---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: people don't really want original…"
description: "\"“people don't really want original stories. they want different versions of the same story. this is called meta-narrative.”\" — Chester Elijah Branch"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/chester-elijah-branch-227467_movies_people-don-t-really-want-original-storie_2046847.jpg"
---

#  people don't really want original stories. they want…

![“people don't really want original stories. they want different versions of the same story. this is called meta-narrative.” quote by Chester Elijah Branch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/chester-elijah-branch-227467_movies_people-don-t-really-want-original-storie_2046847.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/chester-elijah-branch-227467_movies_people-don-t-really-want-original-storie_2046847.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/chester-elijah-branch-227467_movies_people-don-t-really-want-original-storie_2046847.jpg)

> ““people don't really want original stories. they want different versions of the same story. this is called meta-narrative.””

[Chester Elijah Branch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-elijah-branch/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Audiences prefer familiar narratives over truly original stories, creating a meta‑narrative trend.

**In simple terms:** People want new twists on old tales, not fresh ideas.

Key Takeaway

Consider originality in storytelling.

Themes

storytelling media originality culture meta‑narrative

Mood

analytical observational

Type

Movies:1 Screenwriting:1 Storytelling:1 Original Stories:0 Story Called:0 Versions Story:0 Meta Narrative:1 Called Meta:0

When to use this quote

- film criticism
- writing workshops
- media analysis

Key Concepts

narrative theory audience expectations creative constraints

Questions to Reflect On

- How can creators balance originality with audience expectations?
- What does “meta‑narrative” reveal about cultural tastes?

A Different Perspective

Original works may be dismissed as unrelatable.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Called Meta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-meta-3838124/) [Meta Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meta-narrative-3838123/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [Original Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-stories-936019/) [Screenwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenwriting/) [Story Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-called-1580061/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Versions Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/versions-story-1866357/)

## Related quotes

> [Big media are all about the angle, the spin. Look to the overarching theme that runs through each and every news story. Be hip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/big-media-are-all-about-the-angle-the-spin-look-to-the-overarching/)

[Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/)

> [When there are multiple versions of a story, you really have three ways to go. You can pick the most sensational version. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/when-there-are-multiple-versions-of-a-story-you-really-have-three/)

[Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/)

> [There are so many versions of every story because every storyteller tells the story differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomm-moore/there-are-so-many-versions-of-every-story-because-every-storyteller/)

[Tomm Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomm-moore/)

> [I think we do have our true, original stories that work. I can tell you that 'The King's Speech,' which we did, became a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-weinstein/i-think-we-do-have-our-true-original-stories-that-work-i-can-tell-you/)

[Harvey Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-weinstein/)

> [Independent films are really the best ones out there. They're the most original stories, and they're very good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taika-waititi/independent-films-are-really-the-best-ones-out-there-they-re-the-most/)

[Taika Waititi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taika-waititi/)

> [“I asked her what a true story was because I thought that all stories were made up. She said a true story was called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-lloyd/i-asked-her-what-a-true-story-was-because-i-thought-that-all-stories/)

[Rebecca Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-lloyd/)

> [These are the stories of travelers on a spiritual quest between worlds. Part mythmaker, part poet, Omar Castaeda is an original, and these stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toi-derricotte/these-are-the-stories-of-travelers-on-a-spiritual-quest-between/)

[Toi Derricotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toi-derricotte/)

> [“The more I learn, the more I am convinced that there are no original stories. On several occasions I have “invented” an incident, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/the-more-i-learn-the-more-i-am-convinced-that-there-are-no-original/)

[Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/)

> [Stories you read when you're the right age never quite leave you. You may forget who wrote them or what the story was called.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/stories-you-read-when-you-re-the-right-age-never-quite-leave-you-you/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [I didn’t want to tell the story of myself, but someone I called myself. If you read yourself as fiction, it’s rather more liberating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-didn-t-want-to-tell-the-story-of-myself-but-someone-i-called-myself/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [I was about 28-29 when I wrote my first story, and that was called 'The Garden of Abdul Gasazi.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-allsburg/i-was-about-28-29-when-i-wrote-my-first-story-and-that-was-called-the/)

