--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that if you just write your…" description: "\"I think that if you just write your characters you end up with something that people can access.\" — Ayana Mathis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/ayana-mathis-8325_access_i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-char_2219587.jpg" --- # I think that if you just write your characters you end up… ![“I think that if you just write your characters you end up with something that people can access.” quote by Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/ayana-mathis-8325_access_i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-char_2219587.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/ayana-mathis-8325_access_i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-char_2219587.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/ayana-mathis-8325_access_i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-char_2219587.jpg) > “I think that if you just write your characters you end up with something that people can access.” [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing characters with authenticity makes stories relatable and engaging for readers. **In simple terms:** Authentic characters connect with readers. Key Takeaway Focus on realistic character development. Themes writing authenticity engagement Mood thoughtful inspirational Type advice creative When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - creative workshops Key Concepts character development relatability Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance authenticity with narrative needs? - What traits make a character universally relatable? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex personalities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [With films, you get to develop a set of characters, and then, at the end of the film, you have to throw them away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/with-films-you-get-to-develop-a-set-of-characters-and-then-at-the-end/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [We had 1 book, the phone book, I've read it, it wasn't a great read, lots of characters, and on the end loads of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-k-amos/we-had-1-book-the-phone-book-i-ve-read-it-it-wasn-t-a-great-read-lots/) Stephen K. Amos > [We shuffle out of office buildings after being laid-off by draconian bosses; we sit on hold for ten minutes only to be told by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-weinstein/we-shuffle-out-of-office-buildings-after-being-laid-off-by-draconian/) [Alexander Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-weinstein/) > [The biggest misconception is that I only write about shitty people. Or that I'm trying to be shocking. I just think people are super…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslye-headland/the-biggest-misconception-is-that-i-only-write-about-shitty-people-or/) [Leslye Headland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslye-headland/) > [“It doesn't have to be 'just right' Just Now...JUST WRITE!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-westhoek/it-doesn-t-have-to-be-just-right-just-now-just-write/) Sam Westhoek > [“Stop talking about it and just WRITE!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ck-webb/stop-talking-about-it-and-just-write/) [CK Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ck-webb/) > [I don't look at scripts. I just write them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/i-don-t-look-at-scripts-i-just-write-them/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) > [Just write a little bit every day. Even if it's for only half an hour — write, write, write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/just-write-a-little-bit-every-day-even-if-it-s-for-only-half-an-hour/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [I really don't keep an outline; I don't organize in any way. I just write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/i-really-don-t-keep-an-outline-i-don-t-organize-in-any-way-i-just/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [“Write it. Just write it. Write it on receipts in the car while you wait for your kid to finish their piano lessons, scribble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melodie-ramone/write-it-just-write-it-write-it-on-receipts-in-the-car-while-you-wait/) [Melodie Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melodie-ramone/) > [“I don't write stories, I write characters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhavya-kaushik/i-don-t-write-stories-i-write-characters/) [Bhavya Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhavya-kaushik/) > [I write characters and stories that move me, and I write from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crais/i-write-characters-and-stories-that-move-me-and-i-write-from-the-heart/) [Robert Crais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crais/) > [I would write of the universal, not the provincial, in human nature… I would write of characters, not of characteristics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/i-would-write-of-the-universal-not-the-provincial-in-human-nature-i/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-write-to-give-myself-strength-i-write-to-be-the-characters-that-i/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [It's hard in America as a writer of color, an actor of color, not to get caught up in race and culture. But you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/it-s-hard-in-america-as-a-writer-of-color-an-actor-of-color-not-to/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) ## More by Ayana Mathis > [“In one of the novel’s most dramatic and revealing chapters, Hattie leaves August with the older children and escapes with baby Ruthie (then called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/in-one-of-the-novel-s-most-dramatic-and-revealing-chapters-hattie/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [I think being consistent is really important. In the arts there's a misconception that you sit around waiting for the muse to come, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-think-being-consistent-is-really-important-in-the-arts-there-s-a/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [I think of my success as a kind of fluke. How else could I possibly think of it? And although it's a banal thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-think-of-my-success-as-a-kind-of-fluke-how-else-could-i-possibly/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [You have to find a way of shutting the future out and focusing on the writing. One of the problems I'll have with writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/you-have-to-find-a-way-of-shutting-the-future-out-and-focusing-on-the/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [I'm