---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I do with everything is take things…"
description: "\"What I do with everything is take things out of real life. You encounter all sorts of stories. It's a lot of your friends and family, sometimes there's..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/mark-millar-4714_encounters_what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things_536257.png"
---

#  What I do with everything is take things out of real life…

![“What I do with everything is take things out of real life. You encounter all sorts of stories. It's a lot of your friends and family, sometimes there's quite sad episodes in their life and everything. So just little things I've picked up along the years always find a way into all of my stories.” quote by Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/mark-millar-4714_encounters_what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things_536257.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/mark-millar-4714_encounters_what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things_536257.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/mark-millar-4714_encounters_what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things_536257.png)

> “What I do with everything is take things out of real life. You encounter all sorts of stories. It's a lot of your friends and family, sometimes there's quite sad episodes in their life and everything. So just little things I've picked up along the years always find a way into all of my stories.”

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He draws inspiration from everyday life, turning personal stories into narrative material.

**In simple terms:** Everyday experiences become story material.

Key Takeaway

Observe and record daily moments for storytelling.

Themes

creativity observation storytelling

Mood

reflective inspired

Type

creative personal

When to use this quote

- writing
- screenwriting
- blogging
- teaching

Key Concepts

narrative construction personal experience

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you transform mundane moments into compelling narratives?
- What details make a personal story universal?

A Different Perspective

May overlook deeper analysis of events.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family and friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-and-friends/) [Friends and family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-and-family/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Little things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-things/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/)

## Related quotes

> [If you added up all the really significant episodes in your life they'd probably come to less than sixty minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/if-you-added-up-all-the-really-significant-episodes-in-your-life-they/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [I learned early on that there are all sorts of stories I have no place telling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hedges/i-learned-early-on-that-there-are-all-sorts-of-stories-i-have-no/)

[Peter Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hedges/)

> [There's all sorts of stories about me. I've stopped listening to them. You've got to laugh at them, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-ryder/there-s-all-sorts-of-stories-about-me-i-ve-stopped-listening-to-them/)

[Shaun Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-ryder/)

> [If you read my short stories, there's a lot of sex in those in all different ways. To me, it's a really good, useful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/if-you-read-my-short-stories-there-s-a-lot-of-sex-in-those-in-all/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [I read individual stories a lot in magazines and other places, too, but I really think there's something to be said for reading story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-evenson/i-read-individual-stories-a-lot-in-magazines-and-other-places-too-but/)

[Brian Evenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-evenson/)

> [You know, people make up a lot of different stories about a lot of different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-j/you-know-people-make-up-a-lot-of-different-stories-about-a-lot-of/)

[Ray J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-j/)

> [There are some truths to some of the stories, but a lot of it isn't - you just have got to let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-church/there-are-some-truths-to-some-of-the-stories-but-a-lot-of-it-isn-t/)

[Charlotte Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-church/)

> [I think that YA stories have a lot of heart, and I think that whatever age we are, we connect to them because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabaa-tahir/i-think-that-ya-stories-have-a-lot-of-heart-and-i-think-that-whatever/)

[Sabaa Tahir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabaa-tahir/)

> [I have respect for therapists in general, because they hear so many stories. It's a lot to hold and take in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurnee-smollett-bell/i-have-respect-for-therapists-in-general-because-they-hear-so-many/)

[Jurnee Smollett-Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurnee-smollett-bell/)

> [I like things that are beaten up, that have lived a little. I like things that are real. I like things that are made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pj-harvey/i-like-things-that-are-beaten-up-that-have-lived-a-little-i-like/)

[PJ Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pj-harvey/)

> [I recognize that I'm in a band, and part of being in a band is doing interviews, and I do have a platform so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-jane-grace/i-recognize-that-i-m-in-a-band-and-part-of-being-in-a-band-is-doing/)

[Laura Jane Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-jane-grace/)

> [As a comedian, I think you need to keep things real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judah-friedlander/as-a-comedian-i-think-you-need-to-keep-things-real/)

[Judah Friedlander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judah-friedlander/)

> [If the audience sees and feels things are real, then they buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-silver/if-the-audience-sees-and-feels-things-are-real-then-they-buy-it/)

[Joel Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-silver/)

> [People say to me, ‘How do I know if a word is real?’ You know, anybody who’s read a children’s book knows that love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckean/people-say-to-me-how-do-i-know-if-a-word-is-real-you-know-anybody-who/)

[Erin McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckean/)

> [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/)

[Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/)

