--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A story begins with this nebulous feeling…" description: "\"A story begins with this nebulous feeling that’s hard to get a hold of and you’re testing your feelings and assumptions, testing what you believe. They..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/michael-chabon-627_amber_a-story-begins-with-this-nebulous-feelin_2177536.jpg" --- # A story begins with this nebulous feeling that’s hard to… ![“A story begins with this nebulous feeling that’s hard to get a hold of and you’re testing your feelings and assumptions, testing what you believe. They end up turning into keepsakes and mementos –like amber in which a memory gets trapped.” quote by Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/michael-chabon-627_amber_a-story-begins-with-this-nebulous-feelin_2177536.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/michael-chabon-627_amber_a-story-begins-with-this-nebulous-feelin_2177536.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/michael-chabon-627_amber_a-story-begins-with-this-nebulous-feelin_2177536.jpg) > “A story begins with this nebulous feeling that’s hard to get a hold of and you’re testing your feelings and assumptions, testing what you believe. They end up turning into keepsakes and mementos –like amber in which a memory gets trapped.” [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vague, testing feeling can crystallize into treasured memories, like amber preserving a moment. **In simple terms:** Testing feelings can become cherished memories. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty to create lasting meaning. Themes creativity memory transformation Mood reflective hopeful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing - personal reflection - artistic inspiration - memory preservation Key Concepts psychology nostalgia symbolism Questions to Reflect On - How do you turn fleeting emotions into lasting keepsakes? - What does “amber” symbolize for you? A Different Perspective Memories may fade if not consciously captured. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Keepsakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keepsakes/) [Mementos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mementos/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [“This is now a different place from what it was two hours ago. There is no mysterious essence we can call a 'place'. Place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-baker/this-is-now-a-different-place-from-what-it-was-two-hours-ago-there-is/) [J.A. Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-baker/) > [Ashley you so fake you like amber cole and yeah you ASHLEY HHERNANDEZ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hh/ashley-you-so-fake-you-like-amber-cole-and-yeah-you-ashley-hhernandez/) HH > [I think I have a pugnacious style. My style is not pretty. I don't use words like "amber" or "opaque."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/i-think-i-have-a-pugnacious-style-my-style-is-not-pretty-i-don-t-use/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [People watching me, I feel like Amber Roses tits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/childish-gambino/people-watching-me-i-feel-like-amber-roses-tits/) [Childish Gambino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/childish-gambino/) > [“William's eyes glowed like two amber coals. She met his gaze and flinched. No emotion reflected in the amber, only intelligence, cruel in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/william-s-eyes-glowed-like-two-amber-coals-she-met-his-gaze-and/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Her supple body, flowing black hair, Her strong-willed eyes that glitter like amber. She is cuter than anything else, She is something my world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irfa-rahat/her-supple-body-flowing-black-hair-her-strong-willed-eyes-that/) [Irfa Rahat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irfa-rahat/) > [From scarlet to powdered gold, to blazing yellow, to the rare ashen emerald, to the orange and black velvet of your shimmering corselet, out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/from-scarlet-to-powdered-gold-to-blazing-yellow-to-the-rare-ashen/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/surround-yourself-with-what-you-love-whether-it-s-family-pets/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I raced through Killer Keepsakes and really loved it smart and interesting and entertaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-fairstein/i-raced-through-killer-keepsakes-and-really-loved-it-smart-and/) [Linda Fairstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-fairstein/) > [I don't have keepsakes from shows, really. It's in the work. It's all there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-malcomson/i-don-t-have-keepsakes-from-shows-really-it-s-in-the-work-it-s-all/) [Paula Malcomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-malcomson/) > [The heart, like the mind, has a memory. And in it are kept the most precious keepsakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/the-heart-like-the-mind-has-a-memory-and-in-it-are-kept-the-most/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [Humans are the only animals that have children on purpose, keep in touch (or don't), care about birthdays, waste and lose time, brush their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/humans-are-the-only-animals-that-have-children-on-purpose-keep-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [I admire him, I frankly confess it; and when his time is come I shall buy a piece of the rope for a keepsake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-admire-him-i-frankly-confess-it-and-when-his-time-is-come-i-shall/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [It's one of the most beautiful memories of my life. Not everyone has a chance to meet Greta Garbo! I was so in awe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giovanna-cau/it-s-one-of-the-most-beautiful-memories-of-my-life-not-everyone-has-a/) [Giovanna Cau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giovanna-cau/) > [Crafting your own decorations is such a nice, old fashioned way to spend time with loved ones, creating memories each year when you bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-farr/crafting-your-own-decorations-is-such-a-nice-old-fashioned-way-to/) [Hilary Farr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-farr/) ## More by Michael Chabon > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Anyway, it's a pretty good story," I said. "You have to admit." "Yeah?" He crumpled up the Kleenex, having dispatched the solitary tear. "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/anyway-it-s-a-pretty-good-story-i-said-you-have-to-admit-yeah-he/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [There were so many Pittsburgh poets in my hallway that if, at that instant, a meteorite had come smashing through my roof, there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/there-were-so-many-pittsburgh-poets-in-my-hallway-that-if-at-that/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Badass.'" My grandfather sampled the flavor of the word. It did not seem to revolt him, but it was nothing he needed ever to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/badass-my-grandfather-sampled-the-flavor-of-the-word-it-did-not-seem/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [See you in the funny papers," he said. Jaunty, he reminded himself; always jaunty. In my panache is their hope for salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/see-you-in-the-funny-papers-he-said-jaunty-he-reminded-himself-always/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“I didn't want to be left alone with Timothy, not because I was