--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I quote Frank O’Connor to my students…" description: "\"“I quote Frank O’Connor to my students: that when you are writing a story, at some point the story must take over. You are not going to be able to cont..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/peter-taylor-32406_writer_i-quote-frank-o-connor-to-my-students-th_2980886.jpg" --- # I quote Frank O’Connor to my students: that when you are… ![“I quote Frank O’Connor to my students: that when you are writing a story, at some point the story must take over. You are not going to be able to control it. I think this is true. O’Connor said he thought Joyce controls his stories too tightly—“Whoever heard of a Joyce story taking over?” he…” quote by Peter Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/peter-taylor-32406_writer_i-quote-frank-o-connor-to-my-students-th_2980886.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/peter-taylor-32406_writer_i-quote-frank-o-connor-to-my-students-th_2980886.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/peter-taylor-32406_writer_i-quote-frank-o-connor-to-my-students-th_2980886.jpg) > ““I quote Frank O’Connor to my students: that when you are writing a story, at some point the story must take over. You are not going to be able to control it. I think this is true. O’Connor said he thought Joyce controls his stories too tightly—“Whoever heard of a Joyce story taking over?” he asked—and that there is a deadness about them. You have got to keep the story opened up, let the story take over at some point.”” [Peter Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers must let stories guide them rather than forcing control. **In simple terms:** Stories should take over writing. Key Takeaway Allow narrative to shape the work. Themes writing creativity control Mood contemplative inspired Type literary advice When to use this quote - novel drafting - creative workshops - story development Key Concepts narrative flow authorial humility Questions to Reflect On - When does story autonomy hinder coherence? - How to balance control and spontaneity? A Different Perspective Too much freedom can cause loss of focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [It's amazing how flexible the human mind is in terms of jumping into a backstory or an aside. Vonnegut is a great example -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/it-s-amazing-how-flexible-the-human-mind-is-in-terms-of-jumping-into/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [“Only a woman could make so much out of so little. Give them a single fact and they'd fashion it into a story before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/only-a-woman-could-make-so-much-out-of-so-little-give-them-a-single/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [My story is going to be completely different than someone else's story in terms of hard work. 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