[Chris Van Allsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-allsburg/)

> [Initially, when people asked us when 'Toy Story 2' was going to come out, we'd say, 'We have no interest in sequels. We just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-unkrich/initially-when-people-asked-us-when-toy-story-2-was-going-to-come-out/)

[Lee Unkrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-unkrich/)

> [The films that I've done before were original stories most of the time, I did two adaptations before this, but they were mostly original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-salles/the-films-that-i-ve-done-before-were-original-stories-most-of-the/)

[Walter Salles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-salles/)

> [What happened today is an event, tomorrow it becomes story while it is called history for future reference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-olukwu-nwole/what-happened-today-is-an-event-tomorrow-it-becomes-story-while-it-is/)

[Emmanuel Olukwu Nwole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-olukwu-nwole/)

> [The writers led by Mike Scully are fantastic. And they're creating original stories that not only don't repeat what we've already done, they also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/the-writers-led-by-mike-scully-are-fantastic-and-they-re-creating/)

[Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/)

## More Movies quotes

> [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/)

[Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/)

> [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/)

[Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/)

> [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/)

[Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [I've always wanted to work in America because of those brilliant east-coast political movies of the '70s and '80s - great scripts, wonderful performances,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lincoln/i-ve-always-wanted-to-work-in-america-because-of-those-brilliant-east/)

[Andrew Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lincoln/)

> [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/)

> [In a lot of movies, African-Americans are either maids or slaves, but that's not all they were. We need to show that. And we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/in-a-lot-of-movies-african-americans-are-either-maids-or-slaves-but/)

[Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/)

> [I don't know any new movies. I don't know any new shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/i-don-t-know-any-new-movies-i-don-t-know-any-new-shows/)

[Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/)

> [For me, I like to be different. I didn't want to imitate another wrestler. I always try to find something from other genres, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinsuke-nakamura/for-me-i-like-to-be-different-i-didn-t-want-to-imitate-another/)

[Shinsuke Nakamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinsuke-nakamura/)

> [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/)

[John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/)

> [The weirdest, most eloquent memory I have of the time on the kibbutz is, every Saturday night was movie night, and one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-claremont/the-weirdest-most-eloquent-memory-i-have-of-the-time-on-the-kibbutz/)

[Chris Claremont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-claremont/)

> [I love making movies, and being in any that I can be in. I'd like to be in those giant movies, as the fifth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/i-love-making-movies-and-being-in-any-that-i-can-be-in-i-d-like-to-be/)

[Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/)

> [It would be really cool to have my dad here to witness this, to see his grandchildren, to see this woman that I chose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-k-brown/it-would-be-really-cool-to-have-my-dad-here-to-witness-this-to-see/)

[Sterling K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-k-brown/)

> [To us, being the bad guys is cool, because we always root for the bad guys in the movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/to-us-being-the-bad-guys-is-cool-because-we-always-root-for-the-bad/)

[Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/)

[Browse all 7,348 Movies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“people don't really want original stories. they want different versions of the same story. this is called meta-narrative.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Chester Elijah Branch"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-elijah-branch/people-don-t-really-want-original-stories-they-want-different/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Movies"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-elijah-branch/people-don-t-really-want-original-stories-they-want-different/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/chester-elijah-branch-227467_movies_people-don-t-really-want-original-storie_2046847.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/chester-elijah-branch-227467_movies_people-don-t-really-want-original-storie_2046847.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/chester-elijah-branch-227467_movies_people-don-t-really-want-original-storie_2046847.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“people don't really want original stories. they want different versions of the same story. this is called…” — Chester Elijah Branch",
                "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": "Chester Elijah Branch",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-elijah-branch/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“people don't really want original stories....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-elijah-branch/people-don-t-really-want-original-stories-they-want-different/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-elijah-branch/people-don-t-really-want-original-stories-they-want-different/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
