---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here's the truth about telling stories…"
description: "\"Here's the truth about telling stories with your life. It's going to sound like a great idea, and you're going to get excited about it, and then when i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/donald-miller-607_book_here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-w_1178262.png"
---

#  Here's the truth about telling stories with your life…

![“Here's the truth about telling stories with your life. It's going to sound like a great idea, and you're going to get excited about it, and then when it comes time to do the work, you're not going to want to do it. It's like that with writing books, and it's like that with life. People love to…” quote by Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/donald-miller-607_book_here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-w_1178262.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/donald-miller-607_book_here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-w_1178262.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/donald-miller-607_book_here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-w_1178262.png)

> “Here's the truth about telling stories with your life. It's going to sound like a great idea, and you're going to get excited about it, and then when it comes time to do the work, you're not going to want to do it. It's like that with writing books, and it's like that with life. People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen. But joy costs pain.”

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People are attracted to the idea of living a compelling story but often avoid the effort required to create it, leading to a gap between desire and action.

**In simple terms:** We want great stories but resist the work needed.

Key Takeaway

Embrace the effort to shape your narrative.

Themes

storytelling motivation effort reality growth

Mood

reflective determined inspirational

Type

advice philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- writing a book
- starting a business
- personal transformation
- overcoming procrastination

Key Concepts

Narrative identity psychology of aspiration discipline

Questions to Reflect On

- What small step can you take today toward your story?
- How can you make the work feel rewarding?

A Different Perspective

The quote may overlook that some find joy in the process itself, not just the outcome.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Excited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excited/) [Great idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-idea/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Stories Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-life/) [Telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling/) [Telling stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-stories/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-telling-731035/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Working it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-it/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing a book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-a-book/) [Writing Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-books-366652/)

## Related quotes

> [The stories of wine lords who trade wine on intimidation or food critics who trade free meals for reviews those are the stories of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/the-stories-of-wine-lords-who-trade-wine-on-intimidation-or-food/)

[Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/)

> [I now do my own cabaret act, singing and telling stories about my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-reid/i-now-do-my-own-cabaret-act-singing-and-telling-stories-about-my-life/)

[Anne Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-reid/)

> [My problem is that people have been writing books about me.A lot of things that people write about you are incorrect, but you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-ross/my-problem-is-that-people-have-been-writing-books-about-me-a-lot-of/)

[Diana Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-ross/)

> [I hope I am not too old to take it up seriously, nor too stupid about machines to qualify as a commercial pilot. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-hope-i-am-not-too-old-to-take-it-up-seriously-nor-too-stupid-about/)

[Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/)

> [Writing books is certainly a most unpleasant occupation. It is lonesome, unsanitary, and maddening. Many authors go crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/writing-books-is-certainly-a-most-unpleasant-occupation-it-is/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [There is the myth that writing books for children is easier than writing books for grownups, whereas we know that truly great books for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/there-is-the-myth-that-writing-books-for-children-is-easier-than/)

[Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/)

> [Fahrenheit 451 is one of those books that is about how amazing books are and how amazing the people who write books are. Writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/fahrenheit-451-is-one-of-those-books-that-is-about-how-amazing-books/)

[Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/)

> [Most established novelists are writing books informed by experiences gained in their youth. Middle age is not the best time to be changing smartphones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/most-established-novelists-are-writing-books-informed-by-experiences/)

[Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/)

> [I like writing books. I'd rather be at home with my wife. I can write, take a break, come out, have a glass of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-like-writing-books-i-d-rather-be-at-home-with-my-wife-i-can-write/)

[Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/)

> [And yes, there's a simplicity to writing books because you're not a member of a team, so you make all the decisions yourself instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/and-yes-there-s-a-simplicity-to-writing-books-because-you-re-not-a/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [If you were a fully realized person-whatever the hell that would be-you wouldn't fool around writing books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/if-you-were-a-fully-realized-person-whatever-the-hell-that-would-be/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [The fun one can have writing books about books is limitless, to be honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/the-fun-one-can-have-writing-books-about-books-is-limitless-to-be/)

[Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/)

> [There are no grown-ups. We suspect this when we are younger, but can confirm it only once we are the ones writing books and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/there-are-no-grown-ups-we-suspect-this-when-we-are-younger-but-can/)

[Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/)

> [I began writing books after speaking for several years and I realize that when you have a written book people think that you're smarter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-began-writing-books-after-speaking-for-several-years-and-i-realize/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Nothing mattered ... but writing books, and living the kind of life that made it possible to write them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/nothing-mattered-but-writing-books-and-living-the-kind-of-life-that/)

[Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/)

## More by Donald Miller

> [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [I think each of us can, through our writing, discover our super power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-think-each-of-us-can-through-our-writing-discover-our-super-power/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [If you don't feel free and be yourself, you can't connect. Find people who accept your quirks. They'll heal your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-don-t-feel-free-and-be-yourself-you-can-t-connect-find-people/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [And so I have come to understand that strength, inner strength, comes from receiving love as much as it comes from giving it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-so-i-have-come-to-understand-that-strength-inner-strength-comes/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“Humans, as a species, are constantly, and in every way, comparing themselves to one another, which, given the brief nature of their existence, seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/humans-as-a-species-are-constantly-and-in-every-way-comparing/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“alone, lonely, and loneliness are three of the most powerful words in the English language... Those words say that we are human; they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/alone-lonely-and-loneliness-are-three-of-the-most-powerful-words-in/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“It isn't about what you don't get done; it's about what you do get done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/it-isn-t-about-what-you-don-t-get-done-it-s-about-what-you-do-get-done/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“Most Christians have enormous respect for the space and freedom of others, it is only that they have found a joy in Jesus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/most-christians-have-enormous-respect-for-the-space-and-freedom-of/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“The soul needs to interact with other people to be healthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-soul-needs-to-interact-with-other-people-to-be-healthy/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [Don't let go of your strength or your beauty. It was given to you by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/don-t-let-go-of-your-strength-or-your-beauty-it-was-given-to-you-by/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [There's a lot of letters, and a lot of people come say "hi" at book signings, but I'm amazed at how normal everybody is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-a-lot-of-letters-and-a-lot-of-people-come-say-hi-at-book/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [I am something of a recluse by nature. I am that cordless screwdriver that has to charge for twenty hours to earn ten minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-am-something-of-a-recluse-by-nature-i-am-that-cordless-screwdriver/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [The most important thing that happens within Christian spirituality is when a person falls in love with Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-most-important-thing-that-happens-within-christian-spirituality/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [Every day you live is a page. Every year, a chapter. Your life, a book. What is it about?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/every-day-you-live-is-a-page-every-year-a-chapter-your-life-a-book/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“And that’s the first time I realized that the idea a character is what he does makes as much sense in life as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-that-s-the-first-time-i-realized-that-the-idea-a-character-is/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

[Explore all 448 Donald Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

## More Book 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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Here's the truth about telling stories with your life. It's going to sound like a great idea, and you're going to get excited about it, and then when it comes time to do the work, you're not going to want to do it. It's like that with writing books, and it's like that with life. People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen. But joy costs pain.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Donald Miller"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-with-your-life-it-s-going-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-with-your-life-it-s-going-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/donald-miller-607_book_here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-w_1178262.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/donald-miller-607_book_here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-w_1178262.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/donald-miller-607_book_here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-w_1178262.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Here's the truth about telling stories with your life. It's going to sound like a great idea, and you're…” — Donald Miller",
                "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": "Donald Miller",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Here's the truth about telling stories...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-with-your-life-it-s-going-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/here-s-the-truth-about-telling-stories-with-your-life-it-s-going-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
