--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing a story or a novel is one way of…" description: "\"Writing a story or a novel is one way of discovering sequence in experience, of stumbling upon cause and effect in the happenings of a writer's own lif..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/eudora-welty-1564_books_writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of_3101152.png" --- # Writing a story or a novel is one way of discovering… ![“Writing a story or a novel is one way of discovering sequence in experience, of stumbling upon cause and effect in the happenings of a writer's own life.” quote by Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/eudora-welty-1564_books_writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of_3101152.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/eudora-welty-1564_books_writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of_3101152.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/eudora-welty-1564_books_writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of_3101152.png) > “Writing a story or a novel is one way of discovering sequence in experience, of stumbling upon cause and effect in the happenings of a writer's own life.” [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. Writing helps uncover personal patterns and cause‑effect relationships in one's own experiences. **In simple terms:** Writing reveals personal patterns. Key Takeaway Write to understand yourself. Themes self‑discovery creativity reflection Mood introspective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - journaling - novel writing - therapy sessions Key Concepts narrative structure psychology Questions to Reflect On - What patterns emerge when you write? - How does storytelling shape memory? A Different Perspective Writing may impose artificial narratives on messy life events. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cause and effect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-and-effect/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Story Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-novel-2319392/) [Writer Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-life/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-story/) ## Related quotes > [“Writing a story or a novel is one way of discovering sequence in experience, of stumbling upon cause and effect in the happenings of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of-discovering-sequence-in/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [In a general sense, to convert any short story, novel, play, or opera into a movie, you have to re-rig it. Even though they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/in-a-general-sense-to-convert-any-short-story-novel-play-or-opera/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [“A story, whether it be novel, short fiction, screenplay, play or poetry or any form of non-fiction, is like an ecosystem in which everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-binks/a-story-whether-it-be-novel-short-fiction-screenplay-play-or-poetry/) [Andrew Binks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-binks/) > [It's difficult for me to have a large story, a very large story - a novel is a large story. I'm used to writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/it-s-difficult-for-me-to-have-a-large-story-a-very-large-story-a/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I've made the decision to adhere to three general truths when it comes to my novels: There will be a love-story element to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-ve-made-the-decision-to-adhere-to-three-general-truths-when-it/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I never know exactly where I'm going with a story, whether it's a short story or a novel. If I did I'd soon grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-royle/i-never-know-exactly-where-i-m-going-with-a-story-whether-it-s-a/) [Nicholas Royle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-royle/) > [I think a good story can do as much as a novel; not the exact same thing, of course, but just as much artistically.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/i-think-a-good-story-can-do-as-much-as-a-novel-not-the-exact-same/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [Your life story is a novel; and people, though they love novels wound between two yellow paper covers, are oddly suspicious of those which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/your-life-story-is-a-novel-and-people-though-they-love-novels-wound/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“This is a work of fiction, which, contrary to what any reader paying attention to recent events might assume, I began writing more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-jordan-lake/this-is-a-work-of-fiction-which-contrary-to-what-any-reader-paying/) [Joy Jordan-Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-jordan-lake/) > [I do think a good story in a novel is fair game and there's nothing wrong with adapting that. It sometimes gets a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/i-do-think-a-good-story-in-a-novel-is-fair-game-and-there-s-nothing/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [“Nearly every writer writes a book with a great amount of attention and intention and hopes and dreams. And it's important to take that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sharples/nearly-every-writer-writes-a-book-with-a-great-amount-of-attention/) [Madeline Sharples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sharples/) > [“Life gives us struggles first and reward later. And as a writer my life's purpose is to write and tell stories. Some people encourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/life-gives-us-struggles-first-and-reward-later-and-as-a-writer-my/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [“The writer’s life requires courage, patience, empathy, openness. It requires the ability to be alone with oneself. Gentle with oneself. To be disciplined, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/the-writer-s-life-requires-courage-patience-empathy-openness-it/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“I had been a writer all of my life, every waking second, and now that part of my life was over. I suppose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-greer/i-had-been-a-writer-all-of-my-life-every-waking-second-and-now-that/) [Bonnie Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-greer/) ## More by Eudora Welty > [“She (my mother) could still recite them (the poems) in full when she was lying helpless and nearly blind, in her bed, an old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/she-my-mother-could-still-recite-them-the-poems-in-full-when-she-was/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [Long before I wrote stories, I listened for stories. Listening for them is something more acute than listening to them. 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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Children were allowed to go without chaperone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/all-children-in-those-small-town-unhurried-days-had-a-vast-inner-life/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [“At the sting in her eyes, she remembered for him that there must be no tears in his.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/at-the-sting-in-her-eyes-she-remembered-for-him-that-there-must-be-no/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [“We do need to bring to our writing, over and over again, all the abundance we possess. To be able, to be ready, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/we-do-need-to-bring-to-our-writing-over-and-over-again-all-the/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [“Could she ever be, would she be, where she was going?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/could-she-ever-be-would-she-be-where-she-was-going/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [“When one of us (children) caught measles or whooping cough and we were isolated in bad upstairs, we wrote notes to each other perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/when-one-of-us-children-caught-measles-or-whooping-cough-and-we-were/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [“She (my mother) stood always prepared in herself to challenge the world in our place. She did indeed tend to make the world look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/she-my-mother-stood-always-prepared-in-herself-to-challenge-the-world/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [“For there is hate as well as love, she supposed, in the coming together and continuing of our lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/for-there-is-hate-as-well-as-love-she-supposed-in-the-coming-together/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [“In children's art class we sat in a ring of kindergarten chairs and drew three daffodils that had just been picked out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/in-children-s-art-class-we-sat-in-a-ring-of-kindergarten-chairs-and/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [People are mostly layers of violence and tenderness wrapped like bulbs, and it is difficult to say what makes them onions or hyacinths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/people-are-mostly-layers-of-violence-and-tenderness-wrapped-like/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) [Explore all 227 Eudora Welty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) ## More Books 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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing a story or a novel is one way of discovering sequence in experience, of stumbling upon cause and effect in the happenings of a writer's own life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eudora Welty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of-discovering-sequence-in-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of-discovering-sequence-in-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/eudora-welty-1564_books_writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of_3101152.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/eudora-welty-1564_books_writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of_3101152.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/eudora-welty-1564_books_writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of_3101152.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing a story or a novel is one way of discovering sequence in experience, of stumbling upon cause and…” — Eudora Welty", "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": "Eudora Welty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Writing a story or a novel...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of-discovering-sequence-in-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/writing-a-story-or-a-novel-is-one-way-of-discovering-sequence-in-2/#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 } } ] } ```