Arthur Quote by Patti Smith
“Arthur Conan Doyle had to be Sherlock Holmes in order to envision how Sherlock Holmes would unravel a mystery. He had to be in Sherlock's situations. As a writer, you have to be of two minds.”
About This Quote
A writer must immerse themselves in their character’s perspective to authentically portray their actions and thoughts.
In simple terms: Writers need to think like their characters.
Key Takeaway
Empathize deeply with your characters.
Themes
creativity
empathy
writing
character development
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
literary
instructional
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- screenwriting
- role‑playing games
Key Concepts
perspective taking
method acting
Questions to Reflect On
- How does stepping into a character’s mind affect your own worldview?
- When might distance be more useful?
A Different Perspective
Over‑identification can blur authorial voice.
![“We made our Moriarty very different to [Conan] Doyle's. He's Irish, and he brings all his charm, his twinkle and his humor to it while he's also terrifying.” quote by Mark Gatiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4cc/mark-gatiss-10930_charm_we-made-our-moriarty-very-different-to-c_620279.jpg)
![“Sometimes [people] seem to think I came out of the womb, you know, cursing, with an electric guitar.” quote by Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c73/patti-smith-394_cursing_sometimes-people-seem-to-think-i-came-ou_28268.jpg)
