---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm looking for stories that make me sit…"
description: "\"I'm looking for stories that make me sit up and take notice. For engagement with language and style in ways that the genre doesn't see enough of.\" — Na..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/nalo-hopkinson-16957_engagement_i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit_2267466.jpg"
---

#  I'm looking for stories that make me sit up and take…

![“I'm looking for stories that make me sit up and take notice. For engagement with language and style in ways that the genre doesn't see enough of.” quote by Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/nalo-hopkinson-16957_engagement_i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit_2267466.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/nalo-hopkinson-16957_engagement_i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit_2267466.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/nalo-hopkinson-16957_engagement_i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit_2267466.jpg)

> “I'm looking for stories that make me sit up and take notice. For engagement with language and style in ways that the genre doesn't see enough of.”

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

## About This Quote

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

She seeks narratives that shock and engage, pushing genre boundaries.

**In simple terms:** Want bold, attention‑grabbing stories.

Key Takeaway

Read and write disruptive works.

Themes

creativity innovation genre‑bending

Mood

curious energetic

Type

literary critical

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- reading groups
- publishing pitches

Key Concepts

narrative theory literary criticism

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes a story truly disruptive?
- How to balance novelty and coherence?

A Different Perspective

Risk of alienating audiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Engagement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engagement/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm not limited by genre and it doesn't really matter what the genre is as long as the film is going to be new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-m-not-limited-by-genre-and-it-doesn-t-really-matter-what-the-genre/)

[Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/)

> [I'm grateful when anybody can start to have his or her limited perception of the genre open up a little bit, ... There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-urban/i-m-grateful-when-anybody-can-start-to-have-his-or-her-limited/)

[Keith Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-urban/)

> [For me, it doesn't matter whether it's a comedy, a Western or horror. As long as you've got a good story to tell, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-wilson/for-me-it-doesn-t-matter-whether-it-s-a-comedy-a-western-or-horror-as/)

[Patrick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-wilson/)

> [I don't see a film as comedy or thriller or any other genre. If I like the script, I say yes, what genre it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arshad-warsi/i-don-t-see-a-film-as-comedy-or-thriller-or-any-other-genre-if-i-like/)

[Arshad Warsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arshad-warsi/)

> [I honestly would tell anyone young to start looking at stories and learning story, because I think that’s the next step after people go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-odenkirk/i-honestly-would-tell-anyone-young-to-start-looking-at-stories-and/)

[Bob Odenkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-odenkirk/)

> [I dont go looking for stories with the idea of wrongness in my head, no. But the fact is, a lot of great stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-glass/i-dont-go-looking-for-stories-with-the-idea-of-wrongness-in-my-head/)

[Ira Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-glass/)

> [I don't go looking for stories with the idea of wrongness in my head, no. But the fact is, a lot of great stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-glass/i-don-t-go-looking-for-stories-with-the-idea-of-wrongness-in-my-head/)

[Ira Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-glass/)

> [There are tons of stories out there. I read a lot of scripts on a weekly basis. I'm looking for stories to tell and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/there-are-tons-of-stories-out-there-i-read-a-lot-of-scripts-on-a/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [When you're looking for stories or movies usually the great stories are about people in their 30s or 40s because they've lived more life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-hill/when-you-re-looking-for-stories-or-movies-usually-the-great-stories/)

[Jonah Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-hill/)

> [I continue to enjoy looking for stories, and trying to do the best job I can reporting and writing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-greene/i-continue-to-enjoy-looking-for-stories-and-trying-to-do-the-best-job/)

[Bob Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-greene/)

> [Today audiences are not just watching films for stars but are rather looking at stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satish-kaushik/today-audiences-are-not-just-watching-films-for-stars-but-are-rather/)

[Satish Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satish-kaushik/)

> [I'm an artist - I'm an actor - so when I'm looking for something, I'm looking for stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-victor-dixon/i-m-an-artist-i-m-an-actor-so-when-i-m-looking-for-something-i-m/)

[Brandon Victor Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-victor-dixon/)

> [What does it matter, if we tell the same old stories? ...Stories tell us who we are. What we’re capable of. When we go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/what-does-it-matter-if-we-tell-the-same-old-stories-stories-tell-us/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [The world is full of fictional characters looking for their stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/the-world-is-full-of-fictional-characters-looking-for-their-stories/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [I am always looking for stories that will shed light on how companies define themselves - for better or for worse. When shared with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/i-am-always-looking-for-stories-that-will-shed-light-on-how-companies/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

