--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think a story should take as long to…" description: "\"I think a story should take as long to tell as it is appropriate to that particular story.\" — Frank Darabont" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/frank-darabont-27094_appropriate_i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-t_2906382.jpg" --- # I think a story should take as long to tell as it is… ![“I think a story should take as long to tell as it is appropriate to that particular story.” quote by Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/frank-darabont-27094_appropriate_i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-t_2906382.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/frank-darabont-27094_appropriate_i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-t_2906382.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/frank-darabont-27094_appropriate_i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-t_2906382.jpg) > “I think a story should take as long to tell as it is appropriate to that particular story.” [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A story should be told for as long as its content warrants, neither rushed nor overstretched. **In simple terms:** Tell a story for its appropriate length. Key Takeaway Match narrative length to story depth. Themes storytelling craft timing Mood thoughtful balanced Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - film scriptwriting - novel writing - public speaking - teaching - podcast production Key Concepts narrative pacing audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide the right length for a story? - What cues indicate a story is being overstretched? A Different Perspective Long stories can lose audience interest if not concise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appropriate/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-tell-4118151/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Particular Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular-story-1304972/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-long-934687/) [Tell Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-appropriate-4161633/) [Think Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-story/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“You say that about everything,” I complained, trailing after him. “Everything is a long story, too long to tell me. I suppose after two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/you-say-that-about-everything-i-complained-trailing-after-him/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [There’s no right way to tell all stories, only the right way to tell a particular story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/there-s-no-right-way-to-tell-all-stories-only-the-right-way-to-tell-a/) [Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/) > [I like to go into things, and I like to make the most bold choice to tell the particular story being told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-duke/i-like-to-go-into-things-and-i-like-to-make-the-most-bold-choice-to/) [Winston Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-duke/) > [If you can figure out where you fit into any particular story, you'll be okay. When you're not quite sure where you fit in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-mcginley/if-you-can-figure-out-where-you-fit-into-any-particular-story-you-ll/) [John C. McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-mcginley/) > [If you promise to stay long enough, I might tell you my biggest secret...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-mutolo/if-you-promise-to-stay-long-enough-i-might-tell-you-my-biggest-secret/) [Bella Mutolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-mutolo/) > [I think as long as I can tell you a story about people that you understand, it doesn't matter if you don't like what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-a-kemp/i-think-as-long-as-i-can-tell-you-a-story-about-people-that-you/) [Courtney A. Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-a-kemp/) > [How long before you tell the truth?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muse/how-long-before-you-tell-the-truth/) [Muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muse/) > [I had long wanted to write a love story, and I had long - wisely, I felt - shirked the challenge because I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/i-had-long-wanted-to-write-a-love-story-and-i-had-long-wisely-i-felt/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [I wanted to make a more Romanesque film that told a story over a long period of time - this one spans 45 years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christophe-honore/i-wanted-to-make-a-more-romanesque-film-that-told-a-story-over-a-long/) [Christophe Honore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christophe-honore/) > [The evolution of 'West Side Story' has been a long one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zegler/the-evolution-of-west-side-story-has-been-a-long-one/) [Rachel Zegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zegler/) > [My story is very long. And for somebody to write a good story, one needs a good writer, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dutee-chand/my-story-is-very-long-and-for-somebody-to-write-a-good-story-one/) [Dutee Chand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dutee-chand/) > [A 90-minute time frame is not long enough to tell a good female story, and that's why long-format television has become so great for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/a-90-minute-time-frame-is-not-long-enough-to-tell-a-good-female-story/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-story-of-your-life-is-the-story-of-the-long-and-brutal-assault-on/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [We've been told the same story for so long. We've seen literally 1,000 'Lord of the Rings' movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/we-ve-been-told-the-same-story-for-so-long-we-ve-seen-literally-1-000/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [“Holy crap! Your story was so long I forgot the beginning! - Ichigo Kurosaki”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tite-kubo/holy-crap-your-story-was-so-long-i-forgot-the-beginning-ichigo/) [Tite Kubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tite-kubo/) ## More by Frank Darabont > [A director shouldn't get in the way of the movie, the story should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/a-director-shouldn-t-get-in-the-way-of-the-movie-the-story-should/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [Boy, I'd hate to shoot on tape or disc or whatever the hell they're talking about. I love film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/boy-i-d-hate-to-shoot-on-tape-or-disc-or-whatever-the-hell-they-re/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [The Exorcist' is amazing because it recognizes that silences can be as powerful as sound effects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/the-exorcist-is-amazing-because-it-recognizes-that-silences-can-be-as/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [The human race is fundamentally insane. If you put two of us into a room together we're soon gonna start figuring out good reasons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/the-human-race-is-fundamentally-insane-if-you-put-two-of-us-into-a/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [I've never been a big fan of the music-video style of editing movies that crept in the last few decades. I like stuff that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/i-ve-never-been-a-big-fan-of-the-music-video-style-of-editing-movies/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [The only person who can, with impunity, make the movie he wants to make, has got to be Steven Spielberg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/the-only-person-who-can-with-impunity-make-the-movie-he-wants-to-make/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [I'd like to think that my films are personal enough to exist without hearkening back to their respective novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/i-d-like-to-think-that-my-films-are-personal-enough-to-exist-without/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [Stanley