--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I seem to wander, if I seem to stray…" description: "\"If I seem to wander, if I seem to stray, remember that true stories seldom take the straightest way\" — Patrick Rothfuss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/759/patrick-rothfuss-145_remember_if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-r_3057309.jpg" --- # If I seem to wander, if I seem to stray, remember that… ![“If I seem to wander, if I seem to stray, remember that true stories seldom take the straightest way” quote by Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/759/patrick-rothfuss-145_remember_if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-r_3057309.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/759/patrick-rothfuss-145_remember_if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-r_3057309.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/759/patrick-rothfuss-145_remember_if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-r_3057309.jpg) > “If I seem to wander, if I seem to stray, remember that true stories seldom take the straightest way” [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life's true stories rarely follow a straight line; wanderings matter. **In simple terms:** Journeys are winding. Key Takeaway Embrace non‑linear paths. Themes adventure storytelling truth Mood inspirational reflective Type song philosophical When to use this quote - travel - career changes - creative projects - personal growth Key Concepts Narrative structure life philosophy creativity Questions to Reflect On - What value lies in detours? - How to stay focused amid twists? A Different Perspective May cause uncertainty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Seldom Straightest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seldom-straightest-5113207/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Stories Seldom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-seldom-1223857/) [True Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-stories-265268/) [True story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-story/) [Wander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wander/) [Wander Stray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wander-stray-5113208/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [True stories seldom have endings. I don't want a happy ending, I want more story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/true-stories-seldom-have-endings-i-don-t-want-a-happy-ending-i-want/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“True stories seldom have endings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/true-stories-seldom-have-endings/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [I like to think that one of things I've done with non-fiction since the very beginning is to find new ways of telling true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/i-like-to-think-that-one-of-things-i-ve-done-with-non-fiction-since/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [My responsibility is to try to tell true stories. To me a true story is always hopeful, but never simply, uncomplicatedly happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/my-responsibility-is-to-try-to-tell-true-stories-to-me-a-true-story/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I like to tell untold true stories, or the lesser-known aspects of larger, familiar stories. I think people or topics that are slightly on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-kates/i-like-to-tell-untold-true-stories-or-the-lesser-known-aspects-of/) [Nancy Kates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-kates/) > [As if there could be true stories: things happen in one way, and we retell them in the opposite way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/as-if-there-could-be-true-stories-things-happen-in-one-way-and-we/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“...that's the way to tell a true story from a made-up one. A made-up story always has a neat and tidy end. But true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elspeth-huxley/that-s-the-way-to-tell-a-true-story-from-a-made-up-one-a-made-up/) [Elspeth Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elspeth-huxley/) > [I was working on a satirical novel about a charismatic preacher who takes over a small Indiana town. Then I remembered Jim Jones was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/i-was-working-on-a-satirical-novel-about-a-charismatic-preacher-who/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [I think all true stories are hopeful stories. I don't think there's any room for nihilism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-all-true-stories-are-hopeful-stories-i-don-t-think-there-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [The truth is not delicate and it does not suffer from denial—the truth only dies when true stories are untold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/the-truth-is-not-delicate-and-it-does-not-suffer-from-denial-the/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [With my friends, it was always essentially true stories. That's how I always felt about doing King-Cat. This is something that really happened, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-porcellino/with-my-friends-it-was-always-essentially-true-stories-that-s-how-i/) [John Porcellino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-porcellino/) > [True stories are always good because they're so odd, and so unlikely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/true-stories-are-always-good-because-they-re-so-odd-and-so-unlikely/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [All true stories begin and end in a cemetery" - The Shadow of the Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/all-true-stories-begin-and-end-in-a-cemetery-the-shadow-of-the-wind/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [I think, ultimately, people are looking for real heartfelt true stories. They want to engage with them, they want to relate (to) them and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-wiedmann/i-think-ultimately-people-are-looking-for-real-heartfelt-true-stories/) [Shari Wiedmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-wiedmann/) > [I