## More by Nalo Hopkinson

> [“The heaviness of loss in her heart hadn't eased, but there was room there for humour, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/the-heaviness-of-loss-in-her-heart-hadn-t-eased-but-there-was-room/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [“How do I know anything? How is it that my arms stretched out in front of me are so pale? How to I even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/how-do-i-know-anything-how-is-it-that-my-arms-stretched-out-in-front/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [I tried to get the word out to people who are information hubs in their communities, because they could propagate the call quickly. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/i-tried-to-get-the-word-out-to-people-who-are-information-hubs-in/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [“A Young Candy Daughter I’m”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/a-young-candy-daughter-i-m/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [“If you only eat unsalted food, fresh food, we believe you make Lasirèn vexed, for salt is the creatures of the sea, and good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/if-you-only-eat-unsalted-food-fresh-food-we-believe-you-make-lasir-n/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [“Whore” I do not understand yet, but I understand from her that her and her kin are your spices, your honey scent; she knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/whore-i-do-not-understand-yet-but-i-understand-from-her-that-her-and/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [I don't pay much mind to politricks. Never met a politician who wouldn't try to convince you that salt was sugar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/i-don-t-pay-much-mind-to-politricks-never-met-a-politician-who-wouldn/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [“we have ripe banana dipped in sweet batter and fried, and green banana to boot. Cookie does fry them up nice-nice in olive oil,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/we-have-ripe-banana-dipped-in-sweet-batter-and-fried-and-green-banana/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [“What are gods for, then, if they let things like this to happen to their people?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/what-are-gods-for-then-if-they-let-things-like-this-to-happen-to/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [“So there’s a freeing up that happens when I can go into that storytelling mode...It isn’t about how much sense you make, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/so-there-s-a-freeing-up-that-happens-when-i-can-go-into-that/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [Children were pack animals; let any one of them act different from the group, and the rest would bring him down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/children-were-pack-animals-let-any-one-of-them-act-different-from-the/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [“Even she hair itself rough and wiry; long black knotty locks springing from she scalp and corkscrewing all the way down she back... The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/even-she-hair-itself-rough-and-wiry-long-black-knotty-locks-springing/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [“The Smile on the Face Innocent”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/the-smile-on-the-face-innocent/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [My friend Ian Hagemann, a regular at Wiscon, once said on a panel that when he reads science fiction futures that are full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/my-friend-ian-hagemann-a-regular-at-wiscon-once-said-on-a-panel-that/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

> [“Suck all the juice this life will give!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/suck-all-the-juice-this-life-will-give/)

[Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

[Explore all 36 Nalo Hopkinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/)

## More Engagement quotes

> [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/)

[Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [I've been in real estate for a long time and I always try to stay on the edge. I'm really excited about the partnership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-hammer/i-ve-been-in-real-estate-for-a-long-time-and-i-always-try-to-stay-on/)

[MC Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-hammer/)

> [Marriage is a three ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring and suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/marriage-is-a-three-ring-circus-engagement-ring-wedding-ring-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“This is one of the harshest after effects of the pandemic that I am witnessing some and experiencing some, a diminished ability to deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shellen-lubin/this-is-one-of-the-harshest-after-effects-of-the-pandemic-that-i-am/)

[Shellen Lubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shellen-lubin/)

> [I'm of the philosophy that you wage a campaign of full engagement and you use every tool in the toolbox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/i-m-of-the-philosophy-that-you-wage-a-campaign-of-full-engagement-and/)

[Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/)

> [I regret that there aren't more short stories in other magazines. But in a certain way, I think the disappearance of the short-story template…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorin-stein/i-regret-that-there-aren-t-more-short-stories-in-other-magazines-but/)

[Lorin Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorin-stein/)

> [The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement; you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/the-great-mistake-is-to-anticipate-the-outcome-of-the-engagement-you/)

[Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/)

> [“Employee Engagement “Employee Engagement” has become a very hot topic in recent years. The escalating statistics for disengagement are alarming. In 2015, the Gallup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/employee-engagement-employee-engagement-has-become-a-very-hot-topic/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [Politics is about the participation and engagement of the wider citizenry - to miss that point would doom us to irrelevance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/politics-is-about-the-participation-and-engagement-of-the-wider/)

[David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/)

> [I think there should be a reworking of the value structure of art. The value is when the artist makes a first engagement with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/i-think-there-should-be-a-reworking-of-the-value-structure-of-art-the/)

[Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/)

> [I'm a workaholic and there is no other engagement in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anubhav-sinha/i-m-a-workaholic-and-there-is-no-other-engagement-in-my-life/)

[Anubhav Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anubhav-sinha/)

> [What must be addressed in the most immediate sense is the threat that the emerging police state in the United States poses not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/what-must-be-addressed-in-the-most-immediate-sense-is-the-threat-that/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [“What if we saw differences in cultures, in moral choices, and in belief as reasons to engage people instead of excuses to disengage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-sprink/what-if-we-saw-differences-in-cultures-in-moral-choices-and-in-belief/)

[Holly Sprink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-sprink/)

> [“In our quest for entertainment and instant gratification, we have become detached from the real world and its problems, contributing to the erosion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/in-our-quest-for-entertainment-and-instant-gratification-we-have/)

[Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/)

[Browse all 836 Engagement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engagement/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I'm looking for stories that make me sit up and take notice. For engagement with language and style in ways that the genre doesn't see enough of.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nalo Hopkinson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit-up-and-take-notice-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Engagement"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit-up-and-take-notice-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/nalo-hopkinson-16957_engagement_i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit_2267466.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/nalo-hopkinson-16957_engagement_i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit_2267466.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/nalo-hopkinson-16957_engagement_i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit_2267466.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'm looking for stories that make me sit up and take notice. For engagement with language and style in ways…” — Nalo Hopkinson",
                "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": "Nalo Hopkinson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'm looking for stories that make...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit-up-and-take-notice-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/i-m-looking-for-stories-that-make-me-sit-up-and-take-notice-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
