--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Have a story. And make sure it’s a good…" description: "\"“Have a story. And make sure it’s a good one. A DAMN good one.”\" — Hugh MacLeod" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/hugh-macleod-24576_damn-good_have-a-story-and-make-sure-it-s-a-good-o_103438.jpg" --- # Have a story. And make sure it’s a good one. A DAMN good… ![“Have a story. And make sure it’s a good one. A DAMN good one.” quote by Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/hugh-macleod-24576_damn-good_have-a-story-and-make-sure-it-s-a-good-o_103438.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/hugh-macleod-24576_damn-good_have-a-story-and-make-sure-it-s-a-good-o_103438.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/hugh-macleod-24576_damn-good_have-a-story-and-make-sure-it-s-a-good-o_103438.jpg) > ““Have a story. And make sure it’s a good one. A DAMN good one.”” [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A compelling narrative must be authentic and engaging; the quality of a story determines its impact and memorability. **In simple terms:** Tell a genuinely great story. Key Takeaway Story quality matters. Themes storytelling creativity communication authenticity Mood inspirational confident Type motivational advice When to use this quote - marketing pitches - personal branding - teaching - public speaking Key Concepts narrative resonance audience connection Practical Applications - focus on clear, vivid details - test story with peers for feedback Questions to Reflect On - What makes a story feel “damn good” to you? - How can you gauge if your story truly resonates? A Different Perspective A “good” story is subjective; what resonates with one audience may fall flat with another. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [“You couldn't ever really fix a sad story. You could only make another. And another. And another, until you found the right one at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-couldn-t-ever-really-fix-a-sad-story-you-could-only-make-another/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“Life is a story--make yours a bestseller.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-goodwill/life-is-a-story-make-yours-a-bestseller/) Maria Goodwill > [Readers want a story, not a pattern. It's the specifics of a story that make it really ping our various reader radars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/readers-want-a-story-not-a-pattern-it-s-the-specifics-of-a-story-that/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [“It sounds nicer than it seems in the book," she would say. "I never cared about Mary, Queen of Scots, before, and I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/it-sounds-nicer-than-it-seems-in-the-book-she-would-say-i-never-cared/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [If you've a story, make sure it's a whole one, with details close to hand. It's the difference between a good lie and getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/if-you-ve-a-story-make-sure-it-s-a-whole-one-with-details-close-to/) [Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/) > [I think there's a natural link between the fact that our self is a story that we make up and that we're drawn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-think-there-s-a-natural-link-between-the-fact-that-our-self-is-a/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“She tells me life is a story. We can make it a Harlequin romance, a mistery, a memoir. We can make it pamphlet-size or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kacvinsky/she-tells-me-life-is-a-story-we-can-make-it-a-harlequin-romance-a/) [Katie Kacvinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kacvinsky/) > [You don't have to have a true story to make a true story movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-coen/you-don-t-have-to-have-a-true-story-to-make-a-true-story-movie/) [Ethan Coen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-coen/) > [“Never settle for half the story, and make-up and imagine the rest. Get the full Story!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rycj/never-settle-for-half-the-story-and-make-up-and-imagine-the-rest-get/) Rycj > [“Why would you save me? Because you, mouse, can tell Gregory a story. Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/why-would-you-save-me-because-you-mouse-can-tell-gregory-a-story/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [“Your life is your story, so make choices that will write it the way you want it to be written”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-stonex/your-life-is-your-story-so-make-choices-that-will-write-it-the-way/) Brooke Stonex > [Sometimes you know the story. Sometimes you make it up as you go along and have no idea how it will come out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/sometimes-you-know-the-story-sometimes-you-make-it-up-as-you-go-along/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Every song is a long process. First I have to write a story for it, and then to make it into a song, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonita-alizadeh/every-song-is-a-long-process-first-i-have-to-write-a-story-for-it-and/) [Sonita Alizadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonita-alizadeh/) > [Self-trust is so important. When you launch on a story, make your neck loose, feel free, good-natured. And be lazy. Feel that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-ueland/self-trust-is-so-important-when-you-launch-on-a-story-make-your-neck/) [Brenda Ueland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-ueland/) > [Ghosts are a metaphor that can be interpreted so many different ways. There's no ending to what you can do. You can make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/ghosts-are-a-metaphor-that-can-be-interpreted-so-many-different-ways/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) ## More by Hugh MacLeod > [“Good ideas come with a heavy burden. Which is why so few people have them. So few people can handle it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/good-ideas-come-with-a-heavy-burden-which-is-why-so-few-people-have/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“You do not own the molecules. They are stardust. They belong to God. What you do own is your soul. Nobody can take that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/you-do-not-own-the-molecules-they-are-stardust-they-belong-to-god/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“Art suffers the moment other people start paying for it. The more you need the money, the more people will tell you what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/art-suffers-the-moment-other-people-start-paying-for-it-the-more-you/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“The only people who can change the world are people who want to. And not everybody does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/the-only-people-who-can-change-the-world-are-people-who-want-to-and/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“THE SEX & CASH THEORY - The creative person basically has two kinds of jobs: One is the sexy, creative kind. Second is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/the-sex-cash-theory-the-creative-person-basically-has-two-kinds-of/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“Art suffers the moment other people start paying for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/art-suffers-the-moment-other-people-start-paying-for-it/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“They're only crayons. You didn't fear them in Kindergarten, why fear them now?