--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I really like it when you can step…" description: "\"I really like it when you can step outside of what's come before and find a surprise for the reader and find a surprise for yourself.\" — Dave Gibbons" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/dave-gibbons-17942_books_i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outsi_1268583.jpg" --- # I really like it when you can step outside of what's come… ![“I really like it when you can step outside of what's come before and find a surprise for the reader and find a surprise for yourself.” quote by Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/dave-gibbons-17942_books_i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outsi_1268583.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/dave-gibbons-17942_books_i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outsi_1268583.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/dave-gibbons-17942_books_i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outsi_1268583.jpg) > “I really like it when you can step outside of what's come before and find a surprise for the reader and find a surprise for yourself.” [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Surprising readers by breaking from tradition creates fresh experiences for both audience and creator. **In simple terms:** Breaking norms yields fresh surprises for all. Key Takeaway Embrace innovation to keep work engaging. Themes creativity innovation surprise Mood inspired thoughtful Type creative motivational When to use this quote - writing - comic design - creative workshops Key Concepts narrative genre-bending audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance novelty with audience expectations? - What risks accompany breaking conventions? A Different Perspective Novelty can alienate existing fans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Come Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-surprise-1133553/) [Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Reader Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader-surprise-3025983/) [Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step/) [Step Outside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step-outside/) [Steps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steps/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Surprise Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise-reader-1930457/) [Yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yourself/) ## Related quotes > [No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/no-tears-in-the-writer-no-tears-in-the-reader-no-surprise-in-the/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/no-tears-in-the-writer-no-tears-in-the-reader-no-surprise-for-the/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [“One of the elements of writing that is most delightful to the engaged reader is the element of surprise. And one of the ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/one-of-the-elements-of-writing-that-is-most-delightful-to-the-engaged/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“Robert Frost said, “No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-addonizio/robert-frost-said-no-surprise-for-the-writer-no-surprise-for-the/) [Kim Addonizio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-addonizio/) > [“No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/no-surprise-for-the-writer-no-surprise-for-the-reader/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [MIke Lee writes with honesty, penetration, wit and the ability to surprise the reader with an unexpected turn from time to time that enriches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/mike-lee-writes-with-honesty-penetration-wit-and-the-ability-to/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I have no ambition to surprise my reader. Castles with unknown passages are not compatible with my homely muse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/i-have-no-ambition-to-surprise-my-reader-castles-with-unknown/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [I want you to come behind me and surprise me with a hug so I know what it's like to be wrapped in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beka-mackey/i-want-you-to-come-behind-me-and-surprise-me-with-a-hug-so-i-know/) [Beka Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beka-mackey/) > [There is a child inside me that wants to come out and do something to surprise all the adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/there-is-a-child-inside-me-that-wants-to-come-out-and-do-something-to/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [I hope it will come as no surprise that I have something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-heinz/i-hope-it-will-come-as-no-surprise-that-i-have-something-to-say/) [Teresa Heinz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-heinz/) > [Man is always more than he can know of himself; consequently, his accomplishments, time and again, will come as a surprise to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/man-is-always-more-than-he-can-know-of-himself-consequently-his/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [It seems wisest to assume the worst from the beginning...and let anything better come as a surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/it-seems-wisest-to-assume-the-worst-from-the-beginning-and-let/) [Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/) > [I wear my heart on my sleeve and I don't think that would come as surprise to anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-allen/i-wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve-and-i-don-t-think-that-would-come-as/) [Heidi Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-allen/) > [Don’t think about happiness. If it doesn’t come, there’s no disappointment; if it does come, it’s a surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boles-aw-prus/don-t-think-about-happiness-if-it-doesn-t-come-there-s-no/) [Bolesław Prus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boles-aw-prus/) > [Most things in life come as a surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lykke-li/most-things-in-life-come-as-a-surprise/) [Lykke Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lykke-li/) ## More by Dave Gibbons > [I generally like very visually striking films. I love a lot of Stanley Kubrick's films. I would have to say 'Dr. Strangelove', which of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-generally-like-very-visually-striking-films-i-love-a-lot-of-stanley/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [With the 'Watchmen' comic, we attempted to tell it in an accessible way. I deliberately made the artwork very clear, deceptively so. You think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/with-the-watchmen-comic-we-attempted-to-tell-it-in-an-accessible-way/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [When I first came to New York City, what I was thrilled about was not the Empire State Building, or the Statue of Liberty;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/when-i-first-came-to-new-york-city-what-i-was-thrilled-about-was-not/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [In comics, there are depths that don't reveal themselves immediately, and the stuff that you might consider anal about 'Watching the Watchmen' - like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/in-comics-there-are-depths-that-don-t-reveal-themselves-immediately/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [I think if you want to do a thing properly you have to take a lot of care. I've always found it's easier to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-think-if-you-want-to-do-a-thing-properly-you-have-to-take-a-lot-of/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [I came to think that nobody from England could draw American comic books, because they were clearly all done by this sort of Mafia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-came-to-think-that-nobody-from-england-could-draw-american-comic/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [I'm known for being very enthusiastic about using technology. A lot of the attraction is the way that it streamlines the process and takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-m-known-for-being-very-enthusiastic-about-using-technology-a-lot-of/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [I vividly remember my first 'Superman' comic, which my granddad bought me when I was about 7. From that point on, all I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-vividly-remember-my-first-superman-comic-which-my-granddad-bought/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [“While the West tends to medicate pain, the East helps us to embrace it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/while-the-west-tends-to-medicate-pain-the-east-helps-us-to-embrace-it/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [The original series of Watchmen is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC's reasons for this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/the-original-series-of-watchmen-is-the-complete-story-that-alan-moore/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [I think with something like 'Watchmen' you can genuinely call that a graphic novel because it has the weight and the intent of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-think-with-something-like-watchmen-you-can-genuinely-call-that-a/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [People unacquainted with graphic novels, including journalists, tend to think of 'Watchmen' as a book by Alan Moore that happens to have some illustrations.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/people-unacquainted-with-graphic-novels-including-journalists-tend-to/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [One of the things when you're drawing a comic book is that you're spending four or five times as long to draw it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/one-of-the-things-when-you-re-drawing-a-comic-book-is-that-you-re/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [You eventually come to the conclusion that there's only so much you can do with these established characters, and you start wondering who among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/you-eventually-come-to-the-conclusion-that-there-s-only-so-much-you/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [With the new game I'm going to be involved from the ground up. I have had story input and the whole thing will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/with-the-new-game-i-m-going-to-be-involved-from-the-ground-up-i-have/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) [Explore all 36 Dave Gibbons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "I really like it when you can step outside of what's come before and find a surprise for the reader and find a surprise for yourself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dave Gibbons" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outside-of-what-s-come-before-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outside-of-what-s-come-before-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/dave-gibbons-17942_books_i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outsi_1268583.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/dave-gibbons-17942_books_i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outsi_1268583.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/dave-gibbons-17942_books_i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outsi_1268583.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I really like it when you can step outside of what's come before and find a surprise for the reader and find…” — Dave Gibbons", "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": "Dave Gibbons", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I really like it when you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outside-of-what-s-come-before-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-really-like-it-when-you-can-step-outside-of-what-s-come-before-and/#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 } } ] } ```