--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we told every story from the middle…" description: "\"“If we told every story from the middle, we would never appreciate happy endings.”\" — Jessica Brody" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/jessica-brody-15828_endings_if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-w_742303.jpg" --- # If we told every story from the middle, we would never… ![“If we told every story from the middle, we would never appreciate happy endings.” quote by Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/jessica-brody-15828_endings_if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-w_742303.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/jessica-brody-15828_endings_if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-w_742303.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/jessica-brody-15828_endings_if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-w_742303.jpg) > ““If we told every story from the middle, we would never appreciate happy endings.”” [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) ## 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 suggests that focusing only on the middle of stories prevents us from valuing their conclusions. **In simple terms:** Missing the middle hides the joy of endings. Key Takeaway Appreciate the whole narrative. Themes storytelling appreciation perspective Mood reflective thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - reading - writing - film analysis - personal reflection Key Concepts narrative structure emotional payoff Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on endings affect your storytelling? - What can the middle teach us about resolution? A Different Perspective It may overlook the importance of conflict and development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happy ending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-ending/) [Happy endings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-endings/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [“This got me thinking about endings and how the final moments of a story can color our entire perception of a narrative. But endings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-cestari/this-got-me-thinking-about-endings-and-how-the-final-moments-of-a/) [Crystal Cestari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-cestari/) > [I have an instinctual distrust of conventional happy endings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/i-have-an-instinctual-distrust-of-conventional-happy-endings/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [What did a happy ending even mean in real life, anyway? In stories you simply said, 'They lived happily ever after,' and that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/what-did-a-happy-ending-even-mean-in-real-life-anyway-in-stories-you/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [Best not to look back. Best to believe there will be happily ever afters all the way around - and so there may be;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/best-not-to-look-back-best-to-believe-there-will-be-happily-ever/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Happy endings were never handed out. You had to fight for them, earn them with bruised hearts and sacrifices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/happy-endings-were-never-handed-out-you-had-to-fight-for-them-earn/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [Not only are there no happy endings,' she told him, 'there aren't even any endings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/not-only-are-there-no-happy-endings-she-told-him-there-aren-t-even/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“How do you get the happy ending? John Irving ought to know. One of my favorite authors, Irving writes these multigenerational epics of fiction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-jay/how-do-you-get-the-happy-ending-john-irving-ought-to-know-one-of-my/) [Meg Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-jay/) > [“Happy endings aren't just for fairy tales and massage parlors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-gloss/happy-endings-aren-t-just-for-fairy-tales-and-massage-parlors/) [Susan Gloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-gloss/) > [Go for the happy endings, because life doesn't have any sequels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/go-for-the-happy-endings-because-life-doesn-t-have-any-sequels/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [I'm in the game of realism so happy endings probably feel a little bit too neat for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/i-m-in-the-game-of-realism-so-happy-endings-probably-feel-a-little/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [My family doesn't do happy endings. We do sad endings or frustrating endings or no endings at all. We are hardwired to expect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-solo/my-family-doesn-t-do-happy-endings-we-do-sad-endings-or-frustrating/) [Hope Solo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-solo/) > [“I won, goddammit. I beat Kollberg. I beat you. I got everything I goddamn wanted: fame, wealth, power. Shit, I even got the girl."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-stover/i-won-goddammit-i-beat-kollberg-i-beat-you-i-got-everything-i-goddamn/) [Matthew Stover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-stover/) > [I don't believe in happy endings. Children have got to face death sooner or later. Granny and Grandpa die, dogs die, cats die, gerbils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-briggs/i-don-t-believe-in-happy-endings-children-have-got-to-face-death/) Raymond Briggs > [Happy endings come in different packages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-f-wright/happy-endings-come-in-different-packages/) [Jason F. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-f-wright/) > [There are no such things as happy endings. Never. They're totally manufactured by fiction writers who choose to end the story on a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-david/there-are-no-such-things-as-happy-endings-never-they-re-totally/) [Peter David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-david/) ## More by Jessica Brody > [“Aren’t universal transmissions supposed to be pure and uncorrupted?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/aren-t-universal-transmissions-supposed-to-be-pure-and-uncorrupted/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“We can only fix our own lives. We cannot play the role of gods in someone else's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/we-can-only-fix-our-own-lives-we-cannot-play-the-role-of-gods-in/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“you cannot obtain balance by also seeking imbalance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/you-cannot-obtain-balance-by-also-seeking-imbalance/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“The worst thing you can do when someone is sick is to tell them that they look sick.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/the-worst-thing-you-can-do-when-someone-is-sick-is-to-tell-them-that/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“But trust me, that feeling is nothing compared to the one you get when you actually help someone who didn't think that anyone ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/but-trust-me-that-feeling-is-nothing-compared-to-the-one-you-get-when/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“My mom tries to comfort me by saying that girls like Heather Campbell tend to peak early in life and then quickly fade. