--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm drawn particularly to stories that…" description: "\"I'm drawn particularly to stories that evolve out of the character of the protagonist.\" — David McCullough" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/david-mccullough-1091_character_i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-e_1186771.jpg" --- # I'm drawn particularly to stories that evolve out of the… ![“I'm drawn particularly to stories that evolve out of the character of the protagonist.” quote by David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/david-mccullough-1091_character_i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-e_1186771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/david-mccullough-1091_character_i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-e_1186771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/david-mccullough-1091_character_i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-e_1186771.jpg) > “I'm drawn particularly to stories that evolve out of the character of the protagonist.” [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories that grow from a protagonist's character reveal deeper human truths. **In simple terms:** Character-driven narratives reveal truth. Key Takeaway Focus on character development. Themes storytelling character growth Mood thoughtful inspired Type literary analytical When to use this quote - writing - film analysis - teaching - personal reflection Key Concepts narrative arc psychology Questions to Reflect On - What makes a character compelling? - How does character shape plot? A Different Perspective Some audiences prefer plot-driven tales. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Protagonist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-protagonist-2385048/) [Drawn Particularly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawn-particularly-780907/) [Evolve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolve/) [Particularly Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particularly-stories-1121227/) [Protagonist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protagonist/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Stories Evolve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-evolve-1123545/) ## Related quotes > [The way I wanted to write it, is with a hero, or sort of a pure character who was the protagonist. And the antagonists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wozniak/the-way-i-wanted-to-write-it-is-with-a-hero-or-sort-of-a-pure/) [John Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wozniak/) > [My love is to tell a story but I like stories that evolve from character, from the nature of the individuals involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/my-love-is-to-tell-a-story-but-i-like-stories-that-evolve-from/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [I think that we're always drawn - particularly sophisticated people - are always drawn to the idea of simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/i-think-that-we-re-always-drawn-particularly-sophisticated-people-are/) [Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/) > [I'm drawn to female stories, of which there aren't that many, and particularly to stories now about older women. The things they have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-elliott/i-m-drawn-to-female-stories-of-which-there-aren-t-that-many-and/) [Marianne Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-elliott/) > [If that executive at the top of the studio had seen more stories with all the people they don't relate to, they may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rege-jean-page/if-that-executive-at-the-top-of-the-studio-had-seen-more-stories-with/) [Rege-Jean Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rege-jean-page/) > [ They \[my stories\] evolve. If they're tightly constructed, it's because they're revised constantly as I move forward each day. That's where the structure inheres.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-c-boyle/they-my-stories-evolve-if-they-re-tightly-constructed-it-s-because/) [T.C. Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-c-boyle/) > [It's hard to know what's going to happen when you're filming a reality show, but if you just let life unfold, that's when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/it-s-hard-to-know-what-s-going-to-happen-when-you-re-filming-a/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) > [I always find something in common with my protagonist, particularly when I write in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-always-find-something-in-common-with-my-protagonist-particularly/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [Mindi Scott has a real talent for getting inside her protagonist's head. She sketches out Coley's story in grand swathes, and then paints in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-benson/mindi-scott-has-a-real-talent-for-getting-inside-her-protagonist-s/) [Amber Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-benson/) > [You can, I think, have a quiet and steady protagonist and not run the risk of terminal dullness as long as exciting things happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-williams/you-can-i-think-have-a-quiet-and-steady-protagonist-and-not-run-the/) [Liz Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-williams/) > [I write what I like to read, and I enjoy love triangles in YA and adult fiction - not to mention in other media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/i-write-what-i-like-to-read-and-i-enjoy-love-triangles-in-ya-and/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [When the machine of a human being is turned on, it seems to produce a protagonist, just as a television produces an image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-machine-of-a-human-being-is-turned-on-it-seems-to-produce-a/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [In 'Yours Truly,' I was the centre of the story; I was the protagonist. There was a lot more happening inside the mind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soni-razdan/in-yours-truly-i-was-the-centre-of-the-story-i-was-the-protagonist/) [Soni Razdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soni-razdan/) > [We tend to think of orphans as being the protagonist of stories we read when we're kids, and yet here you are: you're an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/we-tend-to-think-of-orphans-as-being-the-protagonist-of-stories-we/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) ## More by David McCullough > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Steamboats by this time were becoming a familiar presence on the rivers and coastal waters of America, but not until 1838 did steam-powered ships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/steamboats-by-this-time-were-becoming-a-familiar-presence-on-the/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [I feel that history is in many ways the most important of all subjects because it is about everything and because it's about who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-feel-that-history-is-in-many-ways-the-most-important-of-all/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Even mighty states and kingdoms are not exempted. If we look into history, we shall find some nations rising from contemptible beginnings and spreading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/even-mighty-states-and-kingdoms-are-not-exempted-if-we-look-into/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [History isn't just what happened, but what happened to whom and why and what would have been different if the cast of characters had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/history-isn-t-just-what-happened-but-what-happened-to-whom-and-why/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [Nobody ever lived in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/nobody-ever-lived-in-the-past/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Only TR openly declared his love for the job. “Nobody ever enjoyed the presidency as I did,” he boasted, and by all evidence that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/only-tr-openly-declared-his-love-for-the-job-nobody-ever-enjoyed-the/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“s ships Phoenix and Rose, in the company of three tenders, cast off their moorings at Staten Island and started up the harbor under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/s-ships-phoenix-and-rose-in-the-company-of-three-tenders-cast-off/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“a people may let a King fall, yet still remain a people, but if a King let his people slip from him, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/a-people-may-let-a-king-fall-yet-still-remain-a-people-but-if-a-king/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [Why limit yourself to the experience of your own relatively brief time on earth, according to your biological clock, when the whole realm of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/why-limit-yourself-to-the-experience-of-your-own-relatively-brief/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“He worked at a plain, tall desk at which he wrote standing up or perched on a high stool,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/he-worked-at-a-plain-tall-desk-at-which-he-wrote-standing-up-or/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Nothing happens in isolation. Everything that happens has consequences. We”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/nothing-happens-in-isolation-everything-that-happens-has-consequences/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [America faces an enemy who believes in enforced ignorance. And all that we stand for is the open mind, the generous spirit, the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/america-faces-an-enemy-who-believes-in-enforced-ignorance-and-all/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [My shorthand answer is that I try to write the kind of book that I would like to read. If I can make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/my-shorthand-answer-is-that-i-try-to-write-the-kind-of-book-that-i/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Seen under the microscope, Stegomyia is a creature of striking beauty. Its general color is dark gray, but the thorax is marked with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/seen-under-the-microscope-stegomyia-is-a-creature-of-striking-beauty/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) [Explore all 291 David McCullough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "I'm drawn particularly to stories that evolve out of the character of the protagonist.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David McCullough" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-evolve-out-of-the-character-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-evolve-out-of-the-character-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/david-mccullough-1091_character_i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-e_1186771.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/david-mccullough-1091_character_i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-e_1186771.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/david-mccullough-1091_character_i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-e_1186771.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm drawn particularly to stories that evolve out of the character of the protagonist.” — David McCullough", "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 McCullough", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm drawn particularly to stories that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-evolve-out-of-the-character-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-m-drawn-particularly-to-stories-that-evolve-out-of-the-character-of/#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 } } ] } ```