--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My only requirement for that first story…" description: "\"My only requirement for that first story was that there had to be a fight or an explosion on every page. Naturally, no one wanted to publish it, but I ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e7/phil-foglio-30822_character_my-only-requirement-for-that-first-story_2793985.png" --- # My only requirement for that first story was that there… ![“My only requirement for that first story was that there had to be a fight or an explosion on every page. Naturally, no one wanted to publish it, but I liked the character, did a few stories to keep my hand in.” quote by Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e7/phil-foglio-30822_character_my-only-requirement-for-that-first-story_2793985.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e7/phil-foglio-30822_character_my-only-requirement-for-that-first-story_2793985.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e7/phil-foglio-30822_character_my-only-requirement-for-that-first-story_2793985.png) > “My only requirement for that first story was that there had to be a fight or an explosion on every page. Naturally, no one wanted to publish it, but I liked the character, did a few stories to keep my hand in.” [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author insists on constant high‑stakes action to keep stories exciting, despite publishing resistance. **In simple terms:** Stories need constant action. Key Takeaway Prioritize excitement in storytelling. Themes creativity conflict publishing authorial vision Mood playful determined Type creative inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - pitch meetings - self‑publishing - serial comics - creative blocks Key Concepts narrative tension genre expectations Questions to Reflect On - Is relentless action always engaging? - How to balance plot and character development? A Different Perspective Risk of sacrificing depth for spectacle. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Explosions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explosions/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Liked Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liked-character-752570/) [Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pages/) [Publish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publish/) [Requirement Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requirement-story-3400689/) [Requirements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requirements/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Story Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-fight-2713721/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Publish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-publish-1015204/) ## Related quotes > [I almost once wanted to publish a self help book saying, 'How To Be Happy, by Stephen Fry: Guaranteed Success'. And people buy this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-almost-once-wanted-to-publish-a-self-help-book-saying-how-to-be/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Around the time I turned 30, I wanted to publish a novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/around-the-time-i-turned-30-i-wanted-to-publish-a-novel/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [I have seen journals with good financial backing and editorial support die because they looked so bad nobody wanted to publish them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-dutton/i-have-seen-journals-with-good-financial-backing-and-editorial/) [Denis Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-dutton/) > [I wanna go watch a story and a fight between a good guy and a bad guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-orton/i-wanna-go-watch-a-story-and-a-fight-between-a-good-guy-and-a-bad-guy/) [Randy Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-orton/) > [I've always said the thing about MMA that a lot of fighters don't understand is people care more about the story, about why a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/i-ve-always-said-the-thing-about-mma-that-a-lot-of-fighters-don-t/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [And books that were published in much larger numbers than Selfish, Little are hard to find. 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And they say it in the nicest possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-lang/i-get-a-lot-of-people-coming-up-to-me-and-saying-i-really-hate-you/) [Stephen Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-lang/) > [I was a big fan of the Tim Burton films. I really liked the character. And I remember thinking the Batmobile was very cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-heughan/i-was-a-big-fan-of-the-tim-burton-films-i-really-liked-the-character/) [Sam Heughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-heughan/) ## More by Phil Foglio > [Any plan where you lose your hat is a bad plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/any-plan-where-you-lose-your-hat-is-a-bad-plan/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [“Now I am in control!" He followed this statement with a burst of laughter that showed the owner had done a fair share of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/now-i-am-in-control-he-followed-this-statement-with-a-burst-of/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [“No, Klaus, it isn't a game. I am determined to change. I do love him. It should be enough. Besides, they always win. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/no-klaus-it-isn-t-a-game-i-am-determined-to-change-i-do-love-him-it/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [As it happened, I had a friend who was a good person who liked to present himself as a dreadful one. Using him as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/as-it-happened-i-had-a-friend-who-was-a-good-person-who-liked-to/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [I didn't really think about becoming a professional artist until high school, when I realized that everything else required too much math.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/i-didn-t-really-think-about-becoming-a-professional-artist-until-high/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [One of the characteristics I cherish in my friends is their childlike gullibility, and several excited minutes were spent trying to actually find this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/one-of-the-characteristics-i-cherish-in-my-friends-is-their-childlike/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [Klaus Wulfenbach: Was my son upset? Bangladesh DuPree: Oh, him? Yeah! He's all set to be a hero and rescue her--and then he finds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/klaus-wulfenbach-was-my-son-upset-bangladesh-dupree-oh-him-yeah-he-s/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [“--But you're such close neighbors, and you've been at war for HOW long?" "Oh, a really good war -- you don't want to waste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/but-you-re-such-close-neighbors-and-you-ve-been-at-war-for-how-long/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [If we had to go live action, I'd hold out for Tim Burton to direct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/if-we-had-to-go-live-action-i-d-hold-out-for-tim-burton-to-direct/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [I've also been busy doing stuff for Steve Jackson Games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/i-ve-also-been-busy-doing-stuff-for-steve-jackson-games/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [“Agatha Clay: "I've never had coffee. Lilith said a young lady shouldn't drink stimulants." Zeetha: "Drink your coffee like a warrior." Agatha Clay: "...Yes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/agatha-clay-i-ve-never-had-coffee-lilith-said-a-young-lady-shouldn-t/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [“Tarvek: "You call that 'throwing?'" Gilgamesh: "Hey, at least I got his hat!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/tarvek-you-call-that-throwing-gilgamesh-hey-at-least-i-got-his-hat/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [Why the hell can't people just write nice happy stories about people having happy sex? That's what I want, and I bet a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/why-the-hell-can-t-people-just-write-nice-happy-stories-about-people/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [“She's a smart girl, so she doesn't trust you, but she obviously likes you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/she-s-a-smart-girl-so-she-doesn-t-trust-you-but-she-obviously-likes/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [Marie clasped her hands together and looked vulnerable. Payne flinched. “The only time you don’t tell me something is when you think it’s dangerous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/marie-clasped-her-hands-together-and-looked-vulnerable-payne-flinched/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) [Explore all 17 Phil Foglio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) [David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My only requirement for that first story was that there had to be a fight or an explosion on every page. 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