--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a novel, the biggest symbiosis exists…" description: "\"In a novel, the biggest symbiosis exists between plot and character. In a song, it would be the lyrics and the melody.\" — Jesse Michaels" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/jesse-michaels-45657_books_in-a-novel-the-biggest-symbiosis-exists_341213.png" --- # In a novel, the biggest symbiosis exists between plot and… ![“In a novel, the biggest symbiosis exists between plot and character. In a song, it would be the lyrics and the melody.” quote by Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/jesse-michaels-45657_books_in-a-novel-the-biggest-symbiosis-exists_341213.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/jesse-michaels-45657_books_in-a-novel-the-biggest-symbiosis-exists_341213.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/jesse-michaels-45657_books_in-a-novel-the-biggest-symbiosis-exists_341213.png) > “In a novel, the biggest symbiosis exists between plot and character. In a song, it would be the lyrics and the melody.” [Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote draws a parallel between storytelling elements and musical composition, highlighting how plot and character intertwine like lyrics and melody. **In simple terms:** Story and music both rely on complementary parts to create harmony. Key Takeaway Recognize and nurture the interplay of core components. Themes creativity structure artistic analogy Mood reflective inspired Type analogy observational When to use this quote - writing workshops - songwriting - film planning - teaching storytelling Key Concepts narrative theory musical composition Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure each element supports the other? - What happens when one element dominates? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex works that resist direct comparison. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Lyrics Melody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrics-melody-1764428/) [Melody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melody/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Plot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plot/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Symbiosis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbiosis/) [Symbiosis Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbiosis-exists-3170795/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not the kind of guy who walks around with a notebook writing lyrics. For me, melody and song structure come first and foremost.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-brothers/i-m-not-the-kind-of-guy-who-walks-around-with-a-notebook-writing/) [Cary Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-brothers/) > [“Even the second time around, the lyrics and melody reached through my ears, bypassed my brain, and went straight to my heart, where they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeri-smith-ready/even-the-second-time-around-the-lyrics-and-melody-reached-through-my/) [Jeri Smith-Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeri-smith-ready/) > [I think you can do a lot with lyrics and melody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sudol/i-think-you-can-do-a-lot-with-lyrics-and-melody/) [Alison Sudol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sudol/) > [A good idea for lyrics and a melody to expand on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-waller/a-good-idea-for-lyrics-and-a-melody-to-expand-on/) [Gordon Waller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-waller/) > [I think if you enjoy writing lyrics, sometimes melody is something that kind of hinders your flow, so sometimes writing without melody and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-rowsell/i-think-if-you-enjoy-writing-lyrics-sometimes-melody-is-something/) [Ellie Rowsell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-rowsell/) > [I came up with the lyrics and the melody for 'good 4 u' one morning in the shower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-rodrigo/i-came-up-with-the-lyrics-and-the-melody-for-good-4-u-one-morning-in/) [Olivia Rodrigo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-rodrigo/) > [ \[The lyrics and melody\] usually come a little simultaneously, but I would say the lyrics are first; usually I have the idea for a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/the-lyrics-and-melody-usually-come-a-little-simultaneously-but-i/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [I started writing music in a French way: more focused on lyrics than melody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/i-started-writing-music-in-a-french-way-more-focused-on-lyrics-than/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [Architecture which enters into a symbiosis with light does not merely create form in light, by day and at night, but allow light to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meier/architecture-which-enters-into-a-symbiosis-with-light-does-not-merely/) [Richard Meier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meier/) > [“So what is life? It’s intelligent energy combined in symbiosis with the material world. Every living being is the embodiment of a tiny part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sahara-sanders/so-what-is-life-it-s-intelligent-energy-combined-in-symbiosis-with-2/) [Sahara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sahara-sanders/) > [ “\[S\]een as a whole the universe is a harmony or symbiosis of patterns which cannot exist without each other.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/s-een-as-a-whole-the-universe-is-a-harmony-or-symbiosis-of-patterns/) [Alan W. 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Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [It's interesting when you're doing signing sessions with other writers and you look at the queues at each table and you can see definite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/it-s-interesting-when-you-re-doing-signing-sessions-with-other/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) ## More by Jesse Michaels > [Sometimes I would write while inspired and sometimes I would write through sheer force of will, and in revision the writing that I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-michaels/sometimes-i-would-write-while-inspired-and-sometimes-i-would-write/) [Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) > [I always quit while I am still inspired, while I could still write more. Never let the thread run all the way out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-michaels/i-always-quit-while-i-am-still-inspired-while-i-could-still-write/) [Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) > [I'm not a vegetarian, and I like filet minion which is sort of a guilty pleasure because I have vegetarian leanings. I eat that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-michaels/i-m-not-a-vegetarian-and-i-like-filet-minion-which-is-sort-of-a/) [Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) > [Music is an indirect force for change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-michaels/music-is-an-indirect-force-for-change/) [Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) > [Punk can be a mental ghetto. People get into it and make all these rules and pretty soon they're worse than born again Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-michaels/punk-can-be-a-mental-ghetto-people-get-into-it-and-make-all-these/) [Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) > [In some ways, I am actually quite optimistic - I believe in the possibility of redemption and forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-michaels/in-some-ways-i-am-actually-quite-optimistic-i-believe-in-the/) [Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) > [I hated Shallow Grave, that movie made me angry. And I hated Happiness. I generally hate movies that use extreme violence or gratuitous shock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-michaels/i-hated-shallow-grave-that-movie-made-me-angry-and-i-hated-happiness/) [Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) > [I don't isolate too much or make the project my god. This helps a lot with negative ideation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-michaels/i-don-t-isolate-too-much-or-make-the-project-my-god-this-helps-a-lot/) [Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) [Explore all 9 Jesse Michaels quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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