--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I read and write for character. If I like…" description: "\"“I read and write for character. If I like and can relate to the characters in a story I can enjoy any kind of story. I also want something with a defi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfd/charles-de-lint-1481_book_i-read-and-write-for-character-if-i-like_2132155.jpg" --- # I read and write for character. If I like and can relate… ![“I read and write for character. If I like and can relate to the characters in a story I can enjoy any kind of story. I also want something with a definitive plot—you know, beginning, middle and end--that has forward motion. I don’t like series books that leave you hanging after you’ve finished a…” quote by Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfd/charles-de-lint-1481_book_i-read-and-write-for-character-if-i-like_2132155.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfd/charles-de-lint-1481_book_i-read-and-write-for-character-if-i-like_2132155.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfd/charles-de-lint-1481_book_i-read-and-write-for-character-if-i-like_2132155.jpg) > ““I read and write for character. If I like and can relate to the characters in a story I can enjoy any kind of story. I also want something with a definitive plot—you know, beginning, middle and end--that has forward motion. I don’t like series books that leave you hanging after you’ve finished a book and in my own fiction I try to make sure that there’s always an entry point for those who are new to the book as well as long-time readers.”” [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker values character-driven stories with clear structure and wants accessible entry points for new and veteran readers alike. **In simple terms:** Prefers character focus, clear plot, and inclusive storytelling. Key Takeaway Write with strong characters and a defined beginning, middle, and end. Themes character structure accessibility readership engagement Mood thoughtful enthusiastic reflective Type advice literary personal When to use this quote - book clubs - writing workshops - personal reading choices - editing drafts Key Concepts narrative design reader empathy plot pacing Questions to Reflect On - How does a clear plot affect emotional immersion? - Can inclusive entry points dilute narrative depth? A Different Perspective May limit appreciation for experimental or open-ended narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Forward motion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forward-motion/) [Read And Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-and-write/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I don't watch TV that much, but I like to get series on DVD and watch them all back-to-back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-johannsson/i-don-t-watch-tv-that-much-but-i-like-to-get-series-on-dvd-and-watch/) [Johann Johannsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-johannsson/) > [The first Halloween was very well made. The second one was also well made, though I didn't like it as well as the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-pleasence/the-first-halloween-was-very-well-made-the-second-one-was-also-well/) [Donald Pleasence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-pleasence/) > [“Yeah, I say. Haven't you ever noticed that life is like a series of movies?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-russell/yeah-i-say-haven-t-you-ever-noticed-that-life-is-like-a-series-of/) [David O. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-russell/) > [I'm trying to find a character that's my age and I can sustain week after week. I'd like to do a series.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-devane/i-m-trying-to-find-a-character-that-s-my-age-and-i-can-sustain-week/) [William Devane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-devane/) > [For some reason, I think that I'm not doing enough work. People are like, 'You're on a series right now,' but I'm always like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldis-hodge/for-some-reason-i-think-that-i-m-not-doing-enough-work-people-are/) [Aldis Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldis-hodge/) > [Once he became a series character, I made the conscious choice that he would never act like a series character, never wink at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/once-he-became-a-series-character-i-made-the-conscious-choice-that-he/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [What I like most about the series is that the stories deal 75 percent of the time with the problems of Peter Parker, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-hammond/what-i-like-most-about-the-series-is-that-the-stories-deal-75-percent/) [Nicholas Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-hammond/) > [Haven't you ever noticed that life is like a series of movies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/haven-t-you-ever-noticed-that-life-is-like-a-series-of-movies/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [ We were all expecting to finish \[Downton Abbey\] after Series 1, actually. And then, it got extended to Series 3, and that's when two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-bonneville/we-were-all-expecting-to-finish-downton-abbey-after-series-1-actually/) [Hugh Bonneville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-bonneville/) > [Life is like series each steps you take telles the next scene!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-brown/life-is-like-series-each-steps-you-take-telles-the-next-scene/) [D Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-brown/) > [I like movies about people and movies with characters; that's what I'm drawn to as a person who likes to create these characters within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-like-movies-about-people-and-movies-with-characters-that-s-what-i-m/) [Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/) > [There are almost no characters in this story, and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people in it are so sick and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-almost-no-characters-in-this-story-and-almost-no-dramatic/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [For people who are invested in these characters and the back-story of the universe and everything, all of these things come to a resolution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-hudson/for-people-who-are-invested-in-these-characters-and-the-back-story-of/) [Casey Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-hudson/) > [Some of the characters in the story had a fortune in fantasy lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-z-sheppard/some-of-the-characters-in-the-story-had-a-fortune-in-fantasy-lives/) R Z Sheppard > [A reader doesn't really see the characters in a story; he feels them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/a-reader-doesn-t-really-see-the-characters-in-a-story-he-feels-them/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) ## More by Charles de Lint > [The family we choose for ourselves is more important than the one we were born into; that people have to earn our respect and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/the-family-we-choose-for-ourselves-is-more-important-than-the-one-we/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [Every time you do a good deed you shine the light a little farther into the dark. And the thing is, when you're gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/every-time-you-do-a-good-deed-you-shine-the-light-a-little-farther/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [The road leading to a goal does not separate you from the destination; it is essentially a part of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/the-road-leading-to-a-goal-does-not-separate-you-from-the-destination/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [“Maybe she couldn’t go. Maybe she wanted him to stay. But she knew enough not to try to hold him back if he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/maybe-she-couldn-t-go-maybe-she-wanted-him-to-stay-but-she-knew/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [The magic in this world seems to work in whispers and small kindnesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/the-magic-in-this-world-seems-to-work-in-whispers-and-small-kindnesses/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [You can take the woman outta the trash, but you can't take the trash out a the woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/you-can-take-the-woman-outta-the-trash-but-you-can-t-take-the-trash/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [“You hear this kind of thing, rednecks and their guys and--" "Don't call them that," I say. "They're just assholes. Most people you run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/you-hear-this-kind-of-thing-rednecks-and-their-guys-and-don-t-call/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [Fortune-telling doesn't reveal the future; it mirrors the present. It resonates against what your subconscious already knows and hauls it up out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/fortune-telling-doesn-t-reveal-the-future-it-mirrors-the-present-it/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [When you're touched by magic, nothing's ever quite the same again. What really makes me sad is all those people who never have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/when-you-re-touched-by-magic-nothing-s-ever-quite-the-same-again-what/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [There are few joys to compare with the telling of a well-told tale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/there-are-few-joys-to-compare-with-the-telling-of-a-well-told-tale/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [How hard would it be to ask children what they see in their heads? How big should the house be in comparison to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/how-hard-would-it-be-to-ask-children-what-they-see-in-their-heads-how/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [... we chase after ghosts and spirits and are left holding only memories and dreams. It's not that we want what we can't have;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/we-chase-after-ghosts-and-spirits-and-are-left-holding-only-memories/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [Writing music uses a whole different process that involves a lot of noodling and just seeing what comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/writing-music-uses-a-whole-different-process-that-involves-a-lot-of/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [The real problem is, people think life is a ladder, and it's really a wheel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/the-real-problem-is-people-think-life-is-a-ladder-and-it-s-really-a/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [Tattoos...are the stories in your heart, written on your skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/tattoos-are-the-stories-in-your-heart-written-on-your-skin/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) [Explore all 237 Charles de Lint quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I read and write for character. 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