--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a rule, anyone who can tell a good…" description: "\"As a rule, anyone who can tell a good story can write one, so there really need be no mistake about his qualification; such a man will be careful not t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/james-payn-23169_be-careful_as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-sto_1140987.png" --- # As a rule, anyone who can tell a good story can write one… ![“As a rule, anyone who can tell a good story can write one, so there really need be no mistake about his qualification; such a man will be careful not to be wearisome, and to keep his point, or his catastrophe, well in hand.” quote by James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/james-payn-23169_be-careful_as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-sto_1140987.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/james-payn-23169_be-careful_as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-sto_1140987.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/james-payn-23169_be-careful_as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-sto_1140987.png) > “As a rule, anyone who can tell a good story can write one, so there really need be no mistake about his qualification; such a man will be careful not to be wearisome, and to keep his point, or his catastrophe, well in hand.” [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good storytellers can also write well; they avoid boring the audience and keep their narrative focused. **In simple terms:** Storytellers make good writers; stay concise and focused. Key Takeaway Focus on clear, engaging storytelling. Themes writing storytelling clarity Mood thoughtful instructive Type advice literary When to use this quote - novel writing - public speaking - teaching - content creation Key Concepts Narrative control audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your story remains engaging? - What techniques keep a narrative concise? A Different Perspective Even good storytellers can become verbose if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be careful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-careful/) [Careful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careful/) [Catastrophe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catastrophe/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Good story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-story/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Man Careful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-careful-474231/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Qualification Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualification-man-3181074/) [Qualifications](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualifications/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-write/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Write Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-really/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“It may be said without qualification that every man is as holy and as full of the Spirit as he wants to be. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/it-may-be-said-without-qualification-that-every-man-is-as-holy-and-as/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [A man is never careful until he buys a brand new car or a white shirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercy-pheona/a-man-is-never-careful-until-he-buys-a-brand-new-car-or-a-white-shirt/) [Mercy Pheona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercy-pheona/) > [A man can't be too careful in the choice of his enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-man-can-t-be-too-careful-in-the-choice-of-his-enemies/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“I came to understand that my father was a careful man. To be careful with people and with words was a rare and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/i-came-to-understand-that-my-father-was-a-careful-man-to-be-careful/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [A man should be careful never to tell tales of himself to his own disadvantage. People may be amused at the time, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-should-be-careful-never-to-tell-tales-of-himself-to-his-own/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [A man too careful of danger liveth in continual torment, But a cheerful expecter of the best hath a fountain of joy within him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-farquhar-tupper/a-man-too-careful-of-danger-liveth-in-continual-torment-but-a/) [Martin Farquhar Tupper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-farquhar-tupper/) > [“And loved my father too, for the careful way he spoke. I came to understand that my father was a careful man. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-loved-my-father-too-for-the-careful-way-he-spoke-i-came-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A man who is careful with his palate is not likely to be careless with his paragraphs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/a-man-who-is-careful-with-his-palate-is-not-likely-to-be-careless/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [With any story I write, I could actually write it from three or four different perspectives, which would end with a completely different moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/with-any-story-i-write-i-could-actually-write-it-from-three-or-four/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) > [Write the best story that you can and write it as straight as you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/write-the-best-story-that-you-can-and-write-it-as-straight-as-you-can/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“You would have to abandon the jig-saw kind of story and write a book about human beings for a change.’ ‘I’m afraid to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/you-would-have-to-abandon-the-jig-saw-kind-of-story-and-write-a-book/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [If you don't like someone's story, write your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/if-you-don-t-like-someone-s-story-write-your-own/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [When I finally write the first sentence, I want to know everything that happens, so that I am not inventing the story as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/when-i-finally-write-the-first-sentence-i-want-to-know-everything/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Anything you write, even if you have to start over, is valuable. I let the story write itself through the characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/anything-you-write-even-if-you-have-to-start-over-is-valuable-i-let/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I don't really decide what the core of the story is before I write. I write to figure out what the story is. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-don-t-really-decide-what-the-core-of-the-story-is-before-i-write-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) ## More by James Payn > [How large and varied is the educational bill of fare set before every young gentleman in Great Britain; and to judge by the mental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/how-large-and-varied-is-the-educational-bill-of-fare-set-before-every/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [I never had a piece of toast particularly long and wide, But fell upon the sanded floor, And always on the buttered side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/i-never-had-a-piece-of-toast-particularly-long-and-wide-but-fell-upon/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [The fact is, if a young man is naturally indolent, the spur of necessity will drive him but a very little way, while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/the-fact-is-if-a-young-man-is-naturally-indolent-the-spur-of/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [It has often struck me that the relation of two important members of the social body to one another has never been sufficiently considered,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/it-has-often-struck-me-that-the-relation-of-two-important-members-of/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [But, on the other hand, the occasional and precarious dripping of coppers has by no means a genial effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/but-on-the-other-hand-the-occasional-and-precarious-dripping-of/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [It is quite extraordinary how very various are the opinions entertained on this point, and, before sifting them, one must be careful in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/it-is-quite-extraordinary-how-very-various-are-the-opinions/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [A nobler example, because a less personal one, of the pinch of poverty, is when it prevents the accomplishment of some cherished scheme for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/a-nobler-example-because-a-less-personal-one-of-the-pinch-of-poverty/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [One forgives the critic - perhaps - but never the good-natured friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/one-forgives-the-critic-perhaps-but-never-the-good-natured-friend/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [One would think that in writing about literary men and matters there would be no difficulty in finding a title for one's essay, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/one-would-think-that-in-writing-about-literary-men-and-matters-there/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [For my part, I do not much believe in the predilections of boyhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/for-my-part-i-do-not-much-believe-in-the-predilections-of-boyhood/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [Nature of course is the best guide in the matter of choosing a pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/nature-of-course-is-the-best-guide-in-the-matter-of-choosing-a-pursuit/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [Some Critics on the Hearth are not only good-natured, but have rather too high, or, if that is impossible, let us say too pronounced,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/some-critics-on-the-hearth-are-not-only-good-natured-but-have-rather/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [And what holds good of verse holds infinitely better in respect to prose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/and-what-holds-good-of-verse-holds-infinitely-better-in-respect-to/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [It is better, however, for his own reputation that the story-teller should risk a few actions for libel on account of these unfortunate coincidences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/it-is-better-however-for-his-own-reputation-that-the-story-teller/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) > [The idea of bringing young people up to Literature is doubtless calculated to raise the eyebrows almost as much as the suggestion of bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/the-idea-of-bringing-young-people-up-to-literature-is-doubtless/) [James Payn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) [Explore all 26 James Payn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/) ## More Be careful quotes > [Be careful. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to the worst Spanish student in the history of the language.” I laughed. “No problemo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/be-careful-i-wouldn-t-want-anything-to-happen-to-the-worst-spanish/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [If I held all the thoughts of the world in my hand, I would be careful not to open it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-le-bovier-de-fontenelle/if-i-held-all-the-thoughts-of-the-world-in-my-hand-i-would-be-careful/) [Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-le-bovier-de-fontenelle/) > [You've got to be careful against classy fighters, especially counter-punchers because if you go for the finish too early, you can end up getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-froch/you-ve-got-to-be-careful-against-classy-fighters-especially-counter/) [Carl Froch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-froch/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have to be careful to get out before I become the grotesque caricature of a hatchet-faced woman with big knockers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/i-have-to-be-careful-to-get-out-before-i-become-the-grotesque/) [Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/) > [Our communications reflect in our countenance. Therefore, we must be careful not only what we communicate, but also how we do so. Souls can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-lionel-kendrick/our-communications-reflect-in-our-countenance-therefore-we-must-be/) [L. Lionel Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-lionel-kendrick/) > [Well sometimes, culture can stifle talent, so you have to be careful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-williams/well-sometimes-culture-can-stifle-talent-so-you-have-to-be-careful/) [Monty Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-williams/) > [And so we have to be careful with looking at additional stimulus that we don't provoke an increase in the bond rate and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-raines/and-so-we-have-to-be-careful-with-looking-at-additional-stimulus-that/) [Franklin Raines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-raines/) > [Be careful who you might trust the Devil was once an angel too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-careful-who-you-might-trust-the-devil-was-once-an-angel-too/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/one-must-always-be-careful-of-books-said-tessa-and-what-is-inside/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [He who believes in God is not careful for the morrow, but labors joyfully and with a great heart. "For He giveth His beloved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/he-who-believes-in-god-is-not-careful-for-the-morrow-but-labors/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Be careful, once water is spilled, it can never return to its container](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciel-phantomhive/be-careful-once-water-is-spilled-it-can-never-return-to-its-container/) [Ciel Phantomhive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciel-phantomhive/) > [We used to tell our receivers, 'If you want to run an inside breaking route, and you want to fight for yardage after the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gruden/we-used-to-tell-our-receivers-if-you-want-to-run-an-inside-breaking/) [Jon Gruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gruden/) > [A bad investment is going for quantity over quality. If you're trying to be careful with your wallet, especially with the economy right now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-siriano/a-bad-investment-is-going-for-quantity-over-quality-if-you-re-trying/) [Christian Siriano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-siriano/) [Browse all 989 Be careful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-careful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a rule, anyone who can tell a good story can write one, so there really need be no mistake about his qualification; such a man will be careful not to be wearisome, and to keep his point, or his catastrophe, well in hand.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Payn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-story-can-write-one-so-there/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be careful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-story-can-write-one-so-there/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/james-payn-23169_be-careful_as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-sto_1140987.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/james-payn-23169_be-careful_as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-sto_1140987.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/james-payn-23169_be-careful_as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-sto_1140987.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a rule, anyone who can tell a good story can write one, so there really need be no mistake about his…” — James Payn", "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": "James Payn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-payn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a rule, anyone who can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-story-can-write-one-so-there/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-payn/as-a-rule-anyone-who-can-tell-a-good-story-can-write-one-so-there/#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 } } ] } ```