--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before I ever begin writing a new story…" description: "\"Before I ever begin writing a new story, I have to sketch my characters out on paper. It's part of my process of understanding who they are.\" — Marie Lu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/marie-lu-1250_learning_before-i-ever-begin-writing-a-new-story_392534.png" --- # Before I ever begin writing a new story, I have to sketch… ![“Before I ever begin writing a new story, I have to sketch my characters out on paper. It's part of my process of understanding who they are.” quote by Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/marie-lu-1250_learning_before-i-ever-begin-writing-a-new-story_392534.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/marie-lu-1250_learning_before-i-ever-begin-writing-a-new-story_392534.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/marie-lu-1250_learning_before-i-ever-begin-writing-a-new-story_392534.png) > “Before I ever begin writing a new story, I have to sketch my characters out on paper. It's part of my process of understanding who they are.” [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She sketches characters before writing to grasp their identities and motivations. **In simple terms:** Sketch characters to understand them. Key Takeaway Create character outlines first. Themes creativity character development process Mood thoughtful focused Type instructional creative When to use this quote - novel planning - character interviews - writing workshops Key Concepts psychology storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How does visualizing characters affect plot? - What details emerge when sketching? A Different Perspective May limit spontaneity in discovery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characters Paper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-paper-3538099/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Sketch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sketch/) [Sketch Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sketch-characters-3538098/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Story Sketch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-sketch-2439103/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-new/) ## Related quotes > [The whole thing with the Rick James story sketch and the Prince story sketch - I recounted my past, you know? - and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/the-whole-thing-with-the-rick-james-story-sketch-and-the-prince-story/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [Writing is work, but it's also a compulsion, and once you get your characters on paper, you can't abandon them. 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Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-u-pacat/) [Browse all 22,300 Learning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before I ever begin writing a new story, I have to sketch my characters out on paper. 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