--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never open your story with a character…" description: "\"Never open your story with a character thinking, I advise my students. As a further precaution, don’t put a character in a room alone – create a friend..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/les-standiford-41302_action_never-open-your-story-with-a-character-t_1448057.jpg" --- # Never open your story with a character thinking, I advise… ![“Never open your story with a character thinking, I advise my students. As a further precaution, don’t put a character in a room alone – create a friend, a bystander, a genie, for God’s sake, any sentient creature with whom your main character can converse, perhaps argue or, better yet, engage in…” quote by Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/les-standiford-41302_action_never-open-your-story-with-a-character-t_1448057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/les-standiford-41302_action_never-open-your-story-with-a-character-t_1448057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/les-standiford-41302_action_never-open-your-story-with-a-character-t_1448057.jpg) > “Never open your story with a character thinking, I advise my students. As a further precaution, don’t put a character in a room alone – create a friend, a bystander, a genie, for God’s sake, any sentient creature with whom your main character can converse, perhaps argue or, better yet, engage in some action. If a person is out and doing, it’s more likely that something interesting might happen to her or him. Shut up in a room with only his thoughts for company well, that way lies fictional disaster.” [Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advice on narrative structure: avoid solitary introspection, introduce dialogue or interaction to generate conflict and interest. **In simple terms:** Use other characters to create dynamic scenes. Key Takeaway Add companions or obstacles to drive plot. Themes writing dialogue conflict character development Mood cautious reflective Type instructional practical When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - creative workshops Key Concepts Narrative technique show vs tell Questions to Reflect On - How does interaction shape a character’s journey? - What risks arise from over‑populating a scene? A Different Perspective Relying solely on internal monologue can feel static and disengaging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Advise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advise/) [Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) [Bystanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bystanders/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Converse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-converse-5199429/) [Character Room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-room-3714498/) [Character Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-thinking-934293/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Converses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/converses/) [Creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creatures/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Genies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genies/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Main character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/main-character/) [Main characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/main-characters/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Precaution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precaution/) [Room Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/room-thoughts-2034822/) [Rooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooms/) [Sake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sake/) [Shut up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shut-up/) [Something interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something-interesting/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [We may bend sometimes, but we don't break. There's a lot of character in that room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blatt/we-may-bend-sometimes-but-we-don-t-break-there-s-a-lot-of-character/) [David Blatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blatt/) > [If you give a character room to breathe, they come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-keener/if-you-give-a-character-room-to-breathe-they-come-alive/) [Catherine Keener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-keener/) > [My mind has been the most discontented and restless one that ever was put into a body too small for it… I never felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/my-mind-has-been-the-most-discontented-and-restless-one-that-ever-was/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I have to sit alone in a room and be alone with my own thoughts. It always starts with an idea, and once the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bray-wyatt/i-have-to-sit-alone-in-a-room-and-be-alone-with-my-own-thoughts-it/) [Bray Wyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bray-wyatt/) > [One inconvenience I sometimes experienced in so small a house, the difficulty of getting to a sufficient distance from my guest when we began…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/one-inconvenience-i-sometimes-experienced-in-so-small-a-house-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“A flower, a painting or an item you put in an empty room only fills the place where it is placed; but a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/a-flower-a-painting-or-an-item-you-put-in-an-empty-room-only-fills/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The fun for me is knowing what the other person is saying and what my character would be thinking at that time. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-nelson/the-fun-for-me-is-knowing-what-the-other-person-is-saying-and-what-my/) [Barry Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-nelson/) > [I think it's very much a sort of inner feeling that you get when you figure out exactly what that character is thinking. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-moss/i-think-it-s-very-much-a-sort-of-inner-feeling-that-you-get-when-you/) [Elisabeth Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-moss/) > [I try to think what the character is thinking. Then, hopefully, I begin to feel it. I act and react not because I'm recalling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-g-marshall/i-try-to-think-what-the-character-is-thinking-then-hopefully-i-begin/) [E. G. Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-g-marshall/) > [I always go into a character thinking, 'If it scares me, I can do it.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/i-always-go-into-a-character-thinking-if-it-scares-me-i-can-do-it/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) > [I think the ultimate goal is that when we're off-stage, we know everything our character is thinking. Hopefully when we are on-stage, our thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-steele/i-think-the-ultimate-goal-is-that-when-we-re-off-stage-we-know/) [Sarah Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-steele/) > [The ability to get inside your character's head in a graphic novel is really fun and useful because one, you can really define the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kripke/the-ability-to-get-inside-your-character-s-head-in-a-graphic-novel-is/) [Eric Kripke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kripke/) > [When I get excited about a character, I'll start doing things as the character and thinking about what the character would do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-brannagh/when-i-get-excited-about-a-character-i-ll-start-doing-things-as-the/) [Brigid Brannagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-brannagh/) > [I didn't think I grafted the competitive and strong-willed versions of myself from 'Korea's Next Top Model' to Sae-byeok's character. But thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoyeon-jung/i-didn-t-think-i-grafted-the-competitive-and-strong-willed-versions/) [HoYeon Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoyeon-jung/) > [I tend to learn things physically - I guess it's my dance training. I never want to make too many choices too soon -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-tend-to-learn-things-physically-i-guess-it-s-my-dance-training-i/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) ## More by Les Standiford > [“It’s like you’ve been in a terrible accident and had your arm amputated,” she told him. “After a while, the pain goes away, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-standiford/it-s-like-you-ve-been-in-a-terrible-accident-and-had-your-arm/) [Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) > [“Society.” John Forster, who would one day become Dickens’s great friend, adviser, editor, and first biographer, wrote in the Examiner that Dickens had excelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-standiford/society-john-forster-who-would-one-day-become-dickens-s-great-friend/) [Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) > [Maybe it's because we as writers are alone so often, are so attuned to listening to the run of our own thoughts, that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-standiford/maybe-it-s-because-we-as-writers-are-alone-so-often-are-so-attuned-to/) [Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) > [And while dollars have little to do with it, the fiction writer should be asking the same question any capable film producer would ask:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-standiford/and-while-dollars-have-little-to-do-with-it-the-fiction-writer-should/) [Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) > [“That's easy," Russell said. "Because everybody else in this here place is crooked as a dog's hind leg. ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-standiford/that-s-easy-russell-said-because-everybody-else-in-this-here-place-is/) [Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) > [“Permanent construction of the sort Flagler was referring to would not come cheaply, however. Early in 1910, Flagler wrote to John Carrere, designer of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-standiford/permanent-construction-of-the-sort-flagler-was-referring-to-would-not/) [Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) > [“The more a man learns, Dickens said, “the better, gentler, kinder man he must become. When he knows how much great minds have suffered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-standiford/the-more-a-man-learns-dickens-said-the-better-gentler-kinder-man-he/) [Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) > [“Daniel Maclise (whose 1839 oil of Dickens hangs today at the National Portrait Gallery).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-standiford/daniel-maclise-whose-1839-oil-of-dickens-hangs-today-at-the-national/) [Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) > [There are vast differences between scripts and stories, of course. Few fiction writers would want to give up the opportunity to explore how the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-standiford/there-are-vast-differences-between-scripts-and-stories-of-course-few/) [Les Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) [Explore all 10 Les Standiford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-standiford/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. 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