--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I find that the only way to make my…" description: "\"I find that the only way to make my characters really interesting to children is to exaggerate all their good or bad qualities, and so if a person is n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/roald-dahl-899_bad_i-find-that-the-only-way-to-make-my-char_1619429.jpg" --- # I find that the only way to make my characters really… ![“I find that the only way to make my characters really interesting to children is to exaggerate all their good or bad qualities, and so if a person is nasty or bad or cruel, you make them very nasty, very bad, very cruel. If they are ugly, you make them extremely ugly. That, I think, is fun and…” quote by Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/roald-dahl-899_bad_i-find-that-the-only-way-to-make-my-char_1619429.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/roald-dahl-899_bad_i-find-that-the-only-way-to-make-my-char_1619429.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/roald-dahl-899_bad_i-find-that-the-only-way-to-make-my-char_1619429.jpg) > “I find that the only way to make my characters really interesting to children is to exaggerate all their good or bad qualities, and so if a person is nasty or bad or cruel, you make them very nasty, very bad, very cruel. If they are ugly, you make them extremely ugly. That, I think, is fun and makes an impact.” [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exaggerating traits in characters makes them memorable and engaging for children, highlighting moral extremes. **In simple terms:** Extreme traits make characters stick in kids' minds. Key Takeaway Use bold traits to capture attention. Themes storytelling children character design Mood playful thoughtful Type advice creative When to use this quote - writing workshops - children's books - educational settings - theatre - animation Key Concepts exaggeration morality impact Questions to Reflect On - How do extreme traits affect children's moral learning? - When is subtlety more effective? A Different Perspective Over‑simplification can reinforce stereotypes or limit nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad qualities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-qualities/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Qualities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualities/) ## Related quotes > [I love how you try to make nasty lies about me to make yourself sound like a better person. Beat me down, break me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-how-you-try-to-make-nasty-lies-about-me-to-make-yourself-sound/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let it flow, while I pump it slow, then I speed it up, heat it up, make it more nasty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/let-it-flow-while-i-pump-it-slow-then-i-speed-it-up-heat-it-up-make/) [LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/) > [Ah, yeah bitch make it nasty. Tongue on the throat while the other bitch gaggin.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyga/ah-yeah-bitch-make-it-nasty-tongue-on-the-throat-while-the-other/) [Tyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyga/) > [Make it nasty, make it nasty. Drop drop it on the bitch make it nasty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyga/make-it-nasty-make-it-nasty-drop-drop-it-on-the-bitch-make-it-nasty/) [Tyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyga/) > [We are convinced that certain people have all the bad qualities we do not know in ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/we-are-convinced-that-certain-people-have-all-the-bad-qualities-we-do/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Love is putting up with someone's bad qualities because they somehow complete you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-putting-up-with-someone-s-bad-qualities-because-they-somehow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For me, everyone has good and bad qualities. I feel you must not always look at the bad qualities but also focus on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-winget/for-me-everyone-has-good-and-bad-qualities-i-feel-you-must-not-always/) [Jennifer Winget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-winget/) > [A man's hatred is always concentrated upon that which makes him conscious of his bad qualities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/a-man-s-hatred-is-always-concentrated-upon-that-which-makes-him/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Even though I have bad qualities in my personal life, as an athlete, I can turn it on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-jones/even-though-i-have-bad-qualities-in-my-personal-life-as-an-athlete-i/) [Jon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-jones/) > [In order to succeed in a profession, a person not only needs to have its good, but also its bad qualities. The former are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/in-order-to-succeed-in-a-profession-a-person-not-only-needs-to-have/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [Give up all bad qualities in you, banish the ego and develop the spirit of surrender. You will then experience Bliss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/give-up-all-bad-qualities-in-you-banish-the-ego-and-develop-the/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [I am old enough to know only too well my good and bad qualities, which were often one in the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/i-am-old-enough-to-know-only-too-well-my-good-and-bad-qualities-which/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [If we want to eliminate bad qualities like hatred, envy, pride and ostentation, we have to employ Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema and Ahimsa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/if-we-want-to-eliminate-bad-qualities-like-hatred-envy-pride-and/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [There sometimes wants only a stroke of fortune to discover numberless latent good or bad qualities, which would otherwise have been eternally concealed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greville-janner-baron-janner-of-braunstone/there-sometimes-wants-only-a-stroke-of-fortune-to-discover-numberless/) Greville Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone > [We confess our bad qualities to others out of fear of appearing naive or ridiculous by not being aware of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-brenan/we-confess-our-bad-qualities-to-others-out-of-fear-of-appearing-naive/) [Gerald Brenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-brenan/) ## More by Roald Dahl > [Nowadays you can go anywhere in the world in a few hours, and nothing is fabulous any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/nowadays-you-can-go-anywhere-in-the-world-in-a-few-hours-and-nothing/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When I walked to school in the mornings I would start out alone but would pick up four other boys along the way. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-i-walked-to-school-in-the-mornings-i-would-start-out-alone-but/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“There's no earthly way of knowing Which direction we are going There's no knowing where we're rowing Or which way the river's flowing Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/there-s-no-earthly-way-of-knowing-which-direction-we-are-going-there/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“One of the vital things for a writer who’s writing a book, which is a lengthy project and is going to take about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/one-of-the-vital-things-for-a-writer-who-s-writing-a-book-which-is-a/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“When Bruce Bogtrotter had eaten his way through half of the entire enormous cake, he paused for just a couple of seconds and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-bruce-bogtrotter-had-eaten-his-way-through-half-of-the-entire/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Eschew all those beastly adjectives...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/eschew-all-those-beastly-adjectives/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/bunkum-and-tummyrot-you-ll-never-get-anywhere-if-you-go-about-what/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [If the Good Lord intended for us to walk, he wouldn't have invented rollar skates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/if-the-good-lord-intended-for-us-to-walk-he-wouldn-t-have-invented/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [The witching hour, somebody had once whispered to her, was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-witching-hour-somebody-had-once-whispered-to-her-was-a-special/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/those-who-don-t-believe-in-magic-will-never-find-it/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/but-there-was-one-other-thing-that-the-grown-ups-also-knew-and-it-was/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. Truth is more important than modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-writing-about-oneself-one-must-strive-to-be-truthful-truth-is/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“the world is a scary place for such a small child”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-world-is-a-scary-place-for-such-a-small-child/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [And above all, watch with glittering eyes the world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/and-above-all-watch-with-glittering-eyes-the-world-around-you-because/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“We must hurry!’ said Mr. Wonka. ‘We have so much time and so little to do! No! Wait! Strike that! Reverse it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/we-must-hurry-said-mr-wonka-we-have-so-much-time-and-so-little-to-do/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) [Explore all 318 Roald Dahl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## More Bad quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/) [Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/) > [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I find that the only way to make my characters really interesting to children is to exaggerate all their good or bad qualities, and so if a person is nasty or bad or cruel, you make them very nasty, very bad, very cruel. If they are ugly, you make them extremely ugly. 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