Storytelling Quote by Catherynne M. Valente
““September let go a long-held breath. She stared into the roiling black-violet soup, thinking furiously. The trouble was, September didn’t know what sort of story she was in. Was it a merry one or a serious one? How ought she to act? If it were merry, she might dash after a Spoon, and it would all be a marvelous adventure, with funny rhymes and somersaults and a grand party with red lanterns at the end. But if it were a serious tale, she might have to do something important, something involving, with snow and arrows and enemies. Of course, we would like to tell her which. But no one may know the shape of the tale in which they move. And, perhaps, we do not truly know which sort of beast it is, either. Stories have a way of changing faces. They are unruly things, undisciplined, given to delinquency and the throwing of erasers. This is why we must close them up into thick, solid books, so they cannot get out and cause trouble.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, 2016
The narrator reflects on the uncertainty of life’s narrative, how we cannot know whether our story will be light‑hearted or grave, and the need to contain chaotic imagination within structured form.
In simple terms: Life’s story is unpredictable; we try to control it with order.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty while shaping your path.
Themes
uncertainty
storytelling
control
creativity
identity
Mood
curious
reflective
hopeful
Type
philosophical
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal decision‑making
- creative writing
- mental health coping
- adapting to change
- planning vs. spontaneity
Key Concepts
narrative fluidity
existential choice
imagination vs. structure
Questions to Reflect On
- What part of your life feels like an unwritten story?
- How do you balance freedom and structure?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor of “closing stories into books” may limit spontaneity and suppress needed improvisation.
