--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What really happens is that the…" description: "\"What really happens is that the story-maker proves a successful 'sub-creator'. He makes a Secondary World which your mind can enter. Inside it, what he..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/j-r-r-tolkien-2-1316_accord_what-really-happens-is-that-the-story-ma_710528.png" --- # What really happens is that the story-maker proves a… ![“What really happens is that the story-maker proves a successful 'sub-creator'. He makes a Secondary World which your mind can enter. Inside it, what he relates is 'true': it accords with the laws of that world. You therefore believe it, while you are, as it were, inside. The moment disbelief…” quote by J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/j-r-r-tolkien-2-1316_accord_what-really-happens-is-that-the-story-ma_710528.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/j-r-r-tolkien-2-1316_accord_what-really-happens-is-that-the-story-ma_710528.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/j-r-r-tolkien-2-1316_accord_what-really-happens-is-that-the-story-ma_710528.png) > “What really happens is that the story-maker proves a successful 'sub-creator'. He makes a Secondary World which your mind can enter. Inside it, what he relates is 'true': it accords with the laws of that world. You therefore believe it, while you are, as it were, inside. The moment disbelief arises, the spell is broken; the magic, or rather art, has failed. You are then out in the Primary World again, looking at the little abortive Secondary World from outside.” [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A creator builds a believable secondary world that immerses the mind, but belief collapses when contradictions appear, ending the illusion. **In simple terms:** Storytellers craft worlds that feel real until they break internal logic. Key Takeaway Maintain internal consistency to keep audience engaged. Themes storytelling worldbuilding belief illusion consistency Mood intrigued critical analytical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - novel writing - role‑playing games - film scriptwriting - educational storytelling Key Concepts narrative immersion suspension of disbelief secondary reality Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your world’s rules stay consistent? - What signs indicate a story’s immersion is failing? A Different Perspective If the world’s rules are unclear, the audience will disengage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accord/) [Arise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arise/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Creator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creator/) [Disbelief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disbelief/) [Disbelief Arises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disbelief-arises-2991091/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Happens Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens-story-2386511/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Makers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makers/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Primaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primaries/) [Prove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prove/) [Relate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relate/) [Secondary World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secondary-world-391042/) [Spells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spells/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Children are capable, of course, of literary belief , when the story-maker's art is good enough to produce it. 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Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/the-lord-of-the-rings-is-of-course-a-fundamentally-religious-and/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [I have no help to send, therefore I must go myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/i-have-no-help-to-send-therefore-i-must-go-myself/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Many are the strange chances of the world, and help oft shall come from the hands of the weak when the Wise falter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/many-are-the-strange-chances-of-the-world-and-help-oft-shall-come/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Mind your P's and Q's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/mind-your-p-s-and-q-s/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [If you're going to have a complicated story you must work to a map; otherwise you'll never make a map of it afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/if-you-re-going-to-have-a-complicated-story-you-must-work-to-a-map/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Outside the ring of dancing warriors with spears and axes stood wolves at a respectful distance, watching and waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/outside-the-ring-of-dancing-warriors-with-spears-and-axes-stood/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [You have to understand the good in things, to detect the real evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/you-have-to-understand-the-good-in-things-to-detect-the-real-evil/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [The mind that thought of light, heavy, grey, yellow, still, swift, also conceived of magic that would make heavy things light and able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/the-mind-that-thought-of-light-heavy-grey-yellow-still-swift-also/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) [Explore all 252 J. R. R. Tolkien quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) ## More Accord quotes > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. 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So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/i-m-not-here-to-grant-you-the-extraordinary-love-you-never-had-for/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [It is a misfortune that necessity has induced men to accord greater license to this formidable engine, in order to obtain liberty, than can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/it-is-a-misfortune-that-necessity-has-induced-men-to-accord-greater/) [James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/) > [Life is a cutup. And to pretend that you write or paint in a timeless vacuum is just simply . . . not .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/life-is-a-cutup-and-to-pretend-that-you-write-or-paint-in-a-timeless/) [William S. 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