---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good storytelling lets the audience…"
description: "\"“Good storytelling lets the audience relive events in the present so they can understand the forces, choices, and emotions that led the character to do..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/john-truby-56929_good-storytelling_good-storytelling-lets-the-audience-reli_2308703.jpg"
---

#  Good storytelling lets the audience relive events in the…

![“Good storytelling lets the audience relive events in the present so they can understand the forces, choices, and emotions that led the character to do what he did.” quote by John Truby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/john-truby-56929_good-storytelling_good-storytelling-lets-the-audience-reli_2308703.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/john-truby-56929_good-storytelling_good-storytelling-lets-the-audience-reli_2308703.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/john-truby-56929_good-storytelling_good-storytelling-lets-the-audience-reli_2308703.jpg)

> ““Good storytelling lets the audience relive events in the present so they can understand the forces, choices, and emotions that led the character to do what he did.””

[John Truby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-truby/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Effective storytelling immerses the audience in the present, revealing causes and emotions behind a character’s actions.

**In simple terms:** Storytelling makes us feel events now and see why characters act.

Key Takeaway

Use vivid, present‑tense narrative to show cause and effect.

Themes

storytelling empathy character development

Mood

engaging reflective

Type

educational inspirational

When to use this quote

- film scripts
- novel writing
- theatre rehearsals
- educational workshops

Key Concepts

narrative immersion psychology of choice

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you make a scene feel immediate?
- What emotions drive your character’s decisions?

A Different Perspective

May focus on plot over deep character motivation.

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[Good storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-storytelling/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

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Paul Park

> ['Hungama' leaves all problems behind and just lets the audience have a good laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyadarshan/hungama-leaves-all-problems-behind-and-just-lets-the-audience-have-a/)

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> [I look for really great characters. I say great because as long as they're really good, there's something you can do. And really good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-dillon/i-look-for-really-great-characters-i-say-great-because-as-long-as/)

[Matt Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-dillon/)

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> [Im not really devoted or specified towards any specific genre at all. I really like it all. Theres good storytelling in all the genres,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-bettis/im-not-really-devoted-or-specified-towards-any-specific-genre-at-all/)

[Angela Bettis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-bettis/)

> [Good storytelling doesn't have to be in the form of the classics. It doesn't have to be revered by everybody. In fact, to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/good-storytelling-doesn-t-have-to-be-in-the-form-of-the-classics-it/)

[Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/)

> [Good storytelling for me is not so much technical expertise, which I know is applauded often; it's actually freshness of approach. It does mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/good-storytelling-for-me-is-not-so-much-technical-expertise-which-i/)

[Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/)

> [My theory for nonfiction is that nobody can be free of some kind of conceptions about whatever story they're writing. But if you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/my-theory-for-nonfiction-is-that-nobody-can-be-free-of-some-kind-of/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [Good storytelling appeals to me - good writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanaa-lathan/good-storytelling-appeals-to-me-good-writing/)

[Sanaa Lathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanaa-lathan/)

> [I think that good storytelling of any kind does promote a humility in that it encourages you to see the world the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/i-think-that-good-storytelling-of-any-kind-does-promote-a-humility-in/)

[Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/)

> [An author must learn the principles of good storytelling only in order to write better from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uri-shulevitz/an-author-must-learn-the-principles-of-good-storytelling-only-in/)

Uri Shulevitz

> [Good storytelling is harder than it sounds, but the easy part is that everyone has the ability to do it. ...Tap into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-guber/good-storytelling-is-harder-than-it-sounds-but-the-easy-part-is-that/)

[Peter Guber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-guber/)

> [There's no harmony in most people in a way, and I'm attracted to it, and I think it makes for good storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-kinnear/there-s-no-harmony-in-most-people-in-a-way-and-i-m-attracted-to-it/)

[Greg Kinnear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-kinnear/)

