Creative process Quote by Graham Greene
“A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Uses of the Novel, Graham Greene, 1949
Narratives are framed by the moment we choose to start or end, emphasizing that stories are defined by perspective rather than fixed boundaries.
In simple terms: Stories depend on chosen viewpoint.
Key Takeaway
Choose your perspective wisely.
Themes
storytelling
time
perspective
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- writing
- memory
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
narrative theory
philosophy of history
Questions to Reflect On
- What moment defines your personal story?
- How does shifting perspective change a narrative?
A Different Perspective
Perspective can limit understanding.
![“[A]lways get to the dialogue as soon as possible. I always feel the thing to go for is speed. Nothing puts the reader off more than a big slab of prose at the start." (Interview, The Paris Review , Issue 64, Winter 1975)” quote by P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/989/p-g-wodehouse-723_communication_a-lways-get-to-the-dialogue-as-soon-as-p_13316.jpg)
