--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No matter how close to personal…" description: "\"No matter how close to personal experience a story might be, inevitably you are going to get to a part that isn't yours and, actually, whether it happe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28b/roddy-doyle-10269_experience_no-matter-how-close-to-personal-experien_1893382.jpg" --- # No matter how close to personal experience a story might… ![“No matter how close to personal experience a story might be, inevitably you are going to get to a part that isn't yours and, actually, whether it happened or not becomes irrelevant. It is all about choosing the right words.” quote by Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28b/roddy-doyle-10269_experience_no-matter-how-close-to-personal-experien_1893382.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28b/roddy-doyle-10269_experience_no-matter-how-close-to-personal-experien_1893382.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28b/roddy-doyle-10269_experience_no-matter-how-close-to-personal-experien_1893382.jpg) > “No matter how close to personal experience a story might be, inevitably you are going to get to a part that isn't yours and, actually, whether it happened or not becomes irrelevant. It is all about choosing the right words.” [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories inevitably reach moments beyond the writer’s personal experience; the truth of those moments lies in the choice of language, not factual accuracy. **In simple terms:** Storytelling hinges on word choice, not literal truth. Key Takeaway Choose words that convey the intended impact. Themes storytelling truth subjectivity language Mood analytical inquisitive Type literary instructional When to use this quote - writing workshops - teaching - media analysis - personal memoir - fictional world‑building Key Concepts literature psychology communication Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance authenticity with imagination? - When should factual accuracy trump artistic license? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on “right words” can obscure necessary factual grounding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Personal experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-experience/) [Right words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-words/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [I still feel, as I did when I was six or seven, that books are simply the best way to experience a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/i-still-feel-as-i-did-when-i-was-six-or-seven-that-books-are-simply/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [The lovers enter into a story together - "this how we met, this is how we were meant for each other" - and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/the-lovers-enter-into-a-story-together-this-how-we-met-this-is-how-we/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [The more foreign to me, to my existence, to your core existence, the more foreign the foreign language, it's really moving to me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/the-more-foreign-to-me-to-my-existence-to-your-core-existence-the/) [Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/) > [We live in story like a fish lives in water. We swim through words and images siphoning story through our minds the way a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baldwin/we-live-in-story-like-a-fish-lives-in-water-we-swim-through-words-and/) [Christina Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baldwin/) > [The fact that somebody's telling you a story about people who didn't exist doesn't make the experience of the story any less real in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/the-fact-that-somebody-s-telling-you-a-story-about-people-who-didn-t/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [We cannot think without language, we cannot process experience without story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baldwin/we-cannot-think-without-language-we-cannot-process-experience-without/) [Christina Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baldwin/) > [Don't despair for story's future or turn curmudgeonly over the rise of video games or reality TV. The way we experience story will evolve,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/don-t-despair-for-story-s-future-or-turn-curmudgeonly-over-the-rise/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [“Postmoderns must have the opportunity to experience the story as a story without the gospel being continually reduced to mere message.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/postmoderns-must-have-the-opportunity-to-experience-the-story-as-a/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/my-own-experience-is-that-once-a-story-has-been-written-one-has-to-2/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“It's a story you can break down and analyze and find analogies and lessons in it, and then it becomes a story about life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-shpancer/it-s-a-story-you-can-break-down-and-analyze-and-find-analogies-and/) [Noam Shpancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-shpancer/) > [I like to have an album arc that comes from an experience rather than a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hopkins/i-like-to-have-an-album-arc-that-comes-from-an-experience-rather-than/) [Jon Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hopkins/) > [“If events occur to challenge and test us and we experience them only as a story to be recorded and sold, then have we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/if-events-occur-to-challenge-and-test-us-and-we-experience-them-only/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I set my glass down and met his eyes, feeling an overwhelming surge of affection for this man. "That ... makes sense," I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-lauren/i-set-my-glass-down-and-met-his-eyes-feeling-an-overwhelming-surge-of/) [Christina Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-lauren/) > [Our words are very powerful, always make sure that you use the right words, which encourages people instead of discouraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/our-words-are-very-powerful-always-make-sure-that-you-use-the-right/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“still feel the same way? Could he have changed this much on the inside too? Struggling for the right words, I opened my mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-wild/still-feel-the-same-way-could-he-have-changed-this-much-on-the-inside/) [Meredith