--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd like to think I'm not quite so…" description: "\"I'd like to think I'm not quite so pretentious as to think my characters go off and live their lives once I've written the final page and switched the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/jane-green-5965_characters_i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-prete_1940397.png" --- # I'd like to think I'm not quite so pretentious as to think… ![“I'd like to think I'm not quite so pretentious as to think my characters go off and live their lives once I've written the final page and switched the computer off.” quote by Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/jane-green-5965_characters_i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-prete_1940397.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/jane-green-5965_characters_i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-prete_1940397.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/jane-green-5965_characters_i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-prete_1940397.png) > “I'd like to think I'm not quite so pretentious as to think my characters go off and live their lives once I've written the final page and switched the computer off.” [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author rejects the notion that fictional characters have independent lives after the story ends. **In simple terms:** Characters don't live beyond the page. Key Takeaway Accept that stories end with the writer. Themes creativity authorial control fiction Mood reflective thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing process - author mindset - story conclusion Key Concepts literary theory character agency Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever feel characters linger after finishing a book? - How does authorial intent shape reader imagination? A Different Perspective Some readers may still imagine characters beyond the text. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Pretentious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretentious/) ## Related quotes > [The first sentence cant be written until the final sentence is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-first-sentence-cant-be-written-until-the-final-sentence-is-written/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Maybe that sounds a bit pretentious, but I think life experience is always more important than technical knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/maybe-that-sounds-a-bit-pretentious-but-i-think-life-experience-is/) [Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/) > [I am a big theater fan. It's mostly just being pretentious, I think, and trying to look smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-k-vaughan/i-am-a-big-theater-fan-it-s-mostly-just-being-pretentious-i-think-and/) [Brian K. Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-k-vaughan/) > [“Karma: The delusion of the pretentious; who think the Universe should act as their debt collector.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/karma-the-delusion-of-the-pretentious-who-think-the-universe-should/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [The same people that always think I'm pretentious will think I'm pretentious, and the people who relate to me will continue to relate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradford-cox/the-same-people-that-always-think-i-m-pretentious-will-think-i-m/) [Bradford Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradford-cox/) > [“This life is short, and you never know how many chapters you have left in your novel, Graham. Live each day as if it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittainy-c-cherry/this-life-is-short-and-you-never-know-how-many-chapters-you-have-left-2/) [Brittainy C. Cherry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittainy-c-cherry/) > [A book series is never truly over. The story lives on, even when the final page has been turned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/a-book-series-is-never-truly-over-the-story-lives-on-even-when-the/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [Beppu (n.) The triumphant slamming shut of a book after reading the final page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/beppu-n-the-triumphant-slamming-shut-of-a-book-after-reading-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“The lawyer asked us to sit down. He was holding a copy of the will in his hands. I sat nearest him. He flipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-crawford/the-lawyer-asked-us-to-sit-down-he-was-holding-a-copy-of-the-will-in/) [Christina Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-crawford/) > [A Seer's moon, a Siren's tears, Nineteen Mortal, Wayward fears, Incubus graves and Caster rivers, The Final Page the End delivers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/a-seer-s-moon-a-siren-s-tears-nineteen-mortal-wayward-fears-incubus/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“My Caroline, If you’re reading this endnote then I can assume you’ve suffered your way through the story, our story once again. I suppose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-reisz/my-caroline-if-you-re-reading-this-endnote-then-i-can-assume-you-ve/) [Tiffany Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-reisz/) > [“Live each day as if it’s the final page. Breathe each moment as if it’s the final word.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittainy-c-cherry/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-the-final-page-breathe-each-moment-as-if-it/) [Brittainy C. Cherry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittainy-c-cherry/) > [“I have come to judge a good story as one that makes me feel as if I'm losing a friend when I read the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ryan/i-have-come-to-judge-a-good-story-as-one-that-makes-me-feel-as-if-i-m/) [Tom Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ryan/) > [A year ago, I turned the final page of The Book of the Dead. I don't feel young any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-nix/a-year-ago-i-turned-the-final-page-of-the-book-of-the-dead-i-don-t/) [Garth Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-nix/) > [I'm absolutely removed from the world at such times...The hours go by without my knowing it. Sitting there I'm wandering in countries I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/i-m-absolutely-removed-from-the-world-at-such-times-the-hours-go-by/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) ## More by Jane Green > [You are the best person I've met in years, and if I'd met you in a year's time, or maybe even a few months,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/you-are-the-best-person-i-ve-met-in-years-and-if-i-d-met-you-in-a/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“The woman on the bike raises her head and looks at the sky, sniffs, smiles to herself. A foggy day in Nantucket, but she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/the-woman-on-the-bike-raises-her-head-and-looks-at-the-sky-sniffs/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“Forever feels a long time when you're eighteen. When you're away from home for the first time in your life, when you forge instant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/forever-feels-a-long-time-when-you-re-eighteen-when-you-re-away-from/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [That's how it is with relationships, it's a part of life, and all the great love songs and poems and films have been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/that-s-how-it-is-with-relationships-it-s-a-part-of-life-and-all-the/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“What he didn’t do was control me, or try to mold me into a little wife, some old-fashioned, muted version of who I was.