## More by Mark Millar

> [The past is an anchor with suffering written on the rope. I don't live there now. I am cutting myself free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/the-past-is-an-anchor-with-suffering-written-on-the-rope-i-don-t-live/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [For years I've wanted to work with this guy, so to actually write at the top of my scripts "Empress, Script by Mark Millar,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/for-years-i-ve-wanted-to-work-with-this-guy-so-to-actually-write-at/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [I spent as much time writing proposals in '98 and '99 as I did writing scripts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/i-spent-as-much-time-writing-proposals-in-98-and-99-as-i-did-writing/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [I was desperate to work with Stuart Immonen, who I have talked with for several years about doing a project together. So just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/i-was-desperate-to-work-with-stuart-immonen-who-i-have-talked-with/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [ He \[Stuart Immonen\] and I have known each other over email for 18, 19 years or something, so to finally work with him is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/he-stuart-immonen-and-i-have-known-each-other-over-email-for-18-19/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [Guess that's thirty-one pieces of silver you've got now, huh? Sleep well, Judas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/guess-that-s-thirty-one-pieces-of-silver-you-ve-got-now-huh-sleep/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [ I think exactly the same qualities as men \[women role model needs\], exactly the same, which is kindness, courage and intelligence. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/i-think-exactly-the-same-qualities-as-men-women-role-model-needs/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [I'm honestly as happy writing Superman Adventures as I am writing Wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/i-m-honestly-as-happy-writing-superman-adventures-as-i-am-writing/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [There's almost a universe as big as the Marvel Universe with X-Men. I mean, Deadpool is something I think everybody was taken surprise by,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/there-s-almost-a-universe-as-big-as-the-marvel-universe-with-x-men-i/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [I wanted to portray very, very dark subject matter and a deceptively complex story in the brightest colours and simplest lines possible to leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/i-wanted-to-portray-very-very-dark-subject-matter-and-a-deceptively/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [In the U.S., Superman or Batman or something, the law-enforcement people, are the most famous comic characters. Americans have a respect, I think, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/in-the-u-s-superman-or-batman-or-something-the-law-enforcement-people/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [The books are all very, very different so the publishers really had to be different too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/the-books-are-all-very-very-different-so-the-publishers-really-had-to/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [I've done so many superhero comics, and I've actually just been really excited about sci-fi, and Chrononauts and Starlight were both sci-fi, which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/i-ve-done-so-many-superhero-comics-and-i-ve-actually-just-been-really/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [Anytime something becomes a success in this way you always get imitators. I'm an imitator of the guys I love. I imitate people like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/anytime-something-becomes-a-success-in-this-way-you-always-get/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [“I know that ostensibly I’ve been teaching you in our period together, but on the other hand I genuinely believe that you’ve been teaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/i-know-that-ostensibly-i-ve-been-teaching-you-in-our-period-together/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

[Explore all 102 Mark Millar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

## More Encounters quotes

> [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/)

Daniel K Judd

> [Gun control laws don't work. What is worse, they act perversely. While legitimate users of firearms encounter intense regulation, scrutiny and bureaucratic control, illicit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-polsby/gun-control-laws-don-t-work-what-is-worse-they-act-perversely-while/)

Daniel D. Polsby

> [The essence of Christianity...is an ever-new encounter with... the God who speaks to us, who approaches us and who befriends us!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-essence-of-christianity-is-an-ever-new-encounter-with-the-god-who/)

[Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/)

> [The truly still mind, with which you were born, is the mind that moves freely. Without ignoring anything, it reacts wholeheartedly to everything it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soko-morinaga/the-truly-still-mind-with-which-you-were-born-is-the-mind-that-moves/)

[Soko Morinaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soko-morinaga/)

> [Wherever you encounter truth, look upon it as Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/wherever-you-encounter-truth-look-upon-it-as-christianity/)

[Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/)

> [If you abide in the love of Christ, rooted in the faith, you will encounter, even amid setbacks and suffering, the source of true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/if-you-abide-in-the-love-of-christ-rooted-in-the-faith-you-will/)

[Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/)

> [I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-want-to-remind-priests-that-the-confessional-must-not-be-a-torture/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [The goal in raising one's child is to enable him, first, to discover who he wants to be, and then to become a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-bettelheim/the-goal-in-raising-one-s-child-is-to-enable-him-first-to-discover/)

[Bruno Bettelheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-bettelheim/)

> [My first encounter with yoga was in 1969 with my older brother Doug. I was thirteen years old, and he was eighteen. He'd learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-f-swensen/my-first-encounter-with-yoga-was-in-1969-with-my-older-brother-doug-i/)

[David F. Swensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-f-swensen/)

> [God isn't chocolate, he's the encounter between chocolate and the palate capable of appreciating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelie-nothomb/god-isn-t-chocolate-he-s-the-encounter-between-chocolate-and-the/)

[Amelie Nothomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelie-nothomb/)

> [A crisis is a close encounter of the third kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/a-crisis-is-a-close-encounter-of-the-third-kind/)

[Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/)

> [...not all encounters with the world affect the mind equally. Studies have demonstrated that if the brain appraises an event as "meaningful," it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-siegel/not-all-encounters-with-the-world-affect-the-mind-equally-studies/)

[Daniel J. Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-siegel/)

> [The Internet offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-internet-offers-immense-possibilities-for-encounter-and/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [I've had some very close encounters with the other side. They chose me to do this - I was doing this all before a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zak-bagans/i-ve-had-some-very-close-encounters-with-the-other-side-they-chose-me/)

[Zak Bagans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zak-bagans/)

> [The impulse to paint comes neither from observation nor from the soul (which is probably blind) but from an encounter: the encounter between painter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/the-impulse-to-paint-comes-neither-from-observation-nor-from-the-soul/)

[John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/)

[Browse all 1,199 Encounters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "What I do with everything is take things out of real life. You encounter all sorts of stories. It's a lot of your friends and family, sometimes there's quite sad episodes in their life and everything. So just little things I've picked up along the years always find a way into all of my stories.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark Millar"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things-out-of-real-life-you/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Encounters"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things-out-of-real-life-you/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/mark-millar-4714_encounters_what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things_536257.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/mark-millar-4714_encounters_what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things_536257.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/mark-millar-4714_encounters_what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things_536257.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What I do with everything is take things out of real life. You encounter all sorts of stories. It's a lot of…” — Mark Millar",
                "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": "Mark Millar",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "What I do with everything is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things-out-of-real-life-you/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/what-i-do-with-everything-is-take-things-out-of-real-life-you/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
