--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I love a big, character-rich story with a…" description: "\"I love a big, character-rich story with a dark heart, with a compelling mystery or some kind of ticking clock at its center. I want to be lured in by p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/lisa-unger-3678_big_i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a_1475232.png" --- # I love a big, character-rich story with a dark heart, with… ![“I love a big, character-rich story with a dark heart, with a compelling mystery or some kind of ticking clock at its center. I want to be lured in by prose, captured by character, and bound by stellar plotting to keep turning the pages.” quote by Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/lisa-unger-3678_big_i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a_1475232.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/lisa-unger-3678_big_i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a_1475232.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/lisa-unger-3678_big_i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a_1475232.png) > “I love a big, character-rich story with a dark heart, with a compelling mystery or some kind of ticking clock at its center. I want to be lured in by prose, captured by character, and bound by stellar plotting to keep turning the pages.” [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A desire for immersive, dark‑toned narratives driven by strong characters, mystery, and urgent pacing. **In simple terms:** Loving deep, dark, fast‑paced stories. Key Takeaway Seek stories with strong characters and ticking‑clock plots. Themes storytelling dark themes character depth plot tension Mood intrigued anticipatory Type literary genre When to use this quote - book clubs - writing workshops - reading retreats - creative writing classes - film analysis Key Concepts psychology suspense narrative structure Questions to Reflect On - What elements make a story feel compelling to you? - How does a ticking clock affect your engagement? A Different Perspective Not all readers enjoy darkness; some may find it oppressive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Bound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bound/) [Captured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captured/) [Center](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/center/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-rich-2101776/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Compelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelling/) [Compelling Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelling-mystery-2434594/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [I love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-love/) [Keep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keep/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pages/) [Plotting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plotting/) [Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prose/) [Rich Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-story-5363885/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Stellar Plotting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stellar-plotting-5363884/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Ticking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ticking/) [Turning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turning/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Nicole Baart has written a novel that satisfies on every level. Sleeping In Eden is a compelling mystery, a tragic love story, a perceptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/nicole-baart-has-written-a-novel-that-satisfies-on-every-level/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“Chase the story behind the stock, not the money on the table. Money will make you rich, but the story will make you wealthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-kedia/chase-the-story-behind-the-stock-not-the-money-on-the-table-money/) [Vijay Kedia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-kedia/) > [“Write because you love it, not because you want to become rich. Your story will be better for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-axe/write-because-you-love-it-not-because-you-want-to-become-rich-your/) [Lana Axe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-axe/) > [Mostly, I have to say as an actor, to find a character that's been rich enough for 10 seasons of shows... that's very rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-cryer/mostly-i-have-to-say-as-an-actor-to-find-a-character-that-s-been-rich/) [Jon Cryer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-cryer/) > [It's just a dream of the struggling actor to just have a proper shot - not just in a film that people will see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/it-s-just-a-dream-of-the-struggling-actor-to-just-have-a-proper-shot/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [Life is what our character makes it. We fashion it, as a snail does its shell. A man can say: I never made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/life-is-what-our-character-makes-it-we-fashion-it-as-a-snail-does-its/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [The challenge is creating a character that's rich and interesting to warrant following for a number of years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-spotnitz/the-challenge-is-creating-a-character-that-s-rich-and-interesting-to/) [Frank Spotnitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-spotnitz/) > [“Introduction of deus ex machina is a tell-tale sign of sloppy plotting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mehalek/introduction-of-deus-ex-machina-is-a-tell-tale-sign-of-sloppy-plotting/) [Mike Mehalek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mehalek/) > [When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and came up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously-i-did-a-lot-of-reading-and/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [As an engineer I'm constantly spotting problems and plotting how to solve them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dyson/as-an-engineer-i-m-constantly-spotting-problems-and-plotting-how-to/) [James Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dyson/) > [“How dare he call me while I was plotting his murder?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alycia-linwood/how-dare-he-call-me-while-i-was-plotting-his-murder/) [Alycia Linwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alycia-linwood/) > [My forte is the plotting. You sit down, and you work out a plot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-cussler/my-forte-is-the-plotting-you-sit-down-and-you-work-out-a-plot/) [Clive Cussler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-cussler/) > [Gettting to know your characters is so much more important than plotting. Working out every detail of your story in advance, especially when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/gettting-to-know-your-characters-is-so-much-more-important-than/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Tim Conway was a little different from the rest. He was always in the back of the studio building something with the prop man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-lawrence/tim-conway-was-a-little-different-from-the-rest-he-was-always-in-the/) [Vicki Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-lawrence/) > [“When you fear nothing, you have nothing to fear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-f-chandler/when-you-fear-nothing-you-have-nothing-to-fear/) [S.F. Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-f-chandler/) ## More by Lisa Unger > [“When they’re small, they’re part of you, on you in bed, showering with you, climbing onto your lap, holding on to your leg. Slowly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/when-they-re-small-they-re-part-of-you-on-you-in-bed-showering-with/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“We hate our parents for having their own lives, don’t we, for making decisions for themselves that don’t seem to take us into account.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/we-hate-our-parents-for-having-their-own-lives-don-t-we-for-making/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“Depression is not dramatic, but it is total. It’s sneaky - you almost don’t notice it at first. Like a cat burglar, it comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/depression-is-not-dramatic-but-it-is-total-it-s-sneaky-you-almost-don/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“...in the end it's not just the big and small events that make you who you are, make your life what it is, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/in-the-end-it-s-not-just-the-big-and-small-events-that-make-you-who/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [The Universe doesn't like secrets. It conspires to reveal the truth, to lead you to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/the-universe-doesn-t-like-secrets-it-conspires-to-reveal-the-truth-to/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“We have more patience for girls who act like boys than boys who act like girls. A tomboy is considered cute. One day she’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/we-have-more-patience-for-girls-who-act-like-boys-than-boys-who-act/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“You didn't wind up on a pole without a lot of help from your family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/you-didn-t-wind-up-on-a-pole-without-a-lot-of-help-from-your-family/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [Writers are first and foremost observers. We lose ourselves in the watching and then the telling of the world we find. Often we feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/writers-are-first-and-foremost-observers-we-lose-ourselves-in-the/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [I loved him so much. It didn't change all the reasons we couldn't be together, but it kept me returning to his body, kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/i-loved-him-so-much-it-didn-t-change-all-the-reasons-we-couldn-t-be/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [It was a strange lightness, a drifting feeling. Zero gravity. I understood that everything that once seemed solid and immovable might just float away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/it-was-a-strange-lightness-a-drifting-feeling-zero-gravity-i/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [Of course, like all organic processes, there is an ebb and a flow to writing. One does not exist without the other. The writer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/of-course-like-all-organic-processes-there-is-an-ebb-and-a-flow-to/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [When you start to really know someone, all his physical characteristics start to disappear. You begin to dwell in his energy, recognize the scent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/when-you-start-to-really-know-someone-all-his-physical/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [It's strange how memory gets twisted and pulled like taffy in its retelling, how a single event can mean something different to everyone present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/it-s-strange-how-memory-gets-twisted-and-pulled-like-taffy-in-its/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [Many people believe that evil is the presence of something. I think it's the absence of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/many-people-believe-that-evil-is-the-presence-of-something-i-think-it/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [Even if someone is overcome with rage, it takes amazing arrogance to kill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/even-if-someone-is-overcome-with-rage-it-takes-amazing-arrogance-to/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) [Explore all 124 Lisa Unger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) ## More Big quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [I think a big part of success in football is mental, not physical. How you are inside your head matters more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iker-casillas/i-think-a-big-part-of-success-in-football-is-mental-not-physical-how/) [Iker Casillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iker-casillas/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [What I know about Ali Krieger is no moment is ever going to be too big for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-ellis/what-i-know-about-ali-krieger-is-no-moment-is-ever-going-to-be-too/) [Jill Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-ellis/) [Browse all 12,477 Big quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I love a big, character-rich story with a dark heart, with a compelling mystery or some kind of ticking clock at its center. I want to be lured in by prose, captured by character, and bound by stellar plotting to keep turning the pages.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lisa Unger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a-dark-heart-with-a-compelling/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a-dark-heart-with-a-compelling/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/lisa-unger-3678_big_i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a_1475232.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/lisa-unger-3678_big_i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a_1475232.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/lisa-unger-3678_big_i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a_1475232.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I love a big, character-rich story with a dark heart, with a compelling mystery or some kind of ticking…” — Lisa Unger", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lisa Unger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I love a big, character-rich story...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a-dark-heart-with-a-compelling/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/i-love-a-big-character-rich-story-with-a-dark-heart-with-a-compelling/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```