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/my-mom-tries-to-comfort-me-by-saying-that-girls-like-heather-campbell/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“He looks at me. I look at him. Neither of us speaks. And yet it's like we're both saying everything. No. Not saying it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/he-looks-at-me-i-look-at-him-neither-of-us-speaks-and-yet-it-s-like/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“the universe has a place and purpose for everything and everyone. sometimes we cannot know what that place is. or what the purpose of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/the-universe-has-a-place-and-purpose-for-everything-and-everyone/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“Death is not a memory you can fake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/death-is-not-a-memory-you-can-fake/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“I was surrounded by silence and Tristan was music. So much music. All the time. Streaming in my eardrums 24-7. Serenading me when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/i-was-surrounded-by-silence-and-tristan-was-music-so-much-music-all/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“Circumstances cannot change how you feel. When you truly love someone – on a level that goes deeper than your mind, deeper than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/circumstances-cannot-change-how-you-feel-when-you-truly-love-someone/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“We've been so focused on the concept of punishing those who have caused us pain that we've completely disregarded the entire other half of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/we-ve-been-so-focused-on-the-concept-of-punishing-those-who-have/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“but not only did you seek to achieve balance in your life but you also sought to achieve imbalance in someone else's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/but-not-only-did-you-seek-to-achieve-balance-in-your-life-but-you/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“Trust your heart."..."It's the only thing that will never lie to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/trust-your-heart-it-s-the-only-thing-that-will-never-lie-to-you/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“Because apart we might be as different as night and day, black and white, right and wrong, but together we create two sides of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/because-apart-we-might-be-as-different-as-night-and-day-black-and/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) [Explore all 40 Jessica Brody quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) ## More Endings quotes > [“I’m more happy than not. Don’t forget me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-m-more-happy-than-not-don-t-forget-me/) [Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/) > [There are no such things as happy endings. Never. They're totally manufactured by fiction writers who choose to end the story on a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-david/there-are-no-such-things-as-happy-endings-never-they-re-totally/) [Peter David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-david/) > [“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/) > [Happy endings come in different packages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-f-wright/happy-endings-come-in-different-packages/) [Jason F. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-f-wright/) > [I don't believe in happy endings. Children have got to face death sooner or later. Granny and Grandpa die, dogs die, cats die, gerbils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-briggs/i-don-t-believe-in-happy-endings-children-have-got-to-face-death/) Raymond Briggs > [“I hope you come to hear the tale, and not just munch your way through the pages to the ending…endings are heartless. An ending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-hope-you-come-to-hear-the-tale-and-not-just-munch-your-way-through/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“I won, goddammit. I beat Kollberg. I beat you. I got everything I goddamn wanted: fame, wealth, power. Shit, I even got the girl."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-stover/i-won-goddammit-i-beat-kollberg-i-beat-you-i-got-everything-i-goddamn/) [Matthew Stover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-stover/) > [“Every good story needs a good ending. Don't write the beginning of a novel without knowing the end of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-d-y-howle/every-good-story-needs-a-good-ending-don-t-write-the-beginning-of-a/) A.D.Y. Howle > [In His plan there are no true endings. Only everlasting beginnings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/in-his-plan-there-are-no-true-endings-only-everlasting-beginnings/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [“ The Prodigal Son They gave the deep end of their heart--a hue of crimson red, They whispered their desire and offered up their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-prodigal-son-they-gave-the-deep-end-of-their-heart-a-hue-of/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [My family doesn't do happy endings. We do sad endings or frustrating endings or no endings at all. We are hardwired to expect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-solo/my-family-doesn-t-do-happy-endings-we-do-sad-endings-or-frustrating/) [Hope Solo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-solo/) > [I'm in the game of realism so happy endings probably feel a little bit too neat for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/i-m-in-the-game-of-realism-so-happy-endings-probably-feel-a-little/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [Go for the happy endings, because life doesn't have any sequels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/go-for-the-happy-endings-because-life-doesn-t-have-any-sequels/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“Well, if you are to help me with my work, you had better get used to stories without endings. True stories seldom have endings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/well-if-you-are-to-help-me-with-my-work-you-had-better-get-used-to/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Happy endings aren't just for fairy tales and massage parlors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-gloss/happy-endings-aren-t-just-for-fairy-tales-and-massage-parlors/) [Susan Gloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-gloss/) Browse all 528 Endings quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If we told every story from the middle, we would never appreciate happy endings.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jessica Brody" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-we-would-never-appreciate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Endings" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-we-would-never-appreciate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/jessica-brody-15828_endings_if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-w_742303.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/jessica-brody-15828_endings_if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-w_742303.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/jessica-brody-15828_endings_if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-w_742303.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we told every story from the middle, we would never appreciate happy endings.” — Jessica Brody", "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": "Jessica Brody", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If we told every story from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-we-would-never-appreciate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/if-we-told-every-story-from-the-middle-we-would-never-appreciate/#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 } } ] } ```