--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I like about narrative in general is…" description: "\"What I like about narrative in general is when there is some incongruity between the form and content. Let's say, mixing up the gothic with a coming-of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/kelly-link-9393_age_what-i-like-about-narrative-in-general-i_2106988.jpg" --- # What I like about narrative in general is when there is… ![“What I like about narrative in general is when there is some incongruity between the form and content. Let's say, mixing up the gothic with a coming-of-age narrative. Telling a love story that's also a monster story. Mixing up superhero tropes with your monster tropes. I like category confusion.” quote by Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/kelly-link-9393_age_what-i-like-about-narrative-in-general-i_2106988.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/kelly-link-9393_age_what-i-like-about-narrative-in-general-i_2106988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/kelly-link-9393_age_what-i-like-about-narrative-in-general-i_2106988.jpg) > “What I like about narrative in general is when there is some incongruity between the form and content. Let's say, mixing up the gothic with a coming-of-age narrative. Telling a love story that's also a monster story. Mixing up superhero tropes with your monster tropes. I like category confusion.” [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She appreciates narratives that blend mismatched genres, creating surprising and fresh storytelling experiences. **In simple terms:** She likes mixing different story styles for unique effects. Key Takeaway Experiment with genre mash‑ups for creative writing. Themes creativity genre storytelling innovation confusion Mood playful curious Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - creative projects - teaching literature Key Concepts narrative theory genre blending literary play Questions to Reflect On - What genre combos intrigue you? - How does contrast affect story impact? A Different Perspective Readers may find genre mixing disorienting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Categories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/categories/) [Coming of age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-of-age/) [Confusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusion/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Gothic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gothic/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Incongruity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incongruity/) [Like Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-narrative-767814/) [Love story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-story/) [Mixing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mixing/) [Monster Tropes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monster-tropes-4236951/) [Monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Mixing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-mixing-4236950/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Superhero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superhero/) [Superhero Tropes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superhero-tropes-4236952/) [Tropes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tropes/) ## Related quotes > [I really like narrative songs, but I wonder if that's a thing for some people. Once they've heard the story, do they really need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-finn/i-really-like-narrative-songs-but-i-wonder-if-that-s-a-thing-for-some/) [Craig Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-finn/) > [“I need fiction, I am an addict. This is not a figure of speech. I don’t quite read a novel a day, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/i-need-fiction-i-am-an-addict-this-is-not-a-figure-of-speech-i-don-t/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [My background with acting is deeply interwoven with my family life and my childhood. It's a 'Peter Pan'-like narrative, something that was golden but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-sprouse/my-background-with-acting-is-deeply-interwoven-with-my-family-life/) [Cole Sprouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-sprouse/) > [Oh yeah, I grew up with comics. You know, I always like to describe myself as a 'narrative junkie.' I love novels, I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-liss/oh-yeah-i-grew-up-with-comics-you-know-i-always-like-to-describe/) [David Liss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-liss/) > [I like narrative, and I ultimately am in love with the men and women I write about, most of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/i-like-narrative-and-i-ultimately-am-in-love-with-the-men-and-women-i/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [I like narrative storytelling as being part of a tradition, a folk tradition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-like-narrative-storytelling-as-being-part-of-a-tradition-a-folk/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I was like: the narrative should be that the work that we did was never paid for so Leave.E.U., by not registering that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-kaiser/i-was-like-the-narrative-should-be-that-the-work-that-we-did-was/) [Brittany Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-kaiser/) > [I like a narrative, even if it's fractured, or kind of psychedelic. But my favorite thing is if I hear words and I close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-malkmus/i-like-a-narrative-even-if-it-s-fractured-or-kind-of-psychedelic-but/) [Stephen Malkmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-malkmus/) > [It is better to emit a scream in the shape of a theory than to be entirely insensible to the jars and incongruities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/it-is-better-to-emit-a-scream-in-the-shape-of-a-theory-than-to-be/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [Incongruity is the mainspring of laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-beerbohm/incongruity-is-the-mainspring-of-laughter/) [Max Beerbohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-beerbohm/) > [People will not follow a leader with moral incongruities for