--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Eyes Wide Open' took shape from two real…" description: "\"Eyes Wide Open' took shape from two real life events straight from my own past. One was the sad suicide of my young nephew, a troubled kid, who was fou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bd/andrew-gross-38817_bottom_eyes-wide-open-took-shape-from-two-real_924839.jpg" --- # Eyes Wide Open' took shape from two real life events… ![“Eyes Wide Open' took shape from two real life events straight from my own past. One was the sad suicide of my young nephew, a troubled kid, who was found at the bottom of a landmark cliff in central California. The second was a chance encounter forty years ago with none other than, ahem, Charles…” quote by Andrew Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bd/andrew-gross-38817_bottom_eyes-wide-open-took-shape-from-two-real_924839.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bd/andrew-gross-38817_bottom_eyes-wide-open-took-shape-from-two-real_924839.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bd/andrew-gross-38817_bottom_eyes-wide-open-took-shape-from-two-real_924839.jpg) > “Eyes Wide Open' took shape from two real life events straight from my own past. One was the sad suicide of my young nephew, a troubled kid, who was found at the bottom of a landmark cliff in central California. The second was a chance encounter forty years ago with none other than, ahem, Charles Manson!” [Andrew Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gross/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author’s work “Eyes Wide Open” was inspired by his nephew’s suicide and a chance meeting with Charles Manson, merging tragedy and bizarre encounter. **In simple terms:** Personal tragedy and odd meeting inspired the story. Key Takeaway Channel intense experiences into creative expression. Themes grief unexpected encounters creativity Mood somber intrigued Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - writing - artistic projects - healing processes Key Concepts narrative psychology true crime Questions to Reflect On - How do personal loss and strange events shape storytelling? - What ethical considerations arise when using real tragedies? A Different Perspective Merging disparate events can feel forced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [California](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Chance encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-encounters/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Eyes wide open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-wide-open/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Landmarks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landmarks/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-events/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) ## Related quotes > [Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and halfway closed there after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/keep-your-eyes-wide-open-before-marriage-and-halfway-closed-there/) [James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/) > [“Your eyes are wide open. I feel as though I could step inside them and make myself at home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/your-eyes-are-wide-open-i-feel-as-though-i-could-step-inside-them-and/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [By 1980, we'd been round Europe three or four times, and our eyes were wide open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-kerr/by-1980-we-d-been-round-europe-three-or-four-times-and-our-eyes-were/) [Jim Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-kerr/) > [I keep my eyes wide open. Because trouble is out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ladainian-tomlinson/i-keep-my-eyes-wide-open-because-trouble-is-out-there/) [LaDainian Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ladainian-tomlinson/) > [“You eyes are wide open, but you see nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-liggett/you-eyes-are-wide-open-but-you-see-nothing/) Kim Liggett > [Should've known you was trouble from the first kiss. Had your eyes wide open, why were they open?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/should-ve-known-you-was-trouble-from-the-first-kiss-had-your-eyes/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [There is a difference between running with all your heart with your eyes closed and running with all your heart with your eyes wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/there-is-a-difference-between-running-with-all-your-heart-with-your/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Shoulda known you was trouble from the first kiss.Had your eyes wide open why were they open?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/shoulda-known-you-was-trouble-from-the-first-kiss-had-your-eyes-wide/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [“Live with your eyes wide open.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-hendrix/live-with-your-eyes-wide-open/) Sheila Hendrix > [Sometimes you make your mistakes with your eyes wide open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-liss/sometimes-you-make-your-mistakes-with-your-eyes-wide-open/) [David Liss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-liss/) > [We walk the plank with our eyes wide open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gotye/we-walk-the-plank-with-our-eyes-wide-open/) [Gotye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gotye/) > [Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half-shut afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/keep-your-eyes-wide-open-before-marriage-and-half-shut-afterwards/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I keep my eyes wide open all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/i-keep-my-eyes-wide-open-all-the-time/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/keep-your-eyes-wide-open-before-marriage-half-shut-afterwards/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [They say love is blind and yet I've got my eyes wide open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-o/they-say-love-is-blind-and-yet-i-ve-got-my-eyes-wide-open/) Michelle O ## More by Andrew Gross > [Blind Curve,' the book I'm working on now, sprang from a crazy incident that happened to me last year while on my book tour.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gross/blind-curve-the-book-i-m-working-on-now-sprang-from-a-crazy-incident/) [Andrew Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gross/) > [I don't like writing straight-up thrillers. I like writing about families hurled into crisis and danger - soccer moms and regular dads and husbands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gross/i-don-t-like-writing-straight-up-thrillers-i-like-writing-about/) [Andrew Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gross/) > [I'm all about entertaining and keeping a reader on the edge of their seat, so to me, the social issues have to be meaningful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gross/i-m-all-about-entertaining-and-keeping-a-reader-on-the-edge-of-their/) [Andrew Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gross/) > [One novel that I think is an overriding influence in my life is 'All the King's Men,' the most beautiful book written in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gross/one-novel-that-i-think-is-an-overriding-influence-in-my-life-is-all/) [Andrew Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gross/) > [Im all about entertaining and keeping a reader on the edge of their seat, so to me, the social issues have to be meaningful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gross/im-all-about-entertaining-and-keeping-a-reader-on-the-edge-of-their/) [Andrew Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gross/) > [Life is not fixed or owned. 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It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I plead with my Moonlight fans to give this show a chance if they let me give it a chance. I can’t do Moonlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-o-loughlin/i-plead-with-my-moonlight-fans-to-give-this-show-a-chance-if-they-let/) [Alex O'Loughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-o-loughlin/) > [Well, the bottom line is that I'm extremely pleased with 'The Stupids.' I'm pleased that it's coming out, and it should look good. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/well-the-bottom-line-is-that-i-m-extremely-pleased-with-the-stupids-i/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/search-for-the-seed-of-good-in-every-adversity-master-that-principle/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I hit bottom, I can attack the problem and get to where I want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/when-i-hit-bottom-i-can-attack-the-problem-and-get-to-where-i-want-to/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [If I had lost the popular vote but won the electoral college and in my first day as president the intelligence community came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-i-had-lost-the-popular-vote-but-won-the-electoral-college-and-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The bottom line, in the professional level, no matter where you go, there's going to be competition. That's what it is. At the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/the-bottom-line-in-the-professional-level-no-matter-where-you-go/) [Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/) > [Life is a climb and it's a struggle getting to the top but the drop to the bottom can be quick and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/life-is-a-climb-and-it-s-a-struggle-getting-to-the-top-but-the-drop/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/one-thing-you-learned-as-a-cubs-fan-when-you-bought-you-ticket-you/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) > [The political satirist usually votes against their own interests, but the bottom line is that it doesn't really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-winstead/the-political-satirist-usually-votes-against-their-own-interests-but/) [Lizz Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-winstead/) Browse all 2,558 Bottom quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Eyes Wide Open' took shape from two real life events straight from my own past. 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