--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't tend to work directly from life…" description: "\"I don't tend to work directly from life, except in trying to mimic or match the outlines of its insanity. In other words, when I live through something..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/george-saunders-317_beautiful_i-don-t-tend-to-work-directly-from-life_817697.jpg" --- # I don't tend to work directly from life, except in trying… ![“I don't tend to work directly from life, except in trying to mimic or match the outlines of its insanity. In other words, when I live through something, I just try to say to myself, "OK, remember this - life is really this crazy or scary or beautiful or surprising - so try to 'get at' that in your…” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/george-saunders-317_beautiful_i-don-t-tend-to-work-directly-from-life_817697.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/george-saunders-317_beautiful_i-don-t-tend-to-work-directly-from-life_817697.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/george-saunders-317_beautiful_i-don-t-tend-to-work-directly-from-life_817697.jpg) > “I don't tend to work directly from life, except in trying to mimic or match the outlines of its insanity. In other words, when I live through something, I just try to say to myself, "OK, remember this - life is really this crazy or scary or beautiful or surprising - so try to 'get at' that in your stories.” [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observe life’s chaos and translate its emotional truth into fiction. **In simple terms:** Capture life’s wildness in stories. Key Takeaway Write from lived experience. Themes observation truth fiction Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - short stories - novels - teaching writing Key Concepts Emotional honesty creative synthesis Questions to Reflect On - What emotions do you prioritize? - How to balance truth and imagination? A Different Perspective Risk of over‑personalizing narrative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Insanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insanity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [This life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-life/) ## Related quotes > [I always work directly from life, partly because I really enjoy having an interaction with the person in front of me but also because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-mckenzie/i-always-work-directly-from-life-partly-because-i-really-enjoy-having/) [Mary Beth McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-mckenzie/) > [“What is this life which pervades the grandest as well as the minutest works of Nature, and which may fitly be said 'greater than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/what-is-this-life-which-pervades-the-grandest-as-well-as-the-minutest/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“As we men live and act, so do our arteries; so does blood; so do corpuscles. 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