And yet, even if the story isn't true, it does have a grain of sense and instruction to it, and it's entertaining as well, so it's worth the telling.

I've got a peculiar weakness for criminals and artists, neither takes life as it is. Any tragic story has to be in conflict with things as they are.

know—let the tears come. For all that you wished you had and did not receive. I share Kacey's story not only to help you know what you were meant to have, but also to awaken your heart to the healing Jesus longs for you.

This one moment, when you know you're not a sad story. You're alive.

Not everyone has a sob story, Charlie, and even if they do, it's no excuse." That

I can see it. This one moment when you know you're not a sad story. You are alive. And in this moment, I swear...we are infinite.

I CAN SEE IT. THIS ONE MOMENT WHEN YOU KNOW YOURE NOT A SAD STORY. YOU ARE ALIVE, AND YOU STAND UP AND SEE THE LIGHTS ON THE BUILDINGS AND EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU WONDER. AND YOURE LISTENING TO THAT SONG ON THAT DRIVE WITH THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE MOST IN THIS WORLD. AND IN THIS MOMENT I SWEAR, WE ARE INFINITE.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful Indian maiden, of course.

At some level the subject of any story or poem is always the reader, and the writer who ignores this does so at his or her peril.

Dieu n'est pas l'Auteur de l'Univers, c'est le scénariste de votre biopic.

We're delighted to have you here,' he said, putting an arm round the young man's shoulder, 'but a word of advice. Don't try to be clever. We're all clever here. Only try to be kind, a little kind.' Like most university stories, this one is variously attributed and it probably never even happened but, as the Italians say, se non e vero, e ben trovato - even if it isn't true, it's well founded.

Given the intervention of the gods and other magical and supernatural happenings, I have—as mentioned in the Introduction that you so wisely skipped—thought it best to tell the story of the war and its aftermath without attempting to dot every sequential iota or cross every chronological tau.

I regard the afterlife to be a fairy story for people that are afraid of the dark

The art of the pitch was to keep it clear, quick, with a good sense of suspense toward a climax, leading to a single conclusion. It had to be a story, in other words.

When I encountered these haunting words from Franz Kafka, I realized exactly why this light sermon about the search for God had struck such a nerve: Everyday life is the greatest detective story ever written. Every second, without noticing, we pass by thousands of corpses and crimes. That's the routine of our lives.

There are books full of great writing that don't have very good stories. Read sometimes for the story... don't be like the book-snobs who won't do that. Read sometimes for the words--the language. Don't be like the play-it-safers who won't do that. But when you find a book that has both a good story and good words, treasure that book.

It is the tale, not he who tells it.

When you write you tell yourself a story. When you rewrite you take out everything that is NOT the story.

Read sometimes for the story, Bobby. Don't be like the book-snobs who won't do that. Read sometimes for the words - the language. Don't be like the play-it-safers that won't do that. But when you find a book that has both good story and good words, treasure that book.

Description is what makes the reader a sensory participant in the story. Good description is a learned skill,one of the prime reasons you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot. It's not just a question of how-to, you see; it's a question of how much to. Reading will help you answer how much, and only reams of writing will help you with the how. You can learn only by doing.

No, it's not a very good story - its author was too busy listening to other voices to listen as closely as he should have to the one coming from inside.

Story is honorable and trustworthy; plot is shifty, and best kept under house arrest.