wary of being put in boxes. But at the same time, it's important that I embrace my identity as a writer who happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-m-wary-of-being-put-in-boxes-but-at-the-same-time-it-s-important/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [“Half of what’s wrong with people today is that they ain’t got no place to go that makes them peaceful. I don’t reckon you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/half-of-what-s-wrong-with-people-today-is-that-they-ain-t-got-no/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [“Bell lifted her hand to her chest. Her heart beat so quickly. She was floating out on a tide of agony, and soon she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/bell-lifted-her-hand-to-her-chest-her-heart-beat-so-quickly-she-was/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [Racial terrorism affects the lives of white people and black people and everyone, everything. Racism is contaminating. It can affect the dogs in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/racial-terrorism-affects-the-lives-of-white-people-and-black-people/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [“Hattie’s children died in the order in which they were born: first Philadelphia, then Jubilee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/hattie-s-children-died-in-the-order-in-which-they-were-born-first/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [“Six understood in that instant that he had something the ministers wanted and it had given him power among them. He had never been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/six-understood-in-that-instant-that-he-had-something-the-ministers/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [I really, deeply believe in the primacy of character. I believe that my job as a writer is to put a believable human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-really-deeply-believe-in-the-primacy-of-character-i-believe-that-my/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [“I go above deck to watch the sky darken into twilight. It helps me remember that this strange place is still the earth, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-go-above-deck-to-watch-the-sky-darken-into-twilight-it-helps-me/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [“Bell had been disdainful of them; she’d thought them small and ordinary. She’d taken such pleasure in saying no to their proposals and breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/bell-had-been-disdainful-of-them-she-d-thought-them-small-and/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [“Hattie clambered from the train, her skirt still hemmed with Georgia mud, the dream of Philadelphia round as a marble in her mouth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/hattie-clambered-from-the-train-her-skirt-still-hemmed-with-georgia/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [Even if you don't feel like sitting down to write or working on that big proposal, or whatever it is, just show up anyhow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/even-if-you-don-t-feel-like-sitting-down-to-write-or-working-on-that/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) [Explore all 82 Ayana Mathis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) ## More Access quotes > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [You can disseminate your art, and it's all such easy access now. The upside to it is that more people are creating than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/you-can-disseminate-your-art-and-it-s-all-such-easy-access-now-the/) [Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/) > [It's the same with this idea of a literate public, and also of a democracy in which people have access to and really read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-s-the-same-with-this-idea-of-a-literate-public-and-also-of-a/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [Leslie Stein's comics give readers privileged access to a complete and wholly original world of gently skewed wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/leslie-stein-s-comics-give-readers-privileged-access-to-a-complete/) [Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/) > [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Because the Internet's there, I have access to a lot of the legends, like Fela Kuti. I used to watch a lot of Fela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/because-the-internet-s-there-i-have-access-to-a-lot-of-the-legends/) [King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/) [Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/) > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Now that I'm more middle class, I have access to consumer goods. I do enjoy feminine frippery, feminine doo-da, stuff like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/now-that-i-m-more-middle-class-i-have-access-to-consumer-goods-i-do/) [Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/) > [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/) Andrew Nikiforuk > [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/) [Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/) > [Broadband Internet access shouldn't depend on who you are or where you're from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/broadband-internet-access-shouldn-t-depend-on-who-you-are-or-where/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) [Browse all 2,178 Access quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that if you just write your characters you end up with something that people can access.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ayana Mathis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-characters-you-end-up-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Access" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-characters-you-end-up-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/ayana-mathis-8325_access_i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-char_2219587.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/ayana-mathis-8325_access_i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-char_2219587.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/ayana-mathis-8325_access_i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-char_2219587.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that if you just write your characters you end up with something that people can access.” — Ayana Mathis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ayana Mathis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think that if you just...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-characters-you-end-up-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-think-that-if-you-just-write-your-characters-you-end-up-with/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```