--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...but there are stories that cannot…" description: "\"“...but there are stories that cannot begin at their beginning, and perhaps this is one of them.”\" — Félix J. Palma" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/f-lix-j-palma-11226_begin_but-there-are-stories-that-cannot-begin_1790993.png" --- # ...but there are stories that cannot begin at their… ![“...but there are stories that cannot begin at their beginning, and perhaps this is one of them.” quote by Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/f-lix-j-palma-11226_begin_but-there-are-stories-that-cannot-begin_1790993.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/f-lix-j-palma-11226_begin_but-there-are-stories-that-cannot-begin_1790993.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/f-lix-j-palma-11226_begin_but-there-are-stories-that-cannot-begin_1790993.png) > ““...but there are stories that cannot begin at their beginning, and perhaps this is one of them.”” [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Some narratives cannot start at the beginning; they unfold non‑linearly, reflecting complex storytelling. **In simple terms:** Stories may begin mid‑point. Key Takeaway Embrace nonlinear narratives. Themes storytelling structure complexity Mood intriguing reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading - writing - film analysis Key Concepts literature narrative theory Questions to Reflect On - How does this affect your engagement? - What benefits arise from non‑linear storytelling? A Different Perspective Non‑linear stories can confuse audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) ## Related quotes > [To begin, at the beginning...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/to-begin-at-the-beginning/) [Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/) > [“Begin at the beginning, go on until the end, then stop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/begin-at-the-beginning-go-on-until-the-end-then-stop/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Where shall we begin? There is no beginning. Start where you arrive. Stop before what entices you. And work! You will enter little by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auguste-rodin/where-shall-we-begin-there-is-no-beginning-start-where-you-arrive/) [Auguste Rodin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auguste-rodin/) > [Begin whatever you have to do: the beginning of a work stands for the whole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/decimius-magnus-ausonius/begin-whatever-you-have-to-do-the-beginning-of-a-work-stands-for-the/) [Decimius Magnus Ausonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/decimius-magnus-ausonius/) > [I have so much to say to you. I want to begin at the beginning, because that is what you deserve. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-have-so-much-to-say-to-you-i-want-to-begin-at-the-beginning-because/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“Begin at the beginning," I said, "and go on till you come to the end. Then stop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/begin-at-the-beginning-i-said-and-go-on-till-you-come-to-the-end-then/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [We all learned in kindergarten that the beginning is a very good place to start. As we have this debate on illegal immigration and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-blackburn/we-all-learned-in-kindergarten-that-the-beginning-is-a-very-good/) [Marsha Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-blackburn/) > [“A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/a-mother-is-always-the-beginning-she-is-how-things-begin/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [When you listen to other women’s stories, you begin to understand your own better, and you begin to find ways back through and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/when-you-listen-to-other-women-s-stories-you-begin-to-understand-your/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [All true stories begin and end in a cemetery" - The Shadow of the Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/all-true-stories-begin-and-end-in-a-cemetery-the-shadow-of-the-wind/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“Many stories begin with a dream, but it is rare when the dream is the story itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-m-randall/many-stories-begin-with-a-dream-but-it-is-rare-when-the-dream-is-the/) K.M. Randall > [My stories often begin with a situation or character rather than an insight about the human condition. It's always been difficult for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/my-stories-often-begin-with-a-situation-or-character-rather-than-an/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [Once upon a time – for that is how all stories should begin – there was a boy who lost his mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/once-upon-a-time-for-that-is-how-all-stories-should-begin-there-was-a/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [“I met a girl… Isn’t that how the best stories begin?” “Yes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-scott/i-met-a-girl-isn-t-that-how-the-best-stories-begin-yes/) [Emma Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-scott/) > [“All true stories begin and end in a cemetery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/all-true-stories-begin-and-end-in-a-cemetery/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) ## More by Félix J. Palma > [“It might even teach Murray that while finding true love was one of the most wonderful things that could happen to you in life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/it-might-even-teach-murray-that-while-finding-true-love-was-one-of/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“And so everything depends on you, Bertie. Bishop or rook. Your life or mine. Do what you believe you have to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/and-so-everything-depends-on-you-bertie-bishop-or-rook-your-life-or/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“...for what was time if there was no one to measure it, if there was nothing to experience its passing? Time cold only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/for-what-was-time-if-there-was-no-one-to-measure-it-if-there-was/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“My good manners prevent me from answering that, Mr. Gilmore, and my honesty from lying. Draw your own conclusions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/my-good-manners-prevent-me-from-answering-that-mr-gilmore-and-my/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [Time is a river sweeping away all that is born towards the darkest shore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/time-is-a-river-sweeping-away-all-that-is-born-towards-the-darkest/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“The whole world was no more than the precise length of each