--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first act of insight is throw away…" description: "\"The first act of insight is throw away the labels. In fiction, while we do not necessarily write about ourselves, we write out of ourselves, using ours..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a1/eudora-welty-1564_character_the-first-act-of-insight-is-throw-away-t_1971462.png" --- # The first act of insight is throw away the labels. In… ![“The first act of insight is throw away the labels. In fiction, while we do not necessarily write about ourselves, we write out of ourselves, using ourselves; what we learn from, what we are sensitive to, what we feel strongly about--these become our characters and go to make our plots. Characters…” quote by Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a1/eudora-welty-1564_character_the-first-act-of-insight-is-throw-away-t_1971462.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a1/eudora-welty-1564_character_the-first-act-of-insight-is-throw-away-t_1971462.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a1/eudora-welty-1564_character_the-first-act-of-insight-is-throw-away-t_1971462.png) > “The first act of insight is throw away the labels. In fiction, while we do not necessarily write about ourselves, we write out of ourselves, using ourselves; what we learn from, what we are sensitive to, what we feel strongly about--these become our characters and go to make our plots. Characters in fiction are conceived from within, and they have, accordingly, their own interior life; they are individuals every time.” [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Insight comes from shedding external labels and drawing on personal experience to create authentic characters with inner lives. **In simple terms:** Write from self, not from stereotypes. Key Takeaway Use personal truth to shape characters. Themes authenticity creativity self‑reflection Mood introspective inspired Type creative reflective When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - creative workshops - character interviews Key Concepts character development inner life personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does personal experience enrich a character? - When might self‑focus limit a story? A Different Perspective May overlook broader perspectives if too self‑focused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [A work of fiction is conceived very much the same way as a dream occurs in the mind of a sleeper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-vanderbilt/a-work-of-fiction-is-conceived-very-much-the-same-way-as-a-dream/) [Gloria Vanderbilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-vanderbilt/) > [The strange and wonderful Book of Job treats of the same subject as we are discussing; its contents are a fiction, conceived for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/the-strange-and-wonderful-book-of-job-treats-of-the-same-subject-as/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [A work of fiction is conceived very much the same way as a dream occurs in the mind of a sleeper. 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I suppose it’s an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/long-before-i-wrote-stories-i-listened-for-stories-listening-for-them/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [Once you're into a story everything seems to apply-what you overhear on a city bus is exactly what your character would say on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/once-you-re-into-a-story-everything-seems-to-apply-what-you-overhear/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [“Two by two, I read library books as fast as I could go, rushing them home in the basket of my bicycle. 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