Kubrick was a big inspiration. People accuse me of never using my own material. But when did Kubrick? You look at his films…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/stanley-kubrick-was-a-big-inspiration-people-accuse-me-of-never-using/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [I spent 20 years of my career primarily being a writer for hire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/i-spent-20-years-of-my-career-primarily-being-a-writer-for-hire/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [I am fascinated with times past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/i-am-fascinated-with-times-past/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [And I don't think I'm giving away any secrets here, but there are a lot of terrible scripts in this town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/and-i-don-t-think-i-m-giving-away-any-secrets-here-but-there-are-a/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [One of my favorite movies of all time is 'It's A Wonderful Life,' which is a pretty interesting choice for a seasonal Christmas favorite,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/one-of-my-favorite-movies-of-all-time-is-it-s-a-wonderful-life-which/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [Visual storytelling of one kind or another has been around since cavemen were drawing on the walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/visual-storytelling-of-one-kind-or-another-has-been-around-since/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [Some of us have great original ideas and some of us depend on adaptations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/some-of-us-have-great-original-ideas-and-some-of-us-depend-on/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) > [If you're going to succeed, you've got to be like one of those punch-drunk fighters in the old Warner Bros. boxing pictures: too stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/if-you-re-going-to-succeed-you-ve-got-to-be-like-one-of-those-punch/) [Frank Darabont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) [Explore all 21 Frank Darabont quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/) ## More Appropriate quotes > [“Appropriate is overrated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-w-kohlhagen/appropriate-is-overrated/) [Steven W. Kohlhagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-w-kohlhagen/) > [I was for many years myself a journalist and it is not appropriate to say a programme should not be broadcast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-monckton/i-was-for-many-years-myself-a-journalist-and-it-is-not-appropriate-to/) [Christopher Monckton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-monckton/) > [I don't think 'This Means War' is an appropriate picture to do in 3-D.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mcg/i-don-t-think-this-means-war-is-an-appropriate-picture-to-do-in-3-d/) [McG](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mcg/) > [There is no single best kind of death. A good death is one that is "appropriate" for that person. It is a death in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-s-shneidman/there-is-no-single-best-kind-of-death-a-good-death-is-one-that-is/) [Edwin S. Shneidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-s-shneidman/) > [Persons who have cleansed themselves of any transgression and who have shown their ability to deal with homosexual inclinations and put them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/persons-who-have-cleansed-themselves-of-any-transgression-and-who/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [ \[T\]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between-man-and-man-ought-to-be-not/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [I would not, under any circumstances, try to impose my personal faith and belief on the rest of the country. I don't think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edwards/i-would-not-under-any-circumstances-try-to-impose-my-personal-faith/) [John Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edwards/) > [I have no policy, for or against: only a personal style. Which is to say, I use them when I think it's appropriate to;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/i-have-no-policy-for-or-against-only-a-personal-style-which-is-to-say/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [While the intelligence profession oftentimes demands secrecy, it is critically important that there be a full and open discourse on intelligence matters with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/while-the-intelligence-profession-oftentimes-demands-secrecy-it-is/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [Computer Science is a science of abstraction -creating the right model for a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-aho/computer-science-is-a-science-of-abstraction-creating-the-right-model/) [Alfred Aho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-aho/) > [For Father's Day, my kids always give me a bottle of cologne called English Leather. It's appropriate! To them I always smell like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/for-father-s-day-my-kids-always-give-me-a-bottle-of-cologne-called/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [As Mayor, I will fully support my Arts Commission and its professional selection committees so that they can commission a full range of public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-newsom/as-mayor-i-will-fully-support-my-arts-commission-and-its-professional/) [Gavin Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-newsom/) > [I'm very sensitive in real life. I cannot not cry if someone around me is crying. I will start to cry if someone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/i-m-very-sensitive-in-real-life-i-cannot-not-cry-if-someone-around-me/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [Hate demands existence, and he who hates has to show his hate in appropriate actions and behaviors; in a sense, he has to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frantz-fanon/hate-demands-existence-and-he-who-hates-has-to-show-his-hate-in/) [Frantz Fanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frantz-fanon/) > [A reader does not suddenly comprehend what is being read or studied, in a snap, miraculously. Comprehension needs to be worked forged, by those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/a-reader-does-not-suddenly-comprehend-what-is-being-read-or-studied/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) [Browse all 1,130 Appropriate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appropriate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think a story should take as long to tell as it is appropriate to that particular story.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Darabont" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-tell-as-it-is-appropriate-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appropriate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-tell-as-it-is-appropriate-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/frank-darabont-27094_appropriate_i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-t_2906382.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/frank-darabont-27094_appropriate_i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-t_2906382.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/frank-darabont-27094_appropriate_i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-t_2906382.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think a story should take as long to tell as it is appropriate to that particular story.” — Frank Darabont", "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": "Frank Darabont", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-darabont/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think a story should take...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-tell-as-it-is-appropriate-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-darabont/i-think-a-story-should-take-as-long-to-tell-as-it-is-appropriate-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 } } ] } ```