---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Real life is a story, too, only much more…"
description: "\"Real life is a story, too, only much more complicated. It’s still got a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everyone follows the same rules, you know. . ...."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/chris-wooding-18672_book_real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more_43312.jpg"
---

#  Real life is a story, too, only much more complicated…

![“Real life is a story, too, only much more complicated. It’s still got a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everyone follows the same rules, you know. . . It’s just that there are more of them. Everyone has chapters and cliffhangers. Everyone has their journey to make. Some go far and wide and come…” quote by Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/chris-wooding-18672_book_real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more_43312.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/chris-wooding-18672_book_real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more_43312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/chris-wooding-18672_book_real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more_43312.jpg)

> “Real life is a story, too, only much more complicated. It’s still got a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everyone follows the same rules, you know. . . It’s just that there are more of them. Everyone has chapters and cliffhangers. Everyone has their journey to make. Some go far and wide and come back empty-handed; some don’t go anywhere and their journey makes them richest of all. Some tales have a moral and some don’t make any sense. Some will make you laugh, others make you cry. The world is a library, young Poison, and you’ll never get to read the same book twice.”

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

## About This Quote

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

Life mirrors narrative structure, with beginnings, middles, ends, and varied arcs that shape personal growth and experience.

**In simple terms:** Life is a complex story with chapters.

Key Takeaway

Our journeys differ but share narrative rules.

Themes

growth purpose adventure reflection meaning

Mood

inspired thoughtful hopeful

Type

philosophical motivational metaphorical

When to use this quote

- career planning
- personal crisis
- travel experiences
- creative projects
- education

Key Concepts

narrative arc choice consequence identity

Practical Applications

- storytelling workshops
- career counseling

Questions to Reflect On

- How does recognizing life as a story affect your decisions?
- What chapter are you currently writing?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Chapters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chapters/) [Chapters Cliffhangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chapters-cliffhangers-644725/) [Cliffhanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliffhanger/) [Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Empty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empty/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Life story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-story/) [Make you cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-you-cry/) [Make you laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-you-laugh/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Poison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poison/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-complicated-644724/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Tales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tales/) [Tales Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tales-moral-644723/) [Wide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wide/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/)

## Related quotes

> [“The books were legends and tales, stories from all over the Realm. These she had devoured voraciously – so voraciously, in fact, that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/the-books-were-legends-and-tales-stories-from-all-over-the-realm/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [“Real life is a story too, only much more complicated...the world is a library and you'll never get to read the same book twice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more-complicated-the-world-is-a/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [A grave aspect to a grave character is of much more consequence than the world is generally aware of; a barber may make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-grave-aspect-to-a-grave-character-is-of-much-more-consequence-than/)

[Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/)

> [When you have a good movie, it's hard to categorize it. It's everything. It makes you laugh, makes you cry and makes you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/when-you-have-a-good-movie-it-s-hard-to-categorize-it-it-s-everything/)

[Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/)

> [I keep reminding people that an editorial in rhyme is not a song. A good song makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/i-keep-reminding-people-that-an-editorial-in-rhyme-is-not-a-song-a/)

[Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/)

> [If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips out your heart, that's a good picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-adams/if-it-makes-you-laugh-if-it-makes-you-cry-if-it-rips-out-your-heart/)

[Eddie Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-adams/)

> [I've always said music should make you laugh, make you cry or make you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/i-ve-always-said-music-should-make-you-laugh-make-you-cry-or-make-you/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [It's gotta be fun, if it's not fun it's not worth doing. Music is about having a good time feeling your soul, whether it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/it-s-gotta-be-fun-if-it-s-not-fun-it-s-not-worth-doing-music-is-about/)

[Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/)

> [There is nothing more beautiful in the world, enough to lose one's head. A sunset with a long nose, a starry sky that lies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-benigni/there-is-nothing-more-beautiful-in-the-world-enough-to-lose-one-s/)

[Roberto Benigni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-benigni/)

> [Music bypasses the intellect, it makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you want to dance, makes you want to have sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siobhan-fahey/music-bypasses-the-intellect-it-makes-you-laugh-makes-you-cry-makes/)

[Siobhan Fahey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siobhan-fahey/)

> [If you walked by a street and you was walking a concrete and you saw a rose growing from concrete, even if it had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-walked-by-a-street-and-you-was-walking-a-concrete-and-you-saw/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [People who can make you laugh can make you cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niecy-nash/people-who-can-make-you-laugh-can-make-you-cry/)