found two true stories. One was in 2003. One was the beginning of 2004. I decided to meld them. Richard Davis' story which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-haggis/i-found-two-true-stories-one-was-in-2003-one-was-the-beginning-of/) [Paul Haggis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-haggis/) ## More by Patrick Rothfuss > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Prefiero tocar canciones que divierten a mis amigos que complacer a quienes me juzgan basándose solo en habladurías" - Kvothe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/prefiero-tocar-canciones-que-divierten-a-mis-amigos-que-complacer-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Wilem snorted."That doesn't sound suspicious at all," he said. "And you wonder why people talk about you." "I don't wonder why they talk," I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/wilem-snorted-that-doesn-t-sound-suspicious-at-all-he-said-and-you/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“The point isn't to win the game. The point is to play a beautiful game. (paraphrased)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/the-point-isn-t-to-win-the-game-the-point-is-to-play-a-beautiful-game/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was nervous about writing Slow Regard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-nervous-about-writing-slow-regard/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I am no poet. I do not love words for the sake of words. I love words for what they can accomplish. Similarly, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-am-no-poet-i-do-not-love-words-for-the-sake-of-words-i-love-words/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“There is something deeply satisfying in shaping something with your hands. Proper artificing is like a song made solid. It is an act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/there-is-something-deeply-satisfying-in-shaping-something-with-your/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [He had a bright, reckless tenor that was always wandering off, looking for notes in the wrong places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/he-had-a-bright-reckless-tenor-that-was-always-wandering-off-looking/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I smiled,"Deoch, my heart is made of stronger stuff than glass. When she strikes she'll find it strong as iron-bound brass, or gold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-smiled-deoch-my-heart-is-made-of-stronger-stuff-than-glass-when-she/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I have a blog where I keep in touch with my fans. I write about things that are important to me. Sometimes on there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-have-a-blog-where-i-keep-in-touch-with-my-fans-i-write-about-things/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Soft fantasy worlds have a much looser cause-and-effect relationship. Alchemists can turn lead into gold and nobody wonders about how it will impact the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/soft-fantasy-worlds-have-a-much-looser-cause-and-effect-relationship/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [But how awful would that be? How terrible to live surrounded by the stark, sharp, hollowness of things that simply were enough?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/but-how-awful-would-that-be-how-terrible-to-live-surrounded-by-the/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [ Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. \[That's one of the reason I review so many books on Goodreads.\] Giving books you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by-recommendations-that-s-one-of/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was pretty poor for a long time. Not \*poor\* poor. But college student poor. I lived for most of my adult life living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-pretty-poor-for-a-long-time-not-poor-poor-but-college-student/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) [Explore all 895 Patrick Rothfuss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## More Remember quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [Contradictory precepts that have guided me for as long as I can remember: 1: I will live forever. 2: I will die tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/contradictory-precepts-that-have-guided-me-for-as-long-as-i-can/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [Memory is funny. Once you hit a vein the problem is not how to remember but how to control the flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/memory-is-funny-once-you-hit-a-vein-the-problem-is-not-how-to/) [Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) [Browse all 23,344 Remember quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I seem to wander, if I seem to stray, remember that true stories seldom take the straightest way", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick Rothfuss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-remember-that-true-stories/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Remember" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-remember-that-true-stories/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/759/patrick-rothfuss-145_remember_if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-r_3057309.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/759/patrick-rothfuss-145_remember_if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-r_3057309.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/759/patrick-rothfuss-145_remember_if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-r_3057309.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I seem to wander, if I seem to stray, remember that true stories seldom take the straightest way” — Patrick Rothfuss", "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": "Patrick Rothfuss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I seem to wander, if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-remember-that-true-stories/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/if-i-seem-to-wander-if-i-seem-to-stray-remember-that-true-stories/#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 } } ] } ```