--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Authors do not choose a story to write…" description: "\"Authors do not choose a story to write, the story chooses us.\" — Richard Denney" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/richard-denney-32317_books_authors-do-not-choose-a-story-to-write-t_1676374.jpg" --- # Authors do not choose a story to write, the story chooses… ![“Authors do not choose a story to write, the story chooses us.” quote by Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/richard-denney-32317_books_authors-do-not-choose-a-story-to-write-t_1676374.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/richard-denney-32317_books_authors-do-not-choose-a-story-to-write-t_1676374.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/richard-denney-32317_books_authors-do-not-choose-a-story-to-write-t_1676374.jpg) > “Authors do not choose a story to write, the story chooses us.” [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The creative process is driven by the narrative itself, not the writer's initial intent. **In simple terms:** Stories guide writers, not vice versa. Key Takeaway Listen to what the story demands. Themes creativity storytelling inspiration Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - novel drafting - screenwriting - personal reflection Key Concepts authorial intuition narrative agency Questions to Reflect On - How does a story reveal its direction? - Do you feel stories choose you? A Different Perspective The writer may still need to shape the story actively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [You don’t choose a story, it chooses you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/you-don-t-choose-a-story-it-chooses-you/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [A witty and informative professor posits that more authors do not choose titles borrowed from Shakespeare's sonnets and plays for the reason some people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-c-foster-2/a-witty-and-informative-professor-posits-that-more-authors-do-not/) [Thomas C Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-c-foster-2/) > [“I know I'm only 21 and what do I know about life and love and what really matters? 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I write about things that I hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/when-i-journal-i-write-about-images-that-i-ve-seen-that-i-think-might/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [Everyone can write his own story, but no one can write your story The story of your life, so be thankful of what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-can-write-his-own-story-but-no-one-can-write-your-story-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No one can tell your story so tell it yourself. 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I guess that's his way of saying "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/i-love-you-lance-he-rattles-the-frame-of-the-window-and-reaches-out/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [“The great thing about writing fiction is that you can do whatever the fuck you want, go as far as you are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/the-great-thing-about-writing-fiction-is-that-you-can-do-whatever-the/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [“At least Harry Potter knew the who fuck he was dealing with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/at-least-harry-potter-knew-the-who-fuck-he-was-dealing-with/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [“cherish your creative spark, because there's no one else who can light it back up for you when it burns out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/cherish-your-creative-spark-because-there-s-no-one-else-who-can-light/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [I pity the people who don't like to read, because then they spend their whole lives stuck in this one world and don't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/i-pity-the-people-who-don-t-like-to-read-because-then-they-spend/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [A book series is never truly over. The story lives on, even when the final page has been turned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/a-book-series-is-never-truly-over-the-story-lives-on-even-when-the/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [“Ive wanted to be with Lance Tanner since the sixth grade, but that was so not going to happen since he's a zombie now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/ive-wanted-to-be-with-lance-tanner-since-the-sixth-grade-but-that-was/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [“Books have a way of finding their way into our lives, usually, right when we need them the most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/books-have-a-way-of-finding-their-way-into-our-lives-usually-right/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [“I didn't even notice that my shoes were full of mud by the time I reached the rocky shore. There was ragged yellow police…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/i-didn-t-even-notice-that-my-shoes-were-full-of-mud-by-the-time-i/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [“Your fight is long from over, Deon. More of your kind will come... and they will come for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/your-fight-is-long-from-over-deon-more-of-your-kind-will-come-and/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [“I believe that everyone should have a dream and believe in it. Make it real, bring it to life. You'll never regret trying. Trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/i-believe-that-everyone-should-have-a-dream-and-believe-in-it-make-it/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) > [“I'm falling for you, but I can't do this if your still hung up on a dead guy...you can still love him and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-denney/i-m-falling-for-you-but-i-can-t-do-this-if-your-still-hung-up-on-a/) [Richard Denney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) [Explore all 15 Richard Denney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-denney/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. 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There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. 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