--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing a story requires you to…" description: "\"Writing a story requires you to understand how the world works, how characters think, how their emotions drive them to do surprising things, and so on...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/david-farland-33200_character_writing-a-story-requires-you-to-understa_1725012.jpg" --- # Writing a story requires you to understand how the world… ![“Writing a story requires you to understand how the world works, how characters think, how their emotions drive them to do surprising things, and so on. In other words, as a writer, you have to be more than a stylist. You need to learn to become a master of storytelling.” quote by David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/david-farland-33200_character_writing-a-story-requires-you-to-understa_1725012.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/david-farland-33200_character_writing-a-story-requires-you-to-understa_1725012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/david-farland-33200_character_writing-a-story-requires-you-to-understa_1725012.jpg) > “Writing a story requires you to understand how the world works, how characters think, how their emotions drive them to do surprising things, and so on. In other words, as a writer, you have to be more than a stylist. You need to learn to become a master of storytelling.” [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective storytelling demands understanding world mechanics, character psychology, and emotional drivers, beyond mere style. **In simple terms:** Writers must grasp world, mind, and heart, not just prose. Key Takeaway Study systems, minds, and feelings to tell compelling stories. Themes storytelling craft psychology worldbuilding emotion Mood inspirational analytical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - game design - teaching writing Key Concepts narrative structure character development emotional intelligence creative process Questions to Reflect On - How will you balance detail with clarity? - What emotional core will drive your plot? A Different Perspective Complex stories can overwhelm without clear focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Surprising things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprising-things/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I don't really think of myself so much as a writer as a stylist, someone who came into writing from the back door and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/i-don-t-really-think-of-myself-so-much-as-a-writer-as-a-stylist/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [Chad Michael Ward is a master of the storytelling craft. His imagery, both still and moving, reaches deep into the darkest corners of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-navarro/chad-michael-ward-is-a-master-of-the-storytelling-craft-his-imagery/) [Dave Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-navarro/) > [A compelling story requires conflict, friction, an obstacle to be overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-soltis-anderson/a-compelling-story-requires-conflict-friction-an-obstacle-to-be/) [Kristen Soltis Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-soltis-anderson/) > [Creating one single story often requires experimenting and planning and falling on your literary rear more than once before you find the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lam/creating-one-single-story-often-requires-experimenting-and-planning/) Nancy Lam > [“A real story requires a kind of magical baptism to link the world on this side with the world on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-real-story-requires-a-kind-of-magical-baptism-to-link-the-world-on/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [When you are doing a real life story, it requires a lot of sensitivity, a lot of responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-shah/when-you-are-doing-a-real-life-story-it-requires-a-lot-of-sensitivity/) [Shefali Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-shah/) > [“Be a good listener in the special way a story requires: note the manner of presentation; the development of plot, character; the addition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coles/be-a-good-listener-in-the-special-way-a-story-requires-note-the/) Robert Coles > [Is rule of thumb in writing game: if story requires many long descriptions of smells so vile that will give reader nausea, is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/is-rule-of-thumb-in-writing-game-if-story-requires-many-long/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I would like the events never to be told directly by the author, but rather to be introduced (and several times, from various angles)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/i-would-like-the-events-never-to-be-told-directly-by-the-author-but/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“Most people want to hear or tell a good story. 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Sometimes, when its quite, surprising things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pipher/therapy-isn-t-radio-we-don-t-need-to-constantly-fill-the-air-with/) [Mary Pipher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pipher/) > [The most surprising thing to me is what an incredibly intense effort it's been to create a world from the ground up. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veena-sud/the-most-surprising-thing-to-me-is-what-an-incredibly-intense-effort/) [Veena Sud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veena-sud/) > [I knew I'd miss you. But the surprising thing is, you never leave me. I never forget a thing. Every kind of love, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-lynn-anderson/i-knew-i-d-miss-you-but-the-surprising-thing-is-you-never-leave-me-i/) [Jodi Lynn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-lynn-anderson/) ## More by David Farland > [Pay attention to the sound of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farland/pay-attention-to-the-sound-of-words/) [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) > [Dedicated to helping you create strong, vibrant, and beautiful fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farland/dedicated-to-helping-you-create-strong-vibrant-and-beautiful-fiction/) [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) > [There is no such thing as an evil genius, as evil in it's self is stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farland/there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-evil-genius-as-evil-in-it-s-self-is/) [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) > [“When you behold the face of pure evil, it will be beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farland/when-you-behold-the-face-of-pure-evil-it-will-be-beautiful/) [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) > [But everyone has a touch of madness, and those who can't admit it are usually farther gone than the rest of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farland/but-everyone-has-a-touch-of-madness-and-those-who-can-t-admit-it-are/) [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) > [Brandon Sanderson is the real thing-an exciting storyteller with a unique and powerful vision. 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That should be enough to keep us going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farland/writers-change-the-world-one-heart-one-mind-at-a-time-that-should-be/) [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) > [I'd like to emphasize that when a reader finishes a great novel, he will immediately begin looking for another. If someone loves your book,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farland/i-d-like-to-emphasize-that-when-a-reader-finishes-a-great-novel-he/) [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) > [We all become lost children at one time or another.When no one else can find us, we must find ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farland/we-all-become-lost-children-at-one-time-or-another-when-no-one-else/) [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) [Explore all 12 David Farland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [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'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing a story requires you to understand how the world works, how characters think, how their emotions drive them to do surprising things, and so on. 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