Storytelling Quote by Catherynne M. Valente
““There is always a moment when stories end, a moment when everything is blue and black and silent, and the teller does not want to believe it is over, and the listener does not, and so they both hold their breath and hope fervently as pilgrims that it is not over, that there are more tales to come, more and more, fitted together like a long chain coiled in the hand. They hold their breath; the trees hold theirs, the air and the ice and the wood and the Gate. But no breath can be held forever, and all tales end.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The End of the Story” in The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, 2016
Stories end, but listeners and tellers cling to hope, yearning for continuation, despite inevitable finality.
In simple terms: People resist endings, hoping for more narrative.
Key Takeaway
Embrace endings while honoring the desire for continuation.
Themes
storytelling
hope
finality
Mood
melancholic
hopeful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- reading
- writing
- creative projects
Key Concepts
narrative closure
pilgrimage of imagination
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to let a story end?
- How can you find peace in narrative closure?
A Different Perspective
Holding breath symbolizes denial of closure.
