--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can’t tell half a tale, Poison. You…" description: "\"“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 of what has gone bef..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/chris-wooding-18672_books_you-can-t-tell-half-a-tale-poison-you-ca_445748.jpg" --- # You can’t tell half a tale, Poison. You can’t write half a… ![“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 of what has gone before. if you decided to suddenly kill your friends as they slept –“ Why would I do that?” Poison interjected. Bear with me,” Fleet said patiently…” quote by Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/chris-wooding-18672_books_you-can-t-tell-half-a-tale-poison-you-ca_445748.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/chris-wooding-18672_books_you-can-t-tell-half-a-tale-poison-you-ca_445748.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/chris-wooding-18672_books_you-can-t-tell-half-a-tale-poison-you-ca_445748.jpg) > ““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 of what has gone before. if you decided to suddenly kill your friends as they slept –“ Why would I do that?” Poison interjected. Bear with me,” Fleet said patiently. “If you did, then the tale would take on a whole new light. Instead of being the journey of Poison from Gull to save her sister, it would be the terrible story of how a young girl became a cold-blooded killer. They way it would be written would be different. Do you see? Or you might die right now, and it would turn out that it wasn’t your tale all along it was Bram’s or Peppercorn’s, and you were just one of the sideline characters. The whole story has to be known before it can be recorded; otherwise it might suddenly change. That’s the beauty, Poison. You never know what’s going to happen next. When the tale is ended, then the writing will be visible to your eyes; until then it is unwritten.”” [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. Stories are fluid; choices reshape narratives, and unknown outcomes give meaning to the tale. **In simple terms:** Choices reshape stories and their meaning. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty and let stories evolve. Themes storytelling choice uncertainty identity consequence Mood curious reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing - role‑playing games - creative brainstorming - plot development - character arcs Key Concepts narrative fluidity authorial intent character agency Questions to Reflect On - How do your choices affect the story you tell? - What unknowns shape your personal narrative? A Different Perspective Narratives can become incoherent if too many abrupt changes occur. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“I now have learn’d Love right, and learn’d even so, As who by being poisoned doth poison know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-philip-sidney/i-now-have-learn-d-love-right-and-learn-d-even-so-as-who-by-being/) Sir Philip Sidney > [If you stretch your imagination, I'll tell you all a tale, about a time when everything wasn't up for sale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tell-you-all-a-tale-about-a-time/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [All of mathematics is a tale about groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/all-of-mathematics-is-a-tale-about-groups/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“My fairy tale has ended.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-warren/my-fairy-tale-has-ended/) [Frank Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-warren/) > [The song "No Fairy Tale" tells my story. Going through the hard things leads to a richer life than just trying to make everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-loeb/the-song-no-fairy-tale-tells-my-story-going-through-the-hard-things/) [Lisa Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-loeb/) > [“Les contes de fées c'est comme ça. Un matin on se réveille. On dit: "Ce n'était qu'un conte de fées..." On sourit de soi.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/les-contes-de-f-es-c-est-comme-a-un-matin-on-se-r-veille-on-dit-ce-n/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > ['To Kill a Mockingbird' is really two stories. One is a coming-of-age tale told from the point of view of Scout Finch, a girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-j-shields/to-kill-a-mockingbird-is-really-two-stories-one-is-a-coming-of-age/) [Charles J. Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-j-shields/) > [I'm not sure if it's fair to call it a 'fairy tale,' but I really loved 'Mulan,' the Disney film. It was my favorite.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-cole/i-m-not-sure-if-it-s-fair-to-call-it-a-fairy-tale-but-i-really-loved/) [Lily Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-cole/) > [At every moment of our lives, we all have one foot in a fairy tale and the other in the abyss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/at-every-moment-of-our-lives-we-all-have-one-foot-in-a-fairy-tale-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“You are the fairy tale told by your ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/you-are-the-fairy-tale-told-by-your-ancestors/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Each of us has a creation tale - how we came into this world. And I'll add this: each of us has an uncreation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hainey/each-of-us-has-a-creation-tale-how-we-came-into-this-world-and-i-ll/) [Michael Hainey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hainey/) > [...a tale of too many cooks in the defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-brown/a-tale-of-too-many-cooks-in-the-defence/) [Ian Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-brown/) > [“McIntyre’s tale may have predecessors, but it is unique. I strain for literary comparisons and think: Kipling, the classical Chinese poets, early Patrick O’Brian,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-bodio/mcintyre-s-tale-may-have-predecessors-but-it-is-unique-i-strain-for/) Stephen J. Bodio > [Whether we think of Disney's blonde beauty and her pumpkin carriage or Marissa Meyer's recent recasting of 'Cinderella' as a cyborg in the young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/whether-we-think-of-disney-s-blonde-beauty-and-her-pumpkin-carriage/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [A sad tale's best for winter. I have one of sprites and goblins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-sad-tale-s-best-for-winter-i-have-one-of-sprites-and-goblins/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by Chris Wooding > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more-complicated-it-s-still-got-a/) [Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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/) > [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 Books 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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [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/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [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/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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 of what has gone before. if you decided to suddenly kill your friends as they slept –“ Why would I do that?” Poison interjected. Bear with me,” Fleet said patiently. “If you did, then the tale would take on a whole new light. Instead of being the journey of Poison from Gull to save her sister, it would be the terrible story of how a young girl became a cold-blooded killer. They way it would be written would be different. Do you see? Or you might die right now, and it would turn out that it wasn’t your tale all along it was Bram’s or Peppercorn’s, and you were just one of the sideline characters. The whole story has to be known before it can be recorded; otherwise it might suddenly change. That’s the beauty, Poison. You never know what’s going to happen next. 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