moment that separated them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/the-whole-world-was-no-more-than-the-precise-length-of-each-moment/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“It was the gaze of a person who yearns for something and refuses to believe it will never be hers, because hope is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/it-was-the-gaze-of-a-person-who-yearns-for-something-and-refuses-to/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“There is little more I can add short of dissecting the man, or going into intimate details such as the modest proportions and slight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/there-is-little-more-i-can-add-short-of-dissecting-the-man-or-going/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“And hearing her breathe softly by his side, Wells understood that, as so often happened, his wife knew what he wanted so much better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/and-hearing-her-breathe-softly-by-his-side-wells-understood-that-as/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [The paths that we choose don't always take us where we want to go. Sometimes they take us where we need to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/the-paths-that-we-choose-don-t-always-take-us-where-we-want-to-go/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [I don't think traveling back in time on an empty stomach is a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/i-don-t-think-traveling-back-in-time-on-an-empty-stomach-is-a-good/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“Ultimately it was man's limited senses which established the boundaries of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/ultimately-it-was-man-s-limited-senses-which-established-the/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“That is why I need you to take into account the elasticity of time, its ability to expand or contract like an accordion regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/that-is-why-i-need-you-to-take-into-account-the-elasticity-of-time/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [Somehow this literary genre, which most people condemned, acted as a sort of counterbalance to Charles's soul; it was the ballast that prevented him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/somehow-this-literary-genre-which-most-people-condemned-acted-as-a/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [He had learned from experience that what he succeeded in putting down on paper was only ever a pale reflection of what he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/he-had-learned-from-experience-that-what-he-succeeded-in-putting-down/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) [Explore all 54 Félix J. Palma quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) ## More Begin quotes > [If you wanted to put the world to rights, who should you begin with: yourself or others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-you-wanted-to-put-the-world-to-rights-who-should-you-begin-with/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“Let the motherfucking games begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-mchugh/let-the-motherfucking-games-begin/) [Gail McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-mchugh/) > [“Begin as you mean to go on, and go on as you began, and let the Lord be all in all to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/begin-as-you-mean-to-go-on-and-go-on-as-you-began-and-let-the-lord-be/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [The world will only begin to have faith in you when you do too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/the-world-will-only-begin-to-have-faith-in-you-when-you-do-too/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [The idea with a collection is sort of to begin with a kind of bang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/the-idea-with-a-collection-is-sort-of-to-begin-with-a-kind-of-bang/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [“Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you high. People who are gentle, humble and able always have a great ending no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/humble-yourself-before-the-lord-and-he-will-lift-you-high-people-who/) [israelmore ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Just begin and the mind grows heated; continue, and the task will be completed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/just-begin-and-the-mind-grows-heated-continue-and-the-task-will-be/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Quitters don’t gain what they have started working on; waiters don’t start what they could have gained. What is common there is failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/quitters-don-t-gain-what-they-have-started-working-on-waiters-don-t/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-akin/i-don-t-know-the-future-i-didn-t-come-here-to-tell-you-how-this-is/) [Todd Akin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-akin/) > [The public should begin to understand that there's nothing that comes out of this campaign, or this Obama White House, that they can believe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/the-public-should-begin-to-understand-that-there-s-nothing-that-comes/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [“A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/a-mother-is-always-the-beginning-she-is-how-things-begin/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [I look forward to the day that a lot of the folks that you all talk about and cover on this network will begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-look-forward-to-the-day-that-a-lot-of-the-folks-that-you-all-talk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“...I'd be interested in any tips you have for somebody starting out.” “Uh-huh,” I said, looking out the window. I decided, as we drove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/i-d-be-interested-in-any-tips-you-have-for-somebody-starting-out-uh/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [I'm Irish and always will be, but America has taught me so much. Maybe it's here in the U.S. that we find a healing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fionnula-flanagan/i-m-irish-and-always-will-be-but-america-has-taught-me-so-much-maybe/) [Fionnula Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fionnula-flanagan/) > [Begin where you are. Read every word, every phrase, every paragraph of the mind, as it operates through thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/begin-where-you-are-read-every-word-every-phrase-every-paragraph-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) Browse all 1,199 Begin quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...but there are stories that cannot begin at their beginning, and perhaps this is one of them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Félix J. 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