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/what-he-didn-t-do-was-control-me-or-try-to-mold-me-into-a-little-wife/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“All those years of beauty, of a wonderful figure, and all I could think was that I was never pretty enough, never slim enough,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/all-those-years-of-beauty-of-a-wonderful-figure-and-all-i-could-think/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“To be honest, I'm not sure about this whole scared of commitment business. I think it's become too handy, a useful phrase that men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/to-be-honest-i-m-not-sure-about-this-whole-scared-of-commitment/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [I love getting out the house because writing is such a solitary business that even being at the library makes me feel part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/i-love-getting-out-the-house-because-writing-is-such-a-solitary/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“When it's just sex, you're allowed to be predatory, to make the first move, to entice them into bed, because it's not necessary to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/when-it-s-just-sex-you-re-allowed-to-be-predatory-to-make-the-first/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“things have a habit of working out in life the way they are supposed to, if you are able to just relax and trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/things-have-a-habit-of-working-out-in-life-the-way-they-are-supposed/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“The bike crunches along the gravel path, weaving around the potholes that could present danger to someone who didn’t know the road like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/the-bike-crunches-along-the-gravel-path-weaving-around-the-potholes/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“I love the English language, playing with words, watching sentences fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/i-love-the-english-language-playing-with-words-watching-sentences-fit/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“As far as I’m concerned you have to give every relationship your all because if you’re going to get hurt, you’re going to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/as-far-as-i-m-concerned-you-have-to-give-every-relationship-your-all/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“Good. She is planning lunch on the deck today, is on her way into town via her neighbor’s house, where she has spent the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/good-she-is-planning-lunch-on-the-deck-today-is-on-her-way-into-town/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“Alanna always says fine, even when Gabby can see the day hasn’t been”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/alanna-always-says-fine-even-when-gabby-can-see-the-day-hasn-t-been/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) [Explore all 100 Jane Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) ## More Characters quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/i-m-truly-100-guided-by-the-characters-and-my-muse-if-one-of-the/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [I have played several characters that are crabby and cranky. I don't know if I'm just not a very well-developed human being or if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-greer/i-have-played-several-characters-that-are-crabby-and-cranky-i-don-t/) [Judy Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-greer/) > [You do get fond of your characters. Handing them on is like giving a child to a nanny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-fellowes/you-do-get-fond-of-your-characters-handing-them-on-is-like-giving-a/) [Julian Fellowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-fellowes/) > [Your job as a writer is to find storylines, narrative structures, and characters to show the things that you believe rather than saying them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/your-job-as-a-writer-is-to-find-storylines-narrative-structures-and/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I really like all of the characters in 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt, especially Camilla, the one girl. I find her fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-murray/i-really-like-all-of-the-characters-in-the-secret-history-by-donna/) [Hannah Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-murray/) > [I've just always loved really good projects. The things that draw me into a new project have very little to do with genre and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel-staite/i-ve-just-always-loved-really-good-projects-the-things-that-draw-me/) [Jewel Staite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel-staite/) > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I always wanted to be a fireman, a cop, an Indian chief, a doctor, a lawyer. I always wanted to be all these things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-fireman-a-cop-an-indian-chief-a-doctor-a/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) [Browse all 3,066 Characters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd like to think I'm not quite so pretentious as to think my characters go off and live their lives once I've written the final page and switched the computer off.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-pretentious-as-to-think-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Characters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-pretentious-as-to-think-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/jane-green-5965_characters_i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-prete_1940397.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/jane-green-5965_characters_i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-prete_1940397.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/jane-green-5965_characters_i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-prete_1940397.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd like to think I'm not quite so pretentious as to think my characters go off and live their lives once…” — Jane Green", "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": "Jane Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd like to think I'm not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-pretentious-as-to-think-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/i-d-like-to-think-i-m-not-quite-so-pretentious-as-to-think-my/#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 } } ] } ```