--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is the thing that takes me longest…" description: "\"“This is the thing that takes me longest of all when I'm beginning a novel, to work out what the limits are, what the powers of the narrator will be, w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/philip-pullman-525_books_this-is-the-thing-that-takes-me-longest_1584136.png" --- # This is the thing that takes me longest of all when I'm… ![“This is the thing that takes me longest of all when I'm beginning a novel, to work out what the limits are, what the powers of the narrator will be, what is the appropriate tone to take. And where do I see things from: am I watching this, as it were, from stage right or stage left? That makes a…” quote by Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/philip-pullman-525_books_this-is-the-thing-that-takes-me-longest_1584136.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/philip-pullman-525_books_this-is-the-thing-that-takes-me-longest_1584136.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/philip-pullman-525_books_this-is-the-thing-that-takes-me-longest_1584136.png) > ““This is the thing that takes me longest of all when I'm beginning a novel, to work out what the limits are, what the powers of the narrator will be, what is the appropriate tone to take. And where do I see things from: am I watching this, as it were, from stage right or stage left? That makes a difference. Mike Alfreds is an English director who has a company called Shared Experience. They do a lot of adaptations of novels. He's discovered that when they use a narrator, if they put the narrator stage right, the audience perceives the narrator as being somehow involved, warm, part of what's going on. If he puts the narrator stage left, the audience feels the narrator to be critical, detached… Ever since then, I have to say, whenever I do a conversation with someone on the stage, I take care to be stage right. But that's an aspect of where you're seeing it from, you see, whether the narrator is viewing the characters, as it were, sympathetically or, as it were, critically. This takes a while to discover for each book.”” [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer must decide the narrator's limits, power, tone, and viewpoint, which shape audience perception as involved or detached. **In simple terms:** Choosing narrator perspective shapes how readers feel about the story. Key Takeaway Define narrator stance early to guide audience connection. Themes narrative technique perspective audience perception storytelling character voice Mood thoughtful analytical creative Type instructional reflective When to use this quote - novel planning - scriptwriting - theatre direction - creative workshops - editing drafts Key Concepts Narrative voice point of view dramatic framing Questions to Reflect On - How does narrator placement affect empathy? - Can a story succeed with a neutral narrator? 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Mike Alfreds is an English director who has a company called Shared Experience. They do a lot of adaptations of novels. He's discovered that when they use a narrator, if they put the narrator stage right, the audience perceives the narrator as being somehow involved, warm, part of what's going on. If he puts the narrator stage left, the audience feels the narrator to be critical, detached… Ever since then, I have to say, whenever I do a conversation with someone on the stage, I take care to be stage right. But that's an aspect of where you're seeing it from, you see, whether the narrator is viewing the characters, as it were, sympathetically or, as it were, critically. 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