[Niecy Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niecy-nash/)

> [I write romance, women's fiction, chicklit. I think it all fits very comfortably under the same umbrella. Basically, I write books for women -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/i-write-romance-women-s-fiction-chicklit-i-think-it-all-fits-very/)

[Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/)

> [Watch a movie that makes you laugh or listen to a song that makes you cry. Embrace your emotions and be proud of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/watch-a-movie-that-makes-you-laugh-or-listen-to-a-song-that-makes-you/)

[Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/)

> [The arts are what makes life worth living. You've got food, you've got shelter, yeah. But the things that make you laugh, make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-arts-are-what-makes-life-worth-living-you-ve-got-food-you-ve-got/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

## More by Chris Wooding

> [“Nothing's bigger than me!" Frey shouted back. "Me is all I've got.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/nothing-s-bigger-than-me-frey-shouted-back-me-is-all-i-ve-got/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [Don't confuse contentment with happiness...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/don-t-confuse-contentment-with-happiness/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [“She was spared the slow, steady droplets of blood that began to spatter the beds, drip, drip, drip, painting the white sheets in shocked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/she-was-spared-the-slow-steady-droplets-of-blood-that-began-to/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [But time has a way of stealthily deciding a person’s mind without her conscious knowledge, and as she studied and procrastinated, Poison found one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/but-time-has-a-way-of-stealthily-deciding-a-person-s-mind-without-her/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [Things just seem so much better in theory than in practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/things-just-seem-so-much-better-in-theory-than-in-practice/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [“Trudging off into a swamp in the middle of the night had seemed like a god idea at the time but, like most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/trudging-off-into-a-swamp-in-the-middle-of-the-night-had-seemed-like/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [“You can’t tell half a tale, Poison. You can’t write half a book. Whatever you choose to do next will completely change the aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/you-can-t-tell-half-a-tale-poison-you-can-t-write-half-a-book/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [Once upon a time there was a young lady who lived in a marsh, and her name was Poison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-young-lady-who-lived-in-a-marsh-and-her/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [“Spit and blood!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/spit-and-blood/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [Then a person has only one tale?” No, some have two or three separate ones or more,” Fleet said. “Some people have many tales.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/then-a-person-has-only-one-tale-no-some-have-two-or-three-separate/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [“Ain't no deserving, or otherwise,' Silo said, his bass voice rolling out from deep in his chest. 'There's what is, and what ain't, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/ain-t-no-deserving-or-otherwise-silo-said-his-bass-voice-rolling-out/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [How was is that life never worked out the way it did in his head?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/how-was-is-that-life-never-worked-out-the-way-it-did-in-his-head/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [“They believe all connections are temporary, so to cling to them makes no sense. When someone is gone, they're gone. Live for now; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/they-believe-all-connections-are-temporary-so-to-cling-to-them-makes/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [Some of us are born in the right place, and some of us have to go look for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/some-of-us-are-born-in-the-right-place-and-some-of-us-have-to-go-look/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

> [“I'd love to see the Iron Jackal's face when he finds out I'm already dead," he said with half a grin. "Now that's irony."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/i-d-love-to-see-the-iron-jackal-s-face-when-he-finds-out-i-m-already/)

[Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

[Explore all 34 Chris Wooding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/)

## 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": "Real life is a story, too, only much more complicated. It’s still got a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everyone follows the same rules, you know. . . It’s just that there are more of them. Everyone has chapters and cliffhangers. Everyone has their journey to make. Some go far and wide and come back empty-handed; some don’t go anywhere and their journey makes them richest of all. Some tales have a moral and some don’t make any sense. Some will make you laugh, others make you cry. The world is a library, young Poison, and you’ll never get to read the same book twice.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Chris Wooding"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more-complicated-it-s-still-got-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more-complicated-it-s-still-got-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/chris-wooding-18672_book_real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more_43312.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/chris-wooding-18672_book_real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more_43312.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/chris-wooding-18672_book_real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more_43312.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Real life is a story, too, only much more complicated. It’s still got a beginning, a middle, and an end…” — Chris Wooding",
                "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": "Chris Wooding",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Real life is a story, too,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more-complicated-it-s-still-got-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more-complicated-it-s-still-got-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
