--- 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.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i_586112.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.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i_586112.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i_586112.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i_586112.jpg) > “When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away.” [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. Give characters clear motivations early to drive plot and engage readers. **In simple terms:** Start characters with strong goals. Key Takeaway Define character desires from the start. Themes writing storytelling character development Mood inspirational practical Type creative instructional When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - role‑playing games - marketing copy Key Concepts narrative drive psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance early motivation with later complexity? - What techniques keep characters evolving? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on immediate desire can limit subtle character growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-writing/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away - even if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i-would-tell-the-students-to-2/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [When I'm teaching, I tell my students: It's all process. Don't even think of product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-hong-kingston/when-i-m-teaching-i-tell-my-students-it-s-all-process-don-t-even/) [Maxine Hong Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-hong-kingston/) > [I always tell my students to go back after a hundred pages and rewrite from the beginning. 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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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And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Character 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 always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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