## More by John Truby

> [“Audiences love both the feeling part (reliving the life) and the thinking part (figuring out the puzzle) of a story. Every good story has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-truby/audiences-love-both-the-feeling-part-reliving-the-life-and-the/)

[John Truby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-truby/)

> [“Any character who goes after a desire and is impeded is forced to struggle (otherwise the story is over.) And that struggle makes him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-truby/any-character-who-goes-after-a-desire-and-is-impeded-is-forced-to/)

[John Truby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-truby/)

> [“time. Take a lot of it at the beginning of the writing process. I’m not talking about hours or even days. I’m talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-truby/time-take-a-lot-of-it-at-the-beginning-of-the-writing-process-i-m-not/)

[John Truby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-truby/)

> [“The story world isn't a copy of life as it is. It's life as human beings imagine it could be. It is human life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-truby/the-story-world-isn-t-a-copy-of-life-as-it-is-it-s-life-as-human/)

[John Truby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-truby/)

> [“No individual element in your story, including the hero, will work unless you first create it and define it in relation to all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-truby/no-individual-element-in-your-story-including-the-hero-will-work/)

[John Truby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-truby/)

[Explore all 6 John Truby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-truby/)

## More Good storytelling quotes

> [I really just believe in good storytelling, and we shouldn't have to sacrifice that just because we're a comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quinta-brunson/i-really-just-believe-in-good-storytelling-and-we-shouldn-t-have-to/)

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> [I think that good storytelling of any kind does promote a humility in that it encourages you to see the world the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/i-think-that-good-storytelling-of-any-kind-does-promote-a-humility-in/)

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[Matt Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-dillon/)

> [Good storytelling is harder than it sounds, but the easy part is that everyone has the ability to do it. ...Tap into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-guber/good-storytelling-is-harder-than-it-sounds-but-the-easy-part-is-that/)

[Peter Guber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-guber/)

> [An author must learn the principles of good storytelling only in order to write better from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uri-shulevitz/an-author-must-learn-the-principles-of-good-storytelling-only-in/)

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> [There's no harmony in most people in a way, and I'm attracted to it, and I think it makes for good storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-kinnear/there-s-no-harmony-in-most-people-in-a-way-and-i-m-attracted-to-it/)

[Greg Kinnear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-kinnear/)

> [Good storytelling appeals to me - good writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanaa-lathan/good-storytelling-appeals-to-me-good-writing/)

[Sanaa Lathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanaa-lathan/)

> [My theory for nonfiction is that nobody can be free of some kind of conceptions about whatever story they're writing. But if you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/my-theory-for-nonfiction-is-that-nobody-can-be-free-of-some-kind-of/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [Good storytelling for me is not so much technical expertise, which I know is applauded often; it's actually freshness of approach. It does mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/good-storytelling-for-me-is-not-so-much-technical-expertise-which-i/)

[Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/)

> [Im not really devoted or specified towards any specific genre at all. I really like it all. Theres good storytelling in all the genres,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-bettis/im-not-really-devoted-or-specified-towards-any-specific-genre-at-all/)

[Angela Bettis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-bettis/)

> [Specificity is what makes good storytelling, and good storytelling is what makes money, and making money is then what encourages new producers to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-wu/specificity-is-what-makes-good-storytelling-and-good-storytelling-is/)

[Constance Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-wu/)

> [“good storytelling is good because the characters — not the author — are in charge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-platt/good-storytelling-is-good-because-the-characters-not-the-author-are/)

[Sean Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-platt/)

> [If I really knew how to do good storytelling, I would be a writer. Mystery is not a huge part of it. ... It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-cohen/if-i-really-knew-how-to-do-good-storytelling-i-would-be-a-writer/)

[Scott Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-cohen/)

> [That's what we have with the Old Testament and the New Testament: good storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-andrews/that-s-what-we-have-with-the-old-testament-and-the-new-testament-good/)

[Naveen Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-andrews/)

[Browse all 35 Good storytelling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-storytelling/)

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