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/they-re-only-crayons-you-didn-t-fear-them-in-kindergarten-why-fear/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kidergarten. Then wen you hit puberty they take te crayons away and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/everyone-is-born-creative-everyone-is-given-a-box-of-crayons-in-2/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“Part of being a Master is learning how to sing in nobody else's voice but your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/part-of-being-a-master-is-learning-how-to-sing-in-nobody-else-s-voice/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“If you try to make something just to fit your uninformed view of some hypothetical market, you will fail. If you make something special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/if-you-try-to-make-something-just-to-fit-your-uninformed-view-of-some/) [Hugh Macleod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“..The stuff you learn beforehand will never be one-tenth as useful as the stuff you learn the hard way, on the job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/the-stuff-you-learn-beforehand-will-never-be-one-tenth-as-useful-as/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“...the best Evil Plan offers something much more for people--a chance to buy into an idea that matters, and share it with people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/the-best-evil-plan-offers-something-much-more-for-people-a-chance-to/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“YOU DON’T KNOW IF YOUR IDEA IS ANY GOOD the moment it’s created. Neither does anyone else. The most you can hope for is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/you-don-t-know-if-your-idea-is-any-good-the-moment-it-s-created/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“Stuff designed to make them sound clever and make us part with our money. Which is fine, but their shtick isn’t the whole story.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/stuff-designed-to-make-them-sound-clever-and-make-us-part-with-our/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) > [“The sovereignty you have over your work will inspire far more people than the actual content ever will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/the-sovereignty-you-have-over-your-work-will-inspire-far-more-people/) [Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) [Explore all 22 Hugh MacLeod quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/) ## More Damn good quotes > [“Eventually, Edgard said, “She doesn’t know anything about me. Not even that we were roping partners. Not that we were…” He looked at Trevor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorelei-james/eventually-edgard-said-she-doesn-t-know-anything-about-me-not-even/) [Lorelei James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorelei-james/) > [“Writing is like a relationship. When it is good, it is damn good; when it is bad, you contemplate murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevea-lane/writing-is-like-a-relationship-when-it-is-good-it-is-damn-good-when/) Nevea Lane > [Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/learning-to-read-music-in-braille-and-play-by-ear-helped-me-develop-a/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [“There is no other way," she insisted. "Nothing else but to use you as bait? Madness!" "Don't make me say it." "Say what?" Wolf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-litton/there-is-no-other-way-she-insisted-nothing-else-but-to-use-you-as/) [Josie Litton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-litton/) > [Ana come on, I thought we had a damn good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/broken-soul/ana-come-on-i-thought-we-had-a-damn-good-thing/) [Broken Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/broken-soul/) > [“I'm not usually good, but when i am, i'm goddamn good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-m-not-usually-good-but-when-i-am-i-m-goddamn-good/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Once you realize just the sort of glut of books that exists out there, it does become incumbent on you not to add to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/once-you-realize-just-the-sort-of-glut-of-books-that-exists-out-there/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [I've got a bottle and a girl who's fourteen and a damn good case of Mexicali Blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grateful-dead/i-ve-got-a-bottle-and-a-girl-who-s-fourteen-and-a-damn-good-case-of/) [Grateful Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grateful-dead/) > [I'm no genius, but I'm a damn good football coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/i-m-no-genius-but-i-m-a-damn-good-football-coach/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [I am quite happy that the Beatles came and went. There is even a sort of glory in not having it go on forever.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/i-am-quite-happy-that-the-beatles-came-and-went-there-is-even-a-sort/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [“Green Day is like sex. When we good we're really good! When we're bad... we're still pretty damn good!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dirnt/green-day-is-like-sex-when-we-good-we-re-really-good-when-we-re-bad/) [Mike Dirnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dirnt/) > [“Why," he panted into Danny's neck, "why's it so goddamn good?" He was surprised at how full his voice sounded, so close to overflowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-mckinley/why-he-panted-into-danny-s-neck-why-s-it-so-goddamn-good-he-was/) [Brooke McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-mckinley/) > [You saw him standing out there, and you knew you had a pretty damn good chance to win the baseball game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-ruffing/you-saw-him-standing-out-there-and-you-knew-you-had-a-pretty-damn/) Red Ruffing > [As soon as we start putting our thoughts into words and sentences everything gets distorted, language is just no damn good—I use it because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/as-soon-as-we-start-putting-our-thoughts-into-words-and-sentences/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [“Because his words might be a line, but it’s a damn good line.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-marie/because-his-words-might-be-a-line-but-it-s-a-damn-good-line/) Jordan Marie Browse all 275 Damn good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Have a story. 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