--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The shapes arranged themselves into…" description: "\"The shapes arranged themselves into words, and the words spelled out a delicious and wonderful phrase: Once upon a time.\" — Kate DiCamillo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe6/kate-dicamillo-599_language_the-shapes-arranged-themselves-into-word_2167088.png" --- # The shapes arranged themselves into words, and the words… ![“The shapes arranged themselves into words, and the words spelled out a delicious and wonderful phrase: Once upon a time.” quote by Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe6/kate-dicamillo-599_language_the-shapes-arranged-themselves-into-word_2167088.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe6/kate-dicamillo-599_language_the-shapes-arranged-themselves-into-word_2167088.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe6/kate-dicamillo-599_language_the-shapes-arranged-themselves-into-word_2167088.png) > “The shapes arranged themselves into words, and the words spelled out a delicious and wonderful phrase: Once upon a time.” [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words can create magical narratives, turning simple letters into enchanting stories that begin with timeless openings. **In simple terms:** Words form magical stories. Key Takeaway Use language to craft wonder. Themes storytelling creativity language Mood imaginative playful Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - writing - teaching - children’s literature - creative workshops Key Concepts narrative construction imagination Questions to Reflect On - What simple phrase can you transform into a story? - How does “once upon a time” shape expectations? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on clichés may limit originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Once upon a time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/once-upon-a-time/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [“Writing! There's nothing like it! Well, you would know! You sit down in a corner. By yourself. With a sheet of paper and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burke/writing-there-s-nothing-like-it-well-you-would-know-you-sit-down-in-a/) David Burke > [“Thank you' is a wonderful phrase. Use it. It will add stature to your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-pay-hinckley/thank-you-is-a-wonderful-phrase-use-it-it-will-add-stature-to-your/) [Marjorie Pay Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-pay-hinckley/) > [Once upon a time," he said out loud to the darkness. He said these words because they were the best, the most powerful words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/once-upon-a-time-he-said-out-loud-to-the-darkness-he-said-these-words/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [One must be careful with words. Words turn probabilities into facts and by sheer force of definition translate tendencies into habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/one-must-be-careful-with-words-words-turn-probabilities-into-facts/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [“The real me lives in words, not in what words mean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/the-real-me-lives-in-words-not-in-what-words-mean/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [“... it's all words and only words, and beyond the words there's nothing... a word, which, like all the others, can only be explained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-s-all-words-and-only-words-and-beyond-the-words-there-s-nothing-a/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“Do you know why God invented writers? Because he loves a good story. And he doesn't give a damn about the words. Words are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-moehringer-2/do-you-know-why-god-invented-writers-because-he-loves-a-good-story/) [J.R. Moehringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-moehringer-2/) > [Since I stopped writing, I read more than ever. Other people's words, not my own - my words are gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/since-i-stopped-writing-i-read-more-than-ever-other-people-s-words/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [And what is wrong with playing with words? Words love to be played with, just like children or kittens do!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/and-what-is-wrong-with-playing-with-words-words-love-to-be-played/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“Put emotions to thoughts. Thoughts to words. Words to paragraphs. Paragraphs to pictures. Let your mind be known, heard and seen. 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I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/in-luggage-claim-at-the-minneapolis-airport-the-guy-came-up-to-me-and/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [“If every babe who cried were still alive, well, then, the world would be a very crowded place, indeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/if-every-babe-who-cried-were-still-alive-well-then-the-world-would-be/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [My father leaving the family shaped who I was and how I looked at the world. By the same token, my father telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/my-father-leaving-the-family-shaped-who-i-was-and-how-i-looked-at-the/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [Reader, you may ask this queston. In fact, you must ask this question. Is it ridiculous for a very small, sickly, big-eared mouse to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/reader-you-may-ask-this-queston-in-fact-you-must-ask-this-question-is/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [It wasn't until my fifth or sixth book where I realized I'm trying to do the same thing in every story I tell, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/it-wasn-t-until-my-fifth-or-sixth-book-where-i-realized-i-m-trying-to/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [ \[He\] had the soul of a poet, and because of this, he liked very much to consider questions that had no answers. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/he-had-the-soul-of-a-poet-and-because-of-this-he-liked-very-much-to/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [Everything about writing is hard for me except for that - the names pop into my head. 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But thank you most of all for friends. We appreciate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/dear-god-thank-you-for-warm-summer-nights-and-candlelight-and-good/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [There ain't no point in making soup unless others eat it. Soup needs another mouth to taste it, another heart to be warmed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/there-ain-t-no-point-in-making-soup-unless-others-eat-it-soup-needs/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [ I remember wanting to write a book with someone, the someone being Kate \[DiCamillo\], and we decided to write about two friends. We had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/i-remember-wanting-to-write-a-book-with-someone-the-someone-being/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) [Explore all 442 Kate DiCamillo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) ## More Language quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. 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Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) TimBur > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. 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