long. Every time you compromise character you compromise leadership. The foundation of firm leadership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/people-will-not-follow-a-leader-with-moral-incongruities-for-long/) [Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/) > [Everything can happen, everything is possible and probable. Time and place do not exist; on a significant bases of reality, the imagination spins, weaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/everything-can-happen-everything-is-possible-and-probable-time-and/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [But whatever you do, take neither yourselves nor your fellow-creatures too seriously. There is tragedy enough in our daily routine, but there is room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/but-whatever-you-do-take-neither-yourselves-nor-your-fellow-creatures/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [Yet again, an ancient answer echoes across the centuries: Listen! Listen to stories! For what stories do, above all else, is hold up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-kurtz/yet-again-an-ancient-answer-echoes-across-the-centuries-listen-listen/) [Ernest Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-kurtz/) > [Humor may be defined as the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life, and the artistic expression thereof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/humor-may-be-defined-as-the-kindly-contemplation-of-the-incongruities/) [Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/) ## More by Kelly Link > [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. Once I'm past that phase, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-loathing-the-sentences-that-i-put-down-on-the/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [In terms of style, too, I think I've been working with a somewhat limited -- although intentionally limited -- set of tools. So I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/in-terms-of-style-too-i-think-i-ve-been-working-with-a-somewhat/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [I didn't do anything as active as deciding that I wanted to be a writer. For one thing, I didn't feel like I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-didn-t-do-anything-as-active-as-deciding-that-i-wanted-to-be-a/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [“When his writing is going well, Gordon Strangle Mars likes to wake up at 6 a.m. and go out driving. He works out new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/when-his-writing-is-going-well-gordon-strangle-mars-likes-to-wake-up/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [It's very unlikely that a writer is going to make a living by writing. So then the question is: how do you balance work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/it-s-very-unlikely-that-a-writer-is-going-to-make-a-living-by-writing/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [Most of the things that I remember from childhood wouldn't make a particularly good story: rescuing worms during rainstorms, our schnauzer attacking a wheel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/most-of-the-things-that-i-remember-from-childhood-wouldn-t-make-a/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [The beloved may be treacherous, greasy-headed and given to evil habits, or else it can be a man in his late forties who works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/the-beloved-may-be-treacherous-greasy-headed-and-given-to-evil-habits/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [“Tell me which you could sooner do without, love or water.” “What do you mean?” “I mean, could you live without love, or could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/tell-me-which-you-could-sooner-do-without-love-or-water-what-do-you/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [You were going to travel for love, without shoes, or cloak, or common sense. This is one of the things a woman can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/you-were-going-to-travel-for-love-without-shoes-or-cloak-or-common/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [A vampire is a flexible metaphor. You know, death, sex, change, stagnation, loss of self, loss of agency, having to keep one's real self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/a-vampire-is-a-flexible-metaphor-you-know-death-sex-change-stagnation/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [“If you were to say a witch's chess set instead of a witch's family , there would be some truth in that. Perhaps this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/if-you-were-to-say-a-witch-s-chess-set-instead-of-a-witch-s-family/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [“Hildy has resigned herself to this, that life is a series of sudden disappearences, leavetakings without the proper good-byes. Someday she too might vanish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/hildy-has-resigned-herself-to-this-that-life-is-a-series-of-sudden/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [“Jeremy and Karl and Elizabeth have known each other since the first day of kindergarten. Amy and Talis are a year younger...Now the five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/jeremy-and-karl-and-elizabeth-have-known-each-other-since-the-first/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [I built a cannon out of ice, and wrapped myself in the funeral carpet which my husbands and wives had woven for me out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-built-a-cannon-out-of-ice-and-wrapped-myself-in-the-funeral-carpet/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [“This is the list you carry in your pocket, of the things you plan to say to Kay, when you find him, if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/this-is-the-list-you-carry-in-your-pocket-of-the-things-you-plan-to/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) [Explore all 70 Kelly Link quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What I like about narrative in general is when there is some incongruity between the form and content. Let's say, mixing up the gothic with a coming-of-age narrative. Telling a love story that's also a monster story. Mixing up superhero tropes with your monster tropes. 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