--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like to tell kids that I started…" description: "\"I like to tell kids that I started thinking about stories when I first started reading stuff like Dr. Seuss and 'Go, Dog. Go!,' thinking, 'Oh yeah, tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/jon-scieszka-21548_about_i-like-to-tell-kids-that-i-started-think_2928885.jpg" --- # I like to tell kids that I started thinking about stories… ![“I like to tell kids that I started thinking about stories when I first started reading stuff like Dr. Seuss and 'Go, Dog. Go!,' thinking, 'Oh yeah, that's funny. I'd like to do that.' And then writing throughout school, but at the same time I was studying pre-med stuff, because my mom told me I…” quote by Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/jon-scieszka-21548_about_i-like-to-tell-kids-that-i-started-think_2928885.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/jon-scieszka-21548_about_i-like-to-tell-kids-that-i-started-think_2928885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/jon-scieszka-21548_about_i-like-to-tell-kids-that-i-started-think_2928885.jpg) > “I like to tell kids that I started thinking about stories when I first started reading stuff like Dr. Seuss and 'Go, Dog. Go!,' thinking, 'Oh yeah, that's funny. I'd like to do that.' And then writing throughout school, but at the same time I was studying pre-med stuff, because my mom told me I should be a doctor.” [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) ## 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 recounts how early exposure to whimsical children's books sparked a love for storytelling, despite parental pressure toward a different career. **In simple terms:** Early books inspired a lifelong passion for stories. Key Takeaway Follow your passion despite external expectations. Themes inspiration childhood career choice Mood nostalgic motivational Type creative reflective When to use this quote - school projects - writing workshops - career decisions Key Concepts storytelling creative identity parental influence Questions to Reflect On - How did you integrate both paths? - What advice would you give to aspiring writers? A Different Perspective Balancing practical studies with creative pursuits can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [When I returned to short stories, I'd started working on what is still central to much of what I try to do: putting myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-tidbeck/when-i-returned-to-short-stories-i-d-started-working-on-what-is-still/) [Karin Tidbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-tidbeck/) > [“Stories always started this way, suddenly, and set within a strange world. Patience is required, to let the stories unroll. This is how people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-behrens/stories-always-started-this-way-suddenly-and-set-within-a-strange/) [Peter Behrens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-behrens/) > [One night, I was lying in bed, and I was channel surfing between reality TV programs and actual war coverage. On one channel, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/one-night-i-was-lying-in-bed-and-i-was-channel-surfing-between-2/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I started as a writer for magazines, and soon they asked me to illustrate my stories. I started from the bottom of the bottom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/i-started-as-a-writer-for-magazines-and-soon-they-asked-me-to/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [My story is like many other stories. I started very young. As the years went by, I only cared about playing football. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-zanetti/my-story-is-like-many-other-stories-i-started-very-young-as-the-years/) [Javier Zanetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-zanetti/) > [I was reading fan fiction on Wattpad, but they were taking a little bit to update the stories, so I started writing my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/i-was-reading-fan-fiction-on-wattpad-but-they-were-taking-a-little/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [I've written thousands of stories, started hundreds of news cycles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-drudge/i-ve-written-thousands-of-stories-started-hundreds-of-news-cycles/) [Matt Drudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-drudge/) > [One night, I was lying in bed, and I was channel surfing between reality TV programs and actual war coverage. On one channel, theres…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/one-night-i-was-lying-in-bed-and-i-was-channel-surfing-between/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“valley? That should be interesting for you.” “I haven’t decided what I’m doing yet.” “I’d be happy to help,” Mr. Bally said. “I’m an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/valley-that-should-be-interesting-for-you-i-haven-t-decided-what-i-m/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [I always loved strange stories like the Dr. Seuss stuff. 'Go, Dog. Go!' was one of my favorite stories - it still is. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka/i-always-loved-strange-stories-like-the-dr-seuss-stuff-go-dog-go-was/) [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) > [My process is thinking, thinking and thinking - thinking about my stories for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/my-process-is-thinking-thinking-and-thinking-thinking-about-my/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [We should have stories in common, I found myself thinking. We should have stories, and jokes no one understands, and memories that we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamila-shamsie/we-should-have-stories-in-common-i-found-myself-thinking-we-should/) [Kamila Shamsie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamila-shamsie/) > [I am never not thinking about stories. 'The Bone Season' is 90% of my brain - 10% is interacting with the rest of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-am-never-not-thinking-about-stories-the-bone-season-is-90-of-my/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [As I get older I find myself thinking about stories more and more before I work so that by the time I eventually sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ware/as-i-get-older-i-find-myself-thinking-about-stories-more-and-more/) [Chris Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ware/) > [I spend a lot of time thinking of stories and reading and that's where my creativity comes from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukul-dev/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-thinking-of-stories-and-reading-and-that-s/) [Mukul Dev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukul-dev/) ## More by Jon Scieszka > [I'm not sure what to call 'Lego Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary.' Nonfiction? Movie/toy fiction? 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And we just dont take that into account in schools on those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka/i-think-every-parent-knows-that-like-boys-and-girls-are-different-and/) [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) > [“Your brain is doing some great work when it's laughing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka/your-brain-is-doing-some-great-work-when-it-s-laughing/) [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) > [Expand the definition of 'reading' to include non-fiction, humor, graphic novels, magazines, action adventure, and, yes, even websites. It's the pleasure of reading that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka/expand-the-definition-of-reading-to-include-non-fiction-humor-graphic/) [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) > [Be a good reading role model. 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