Wild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-wild/) ## More by Roddy Doyle > [“Sometimes, when you were thinking about something, trying to understand it, it opened up in your head without you expecting it to, like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/sometimes-when-you-were-thinking-about-something-trying-to-understand/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [“It was frightening, though, how little time you got. You only became yourself when you were twenty-three or twenty-four. A few years later, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/it-was-frightening-though-how-little-time-you-got-you-only-became/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [The Irish are the niggers of Europe, lads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/the-irish-are-the-niggers-of-europe-lads/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [“Terror. That was it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/terror-that-was-it/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [Ulysses could have done with a good editor. You know people are always putting Ulysses in the top 10 books ever written but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/ulysses-could-have-done-with-a-good-editor-you-know-people-are-always/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [Dreaming was only nice while it lasted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/dreaming-was-only-nice-while-it-lasted/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [It was a sign of growing up, when the dark made no more difference to you than the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/it-was-a-sign-of-growing-up-when-the-dark-made-no-more-difference-to/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [When I started writing full time I had not long stopped being a teacher and when at last I had a full day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/when-i-started-writing-full-time-i-had-not-long-stopped-being-a/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [When I was a kid, if you didn't speak Irish, you really wanted to. And you played Gaelic games and you didn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/when-i-was-a-kid-if-you-didn-t-speak-irish-you-really-wanted-to-and/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [I'm not recognised that much. I'm just a bald man in glasses and there's a rash of them in Dublin. It'd be different if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/i-m-not-recognised-that-much-i-m-just-a-bald-man-in-glasses-and-there/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [It's a big con job. We have sold the myth of Dublin as a sexy place incredibly well; because it is a dreary little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/it-s-a-big-con-job-we-have-sold-the-myth-of-dublin-as-a-sexy-place/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [“One day at a time, sweet Jesus. Whoever wrote that one hadn’t a clue. A day is a fuckin’ eternity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/one-day-at-a-time-sweet-jesus-whoever-wrote-that-one-hadn-t-a-clue-a/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [Schools don't really allow failure and yet it's a valid part of any endeavour, not just writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/schools-don-t-really-allow-failure-and-yet-it-s-a-valid-part-of-any/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [My novels come from within me; they are things I feel I want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/my-novels-come-from-within-me-they-are-things-i-feel-i-want-to-do/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [Most working days I can be at my desk for nine hours a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/most-working-days-i-can-be-at-my-desk-for-nine-hours-a-day/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) [Explore all 65 Roddy Doyle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) ## More Experience quotes > [Experience makes a lesson to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/experience-makes-a-lesson-to-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [From my experience of having served for 3000 days, I can say that anything can be achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/from-my-experience-of-having-served-for-3000-days-i-can-say-that/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) > [I happen to think it's the politics that makes you electable, but the reason for that is politicians sometimes talk about electability as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-happen-to-think-it-s-the-politics-that-makes-you-electable-but-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Iranians hate Arabs. They're a fairly well-educated population and they have centuries of experience with self-government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ledeen/iranians-hate-arabs-they-re-a-fairly-well-educated-population-and/) [Michael Ledeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ledeen/) > [Education is a lifelong experience. Experience is a lifelong education. Education plus experience equals expertise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bugeja/education-is-a-lifelong-experience-experience-is-a-lifelong-education/) Michael Bugeja > [Prison experience puts distance between me and any person who hasn't been there, done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mcconnell/prison-experience-puts-distance-between-me-and-any-person-who-hasn-t/) [Patricia McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mcconnell/) > [Experience is a thorough teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jane-holmes/experience-is-a-thorough-teacher/) [Mary Jane Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jane-holmes/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I've had a great experience with pretty much everybody I've worked with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-wasikowska/i-ve-had-a-great-experience-with-pretty-much-everybody-i-ve-worked/) [Mia Wasikowska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-wasikowska/) > [It wasn't a mistake, it was a fun learning experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-wasn-t-a-mistake-it-was-a-fun-learning-experience/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) [Browse all 11,792 Experience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No matter how close to personal experience a story might be, inevitably you are going to get to a part that isn't yours and, actually, whether it happened or not becomes irrelevant. 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