--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I may have a story idea but everything…" description: "\"I may have a story idea but everything starts moving when I am able to see my characters clearly. They then organically lead or respond to the story or..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/kanika-dhillon-17688_characters_i-may-have-a-story-idea-but-everything-s_2350373.jpg" --- # I may have a story idea but everything starts moving when… ![“I may have a story idea but everything starts moving when I am able to see my characters clearly. They then organically lead or respond to the story or the universe I want to create.” quote by Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/kanika-dhillon-17688_characters_i-may-have-a-story-idea-but-everything-s_2350373.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/kanika-dhillon-17688_characters_i-may-have-a-story-idea-but-everything-s_2350373.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/kanika-dhillon-17688_characters_i-may-have-a-story-idea-but-everything-s_2350373.jpg) > “I may have a story idea but everything starts moving when I am able to see my characters clearly. They then organically lead or respond to the story or the universe I want to create.” [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clarity of characters jump the narrative forward, allowing the story to unfold naturally. **In simple terms:** Seeing characters clearly drives the plot. Key Takeaway Visualize characters to spark story flow. Themes creativity storytelling character development Mood inspired focused Type advice creative When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - game design - creative brainstorming Key Concepts visualization organic narrative authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - How does visualizing characters change your plot? - What techniques help you see characters vividly? A Different Perspective Characters may still feel flat without depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Characters Clearly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-clearly-1618517/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [I am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-am/) [Idea Starts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-starts-1868448/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Story Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-idea-682842/) [Story Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-universe-1394229/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [“Men show their characters in nothing more clearly than in what they think laughable. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/men-show-their-characters-in-nothing-more-clearly-than-in-what-they/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The advantage of literature over life is that its characters are clearly defined, and act consistently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/the-advantage-of-literature-over-life-is-that-its-characters-are/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [No one can have an idea once he starts really listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/no-one-can-have-an-idea-once-he-starts-really-listening/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [Every great idea starts out as a blasphemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/every-great-idea-starts-out-as-a-blasphemy/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [An idea starts to be interesting when you get scared of taking it to its logical conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/an-idea-starts-to-be-interesting-when-you-get-scared-of-taking-it-to/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Money never starts an idea. It is always the idea that starts the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-laughlin/money-never-starts-an-idea-it-is-always-the-idea-that-starts-the-money/) [Owen Laughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-laughlin/) > [I often have an idea and it starts splintering off into a whole lot of directions; I'm interested in exploring every single one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonobo/i-often-have-an-idea-and-it-starts-splintering-off-into-a-whole-lot/) [Bonobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonobo/) > [The Universe story is the quintessence of reality. We perceive the story. We put it in our language, the birds put it in theirs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-berry/the-universe-story-is-the-quintessence-of-reality-we-perceive-the/) [Thomas Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berry/) > [“The point of the story is that the universe is one gigantic Wishing Tree, with branches that reach into every heart. The cosmic process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/the-point-of-the-story-is-that-the-universe-is-one-gigantic-wishing/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [If God could tell the story of the Universe, the Universe would become fictitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-god-could-tell-the-story-of-the-universe-the-universe-would-become/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Tell your story to the universe and Let your actions speak LOVE.' No matter what it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napz-cherub-pellazo/tell-your-story-to-the-universe-and-let-your-actions-speak-love-no/) [Napz Cherub Pellazo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napz-cherub-pellazo/) > [The universe has a much greater imagination than we do, which is why the real story of the universe is far more interesting than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/the-universe-has-a-much-greater-imagination-than-we-do-which-is-why/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [Let go of your story so the Universe can write a new one for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/let-go-of-your-story-so-the-universe-can-write-a-new-one-for-you/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [In any story universe, you don't just want to keep adding to it when there are places and planets that exist that will already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-denning/in-any-story-universe-you-don-t-just-want-to-keep-adding-to-it-when/) [Troy Denning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-denning/) > [Both education and religion need to ground themselves within the story of the universe as we now understand this story through empirical knowledge. Within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-berry/both-education-and-religion-need-to-ground-themselves-within-the/) [Thomas Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berry/) ## More by Kanika Dhillon > [I took six months to rehearse how I'd ask Shah Rukh Khan if he would launch my debut novel. I thought of 100 ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/i-took-six-months-to-rehearse-how-i-d-ask-shah-rukh-khan-if-he-would/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [All writers are battling and fighting as to how a woman should be characterised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/all-writers-are-battling-and-fighting-as-to-how-a-woman-should-be/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [I did not have any Bollywood connection and it was difficult to find a footing in the industry. But I was pleasantly surprised when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/i-did-not-have-any-bollywood-connection-and-it-was-difficult-to-find/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [Even if you are a superstar, you have to give your audience some content. Because there is so much good content out there that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/even-if-you-are-a-superstar-you-have-to-give-your-audience-some/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [I want to be a proud daughter of Punjab. Celebrate my roots - fly, flourish, write stories, characters. Don't hold me and my voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/i-want-to-be-a-proud-daughter-of-punjab-celebrate-my-roots-fly/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [Ambition alone cannot define a progressive female character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/ambition-alone-cannot-define-a-progressive-female-character/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [I wrote three stories on spec because I didn't have the patience to convince people I could write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/i-wrote-three-stories-on-spec-because-i-didn-t-have-the-patience-to/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [The reason I choose not to speak about my husband is because the press is prone to erase the individual identities of women who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/the-reason-i-choose-not-to-speak-about-my-husband-is-because-the/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [Size Zero' tells the story of a woman and the challenges and body shaming that she faces on a daily basis. I wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/size-zero-tells-the-story-of-a-woman-and-the-challenges-and-body/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [We are living in a world where image is important and we feel the need to confirm to a standard of what beauty is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/we-are-living-in-a-world-where-image-is-important-and-we-feel-the/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [In fact, the only way to inspire people to embrace change is through setting a narrative and telling a story. It can be central…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/in-fact-the-only-way-to-inspire-people-to-embrace-change-is-through/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [I am happy writing and being a producer not a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/i-am-happy-writing-and-being-a-producer-not-a-director/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [I have always aspired to be a writer, be it as an author or a screenwriter, whatever the medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/i-have-always-aspired-to-be-a-writer-be-it-as-an-author-or-a/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [Telling a story is an emotional and personal experience for me and I can't do without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/telling-a-story-is-an-emotional-and-personal-experience-for-me-and-i/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) > [As a woman, sometimes when I am in discussion with a director or producer, there is some kind of a different politics happening. Basically,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanika-dhillon/as-a-woman-sometimes-when-i-am-in-discussion-with-a-director-or/) [Kanika Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) [Explore all 36 Kanika Dhillon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanika-dhillon/) ## 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 may have a story idea but everything starts moving when I am able to see my characters clearly. 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