--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I'm writing a story, I try to reduce…" description: "\"When I'm writing a story, I try to reduce it to the barest possible components and go from there.\" — David Lowery" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/david-lowery-5497_go_when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce_2967254.jpg" --- # When I'm writing a story, I try to reduce it to the barest… ![“When I'm writing a story, I try to reduce it to the barest possible components and go from there.” quote by David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/david-lowery-5497_go_when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce_2967254.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/david-lowery-5497_go_when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce_2967254.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/david-lowery-5497_go_when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce_2967254.jpg) > “When I'm writing a story, I try to reduce it to the barest possible components and go from there.” [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. To craft a story, strip it to its essential elements and build from those fundamentals. **In simple terms:** Simplify story to basics first. Key Takeaway Start with core components before adding detail. Themes storytelling creativity process Mood reflective inspirational Type instructional creative When to use this quote - screenwriting - novel writing - game design - teaching writing Key Concepts minimalism structure narrative design Questions to Reflect On - What is the essential core of your story? - How do you decide what to keep or discard? A Different Perspective Complex narratives may need more than basics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible/) [Reduce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reduce/) [Reduce Barest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reduce-barest-4549817/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try/) [Try Reduce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-reduce-4492568/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-story/) ## Related quotes > [CO2 is so beneficial...it would be crazy to try to reduce it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/co2-is-so-beneficial-it-would-be-crazy-to-try-to-reduce-it/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [When you are writing the story of of your life never lend out your pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-are-writing-the-story-of-of-your-life-never-lend-out-your-pen/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What I often do when I'm writing, if I can't find that story, I go out and I hunt for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-nottage/what-i-often-do-when-i-m-writing-if-i-can-t-find-that-story-i-go-out/) [Lynn Nottage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-nottage/) > [I'm always writing. There is always a story brewing in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-gibson/i-m-always-writing-there-is-always-a-story-brewing-in-my-head/) [Mel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-gibson/) > [The human race may be compared to a writer. At the outset a writer has often only a vague general notion of the plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-adler/the-human-race-may-be-compared-to-a-writer-at-the-outset-a-writer-has/) [Felix Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-adler/) > [The story was such that I couldn't make a graceful ending and then make a graceful new beginning. I could have, but I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/the-story-was-such-that-i-couldn-t-make-a-graceful-ending-and-then/) [Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/) > [With me, a story usually begins with a single idea or mental picture. The writing of the story is simply a matter of working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/with-me-a-story-usually-begins-with-a-single-idea-or-mental-picture/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [When writing your own story, dont let anyone else hold your pen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/when-writing-your-own-story-dont-let-anyone-else-hold-your-pen/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [I made the rules I figured I could be the one to break them. I thought I would write about xenophobia, a hatred of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/i-made-the-rules-i-figured-i-could-be-the-one-to-break-them-i-thought/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“When I began writing this story, I thought I had some idea of what it was about. I was wrong. In my life writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/when-i-began-writing-this-story-i-thought-i-had-some-idea-of-what-it/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [You learn to do your best writing on story rather than off story. Very often at the beginning of their careers, writers including me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/you-learn-to-do-your-best-writing-on-story-rather-than-off-story-very/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [“writing a story is dangerous more dangerous then anyone can know. Its planting small seeds of ideas into peoples minds. Some can grow and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-stein/writing-a-story-is-dangerous-more-dangerous-then-anyone-can-know-its/) [Natalie Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-stein/) > [“After writing a story I was always empty and both sad and happy, as though I had made love, and I was sure this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/after-writing-a-story-i-was-always-empty-and-both-sad-and-happy-as/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [When you're writing a story, you're creating something of an artificial ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/when-you-re-writing-a-story-you-re-creating-something-of-an/) [Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/) > [So here I am, sending a two-ounce mouse down into a dungeon with a sewing needle to save a human princess, and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/so-here-i-am-sending-a-two-ounce-mouse-down-into-a-dungeon-with-a/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) ## More by David Lowery > [I certainly did not envisage making a Disney movie. The most I hoped for was to be able to pay my bills. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/i-certainly-did-not-envisage-making-a-disney-movie-the-most-i-hoped/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [Virginia Woolf's literature really transformed my own ideas about how to formally represent the passage of time and how time affects us. Specifically, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/virginia-woolf-s-literature-really-transformed-my-own-ideas-about-how/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [There is a palpable sense of history in the homes that I choose to occupy. I think that's one of the reasons I gravitate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/there-is-a-palpable-sense-of-history-in-the-homes-that-i-choose-to/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [It's something that you pick up at a history class in college, the idea that history and time is something to which we can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/it-s-something-that-you-pick-up-at-a-history-class-in-college-the/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [The relationships I've had with animals are often some of the most profound. That's why you cry when a dog dies in a movie.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/the-relationships-i-ve-had-with-animals-are-often-some-of-the-most/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [I find myself very attached to the places I live, and moving is never easy for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/i-find-myself-very-attached-to-the-places-i-live-and-moving-is-never/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [I have a repository of titles I like in my head, and I am always looking for a movie that I can put one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/i-have-a-repository-of-titles-i-like-in-my-head-and-i-am-always/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [No two people who make a movie on a certain budget scale are going to achieve the same thing because it just depends on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/no-two-people-who-make-a-movie-on-a-certain-budget-scale-are-going-to/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > ['Ain't Them Bodies Saints' wound up becoming a love story even though it was not initially meant to be one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/ain-t-them-bodies-saints-wound-up-becoming-a-love-story-even-though/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [I love film criticism as an art. I think it's a very important thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/i-love-film-criticism-as-an-art-i-think-it-s-a-very-important-thing/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [I love horror films. I love ghost movies and haunted-house movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/i-love-horror-films-i-love-ghost-movies-and-haunted-house-movies/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [I think, with 'St. Nick,' when you're working with a smaller budget, you have fewer risks involved. You're able to take chances with style…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/i-think-with-st-nick-when-you-re-working-with-a-smaller-budget-you/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [I find everything in life a little bit sad, but I also find a great deal of hope everywhere I look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/i-find-everything-in-life-a-little-bit-sad-but-i-also-find-a-great/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [I'm sentimental to a fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/i-m-sentimental-to-a-fault/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [I guess you can't really turn a camera on outside in Texas without getting Terrence Malick comparisons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/i-guess-you-can-t-really-turn-a-camera-on-outside-in-texas-without/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) [Explore all 100 David Lowery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) ## More Go quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I love going to Columbia, Missouri. That is a really underrated campus. It shocked me when I went there because I really didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-herbstreit/i-love-going-to-columbia-missouri-that-is-a-really-underrated-campus/) [Kirk Herbstreit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-herbstreit/) > [Intel has a very complete process that I go through any time I want to sell that ensures I have no insider information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-krzanich/intel-has-a-very-complete-process-that-i-go-through-any-time-i-want/) [Brian Krzanich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-krzanich/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [I go out there and I work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-chubb/i-go-out-there-and-i-work/) [Nick Chubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-chubb/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [As much as you want to improve or help the team, as a centre-back your job is to go under the radar and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrone-mings/as-much-as-you-want-to-improve-or-help-the-team-as-a-centre-back-your/) [Tyrone Mings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrone-mings/) > [I don't know what successful journaling really looks like... I think it really does look so different for everyone who does it, I'm always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-abrams/i-don-t-know-what-successful-journaling-really-looks-like-i-think-it/) [Gracie Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-abrams/) > [“Everywhere is home, let is go home”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzuco-hu-nh/everywhere-is-home-let-is-go-home/) [Dzuco Huỳnh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzuco-hu-nh/) > [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/) [Browse all 23,138 Go quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I'm writing a story, I try to reduce it to the barest possible components and go from there.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Lowery" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce-it-to-the-barest-possible/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Go" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce-it-to-the-barest-possible/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/david-lowery-5497_go_when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce_2967254.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/david-lowery-5497_go_when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce_2967254.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/david-lowery-5497_go_when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce_2967254.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I'm writing a story, I try to reduce it to the barest possible components and go from there.” — David Lowery", "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": "David Lowery", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I'm writing a story, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce-it-to-the-barest-possible/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/when-i-m-writing-a-story-i-try-to-reduce-it-to-the-barest-possible/#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 } } ] } ```