--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I used to teach creative writing, I…" description: "\"When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away - even if it's only a glass of wate..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i_2932800.jpg" --- # When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the… ![“When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away - even if it's only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still have to drink water from time to time.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i_2932800.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i_2932800.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i_2932800.jpg) > “When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away - even if it's only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still have to drink water from time to time.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Characters need clear desires, even simple ones, to drive narrative. **In simple terms:** Give characters immediate, relatable goals. Key Takeaway Write characters with specific, simple motivations. Themes writing character storytelling Mood playful insightful Type creative instructional When to use this quote - novel drafting - screenwriting - game design - teaching writing Key Concepts literature psychology Questions to Reflect On - What simple desire can reveal a character’s core? - How to balance simplicity and complexity? A Different Perspective Over‑simplifying desires may reduce depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-want/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-writing/) [Drink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drink/) [Drink water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drink-water/) [Glasses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glasses/) [Meaninglessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaninglessness/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-life/) [Paralyzed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paralyzed/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Teach Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach-creative-962687/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-tell-743567/) ## Related quotes > [When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i-would-tell-the-students-to/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still have to drink water from time to time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/characters-paralyzed-by-the-meaninglessness-of-modern-life-still-have/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Make your characters want something right away even if it's only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/make-your-characters-want-something-right-away-even-if-it-s-only-a/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [How can you teach someone to be creative? You have to create yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuriy-tarnawsky/how-can-you-teach-someone-to-be-creative-you-have-to-create-yourself/) [Yuriy Tarnawsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuriy-tarnawsky/) > [In fact, the very phrase "teaching creative writing" sounds to me oxymoronic. How can you teach someone to be creative?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuriy-tarnawsky/in-fact-the-very-phrase-teaching-creative-writing-sounds-to-me/) [Yuriy Tarnawsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuriy-tarnawsky/) > [It's not my job at the Institute to teach where people are in the art world - in the world of art historically. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-jordan/it-s-not-my-job-at-the-institute-to-teach-where-people-are-in-the-art/) [Lawrence Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-jordan/) > [I write and teach creative nonfiction. I was a reporter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/i-write-and-teach-creative-nonfiction-i-was-a-reporter/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [When I write I try as far as possible to forget I'm writing it at all. I tell it down onto the page, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/when-i-write-i-try-as-far-as-possible-to-forget-i-m-writing-it-at-all/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [“I write for the love of writing, and to tell a story, nothing more, nothing less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-parham/i-write-for-the-love-of-writing-and-to-tell-a-story-nothing-more/) [Ron Parham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-parham/) > [I hate writing. I so intensely hate writing - I cannot tell you how much. The moment I am at the end of one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/i-hate-writing-i-so-intensely-hate-writing-i-cannot-tell-you-how-much/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [Kids think you just sit down and start writing. I always tell them you never do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-stine/kids-think-you-just-sit-down-and-start-writing-i-always-tell-them-you/) [R. L. Stine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-stine/) > [Bad books on writing tell you to "WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW", a solemn and totally false adage that is the reason there exist so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/bad-books-on-writing-tell-you-to-write-what-you-know-a-solemn-and/) [Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/) > [“People ask me how to start writing. I tell them that 'Creating Creates Creativity'. Put your notes and outline aside. Start with one anecdote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-sederquist/people-ask-me-how-to-start-writing-i-tell-them-that-creating-creates/) [Dick Sederquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-sederquist/) > [When I teach writing, I always tell my students you should assume that the audience you're writing for is smarter than you. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/when-i-teach-writing-i-always-tell-my-students-you-should-assume-that/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [I like the performing. And interviews, even. And the stuff that's not sitting in a room by yourself with empty paper. But I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-newman/i-like-the-performing-and-interviews-even-and-the-stuff-that-s-not/) [Randy Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-newman/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. 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