afraid of him but because I was afraid that somebody would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/i-didn-t-want-to-be-left-alone-with-timothy-not-because-i-was-afraid/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“He had already seized this particular day once, but he was prepared, if need be, to go ahead and seize the motherfucker all over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/he-had-already-seized-this-particular-day-once-but-he-was-prepared-if/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“We figure he must have let him out. The perpetrator, I mean. He's blind and we figure he just wandered off and maybe got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/we-figure-he-must-have-let-him-out-the-perpetrator-i-mean-he-s-blind/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Then I reminded myself that I was always willing to listen to arguments in favor of avoiding an unpleasant chore, and I shook my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/then-i-reminded-myself-that-i-was-always-willing-to-listen-to/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Love great first lines and paragraphs. From The Yiddish Policemen's Union: Nine months Landsman's been flopping at the Hotel Zamenhof without any of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/love-great-first-lines-and-paragraphs-from-the-yiddish-policemen-s/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Life blew in gusts from the hole in the side of the elephant with a rank smell and a comic flatulence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/life-blew-in-gusts-from-the-hole-in-the-side-of-the-elephant-with-a/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Not only would I never want to belong to any club that would have me for a member--if elected I would wear street shoes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/not-only-would-i-never-want-to-belong-to-any-club-that-would-have-me/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [That's the best thing about writing, when you're in that zone, you're porous, ready to absorb the solution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/that-s-the-best-thing-about-writing-when-you-re-in-that-zone-you-re/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Most science fiction seemed to be written for people who already liked science fiction; I wanted to write stories for anyone, anywhere, living at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/most-science-fiction-seemed-to-be-written-for-people-who-already/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [ “For as long as I could remember, I'd been making vague and confident assurances that any day I would finish the thing \[my book\].… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/for-as-long-as-i-could-remember-i-d-been-making-vague-and-confident/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) [Explore all 436 Michael Chabon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) ## More Amber quotes > [“I don't know what this feeling is... I only know that I feel safe in your arms. My heart races every time I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-west/i-don-t-know-what-this-feeling-is-i-only-know-that-i-feel-safe-in/) [Sarah West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-west/) > [I have been much amused at ye singular phenomena resulting from bringing of a needle into contact with a piece of amber or resin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/i-have-been-much-amused-at-ye-singular-phenomena-resulting-from/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Dear Amber Hope,You're amazing, Funny, creative, and yet soooo pretty xD Don't let anyone I mean ANYONE tell you different! 'Cause they are soooo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine/dear-amber-hope-you-re-amazing-funny-creative-and-yet-soooo-pretty-xd/) [Jasmine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine/) > [There is an infinity of landscape here, caused by the purity of the atmosphere. It has been said that there is a lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-heysen/there-is-an-infinity-of-landscape-here-caused-by-the-purity-of-the/) Hans Heysen > [I'm not the kind of artist that wants to get a sound, refine it, and do it 'til I'm 50 so that it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doseone/i-m-not-the-kind-of-artist-that-wants-to-get-a-sound-refine-it-and-do/) [Doseone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doseone/) > [“Amber was not shy. If she had been shy, not one of us would be at Perkins right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/amber-was-not-shy-if-she-had-been-shy-not-one-of-us-would-be-at/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“I peel hiss tense fingers on his right hand away from the steering wheel, one two three four five. With each finger, the scowl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/i-peel-hiss-tense-fingers-on-his-right-hand-away-from-the-steering/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [ My grandmother used to say that there's something truly intimate about sharing food with the people you love." \[Stacey\] "Intimate? Sharing food? People you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-faria-stolarz/my-grandmother-used-to-say-that-there-s-something-truly-intimate/) [Laurie Faria Stolarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-faria-stolarz/) > [I didn't expect to be doing a whole bunch of Amber Browns. And because it was just one book, and the father had moved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-danziger/i-didn-t-expect-to-be-doing-a-whole-bunch-of-amber-browns-and-because/) [Paula Danziger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-danziger/) > [Most cats feel that bird-catching is their duty; the instinct goes back to prehistoric times. Amber keeps in practice by chasing moths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-taber/most-cats-feel-that-bird-catching-is-their-duty-the-instinct-goes/) [Gladys Taber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-taber/) > [“Cade motions with a nod to follow him. He's holding the pole, and I'm the fish on the line. Just how far will he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/cade-motions-with-a-nod-to-follow-him-he-s-holding-the-pole-and-i-m/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [His smell—the scent of a demon, cinnamon incense, amber musk—wrapped around me, filled my lungs. I felt like I could breathe again, without every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/his-smell-the-scent-of-a-demon-cinnamon-incense-amber-musk-wrapped/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Whence we see spiders, flies, or ants entombed and preserved forever in amber, a more than royal tomb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/whence-we-see-spiders-flies-or-ants-entombed-and-preserved-forever-in/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Memory is all we are. Moments and feelings, captured in amber, strung on filaments of reason. Take a man’s memories and you take all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/memory-is-all-we-are-moments-and-feelings-captured-in-amber-strung-on/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [But the world moves on, even when you don’t want it to, even when change feels like the end of everything. It never stops.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/but-the-world-moves-on-even-when-you-don-t-want-it-to-even-when/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) Browse all 183 Amber quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A story begins with this nebulous feeling that’s hard to get a hold of and you’re testing your feelings and assumptions, testing what you believe. 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