--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be a good storyteller one must be…" description: "\"To be a good storyteller one must be gloriously alive. It is not possible to kindle fresh fires from burned-out embers. I have noticed that the best of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/ruth-sawyer-57906_alive_to-be-a-good-storyteller-one-must-be-glo_1379751.jpg" --- # To be a good storyteller one must be gloriously alive. It… ![“To be a good storyteller one must be gloriously alive. It is not possible to kindle fresh fires from burned-out embers. I have noticed that the best of the traditional storytellers whom I have heard have been those who live close to the heart of things-to the earth, the sea, wind and weather. They…” quote by Ruth Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/ruth-sawyer-57906_alive_to-be-a-good-storyteller-one-must-be-glo_1379751.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/ruth-sawyer-57906_alive_to-be-a-good-storyteller-one-must-be-glo_1379751.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/ruth-sawyer-57906_alive_to-be-a-good-storyteller-one-must-be-glo_1379751.jpg) > “To be a good storyteller one must be gloriously alive. It is not possible to kindle fresh fires from burned-out embers. I have noticed that the best of the traditional storytellers whom I have heard have been those who live close to the heart of things-to the earth, the sea, wind and weather. They have been those who knew solitude, silence. They have been given unbroken time in which to feel deeply, to reach constantly for understanding. They have come to know the power of the spoken word. These storytellers have been sailors and peasants, wanderers and fisherman.” [Ruth Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-sawyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A storyteller must live fully, feeling deeply and embracing solitude to convey authentic, vivid narratives. **In simple terms:** Live fully to tell true stories. Key Takeaway Embrace solitude and deep feeling. Themes storytelling authenticity nature solitude experience Mood reflective inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - public speaking - personal journaling - creative retreats - community storytelling Key Concepts embodied presence sensory awareness emotional depth Questions to Reflect On - How do you cultivate deep feeling in daily life? - What solitude practices enhance your storytelling? A Different Perspective If you are not deeply feeling, your stories may feel shallow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Burned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burned/) [Burned out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burned-out/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Embers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embers/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Fisherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fisherman/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Kindles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindles/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Peasants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peasants/) [Sailor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sailor/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Spoken word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoken-word/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Storyteller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storyteller/) [Storytellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytellers/) [Storytellers Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytellers-heard-4776061/) [Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional/) [Traditional Storytellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional-storytellers-4776060/) [Unbroken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unbroken/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Wanderers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanderers/) [Weather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weather/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) [Word Storytellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-storytellers-4280505/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Before the printed word Storytellers would sit amount the listeners to hear their comments and banter. 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Like the first kid, "You were named…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/people-get-burned-out-in-big-families-you-can-even-see-it-in-the/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [ Police vetting should \[take place\] every one to two years. They should go in for a psychological, to see if they're burned out, see… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-grace/police-vetting-should-take-place-every-one-to-two-years-they-should/) [Nancy Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-grace/) > [Guys ask me, don't I get burned out? How can you get burned out doing something you love? I ask you, have you ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lasorda/guys-ask-me-don-t-i-get-burned-out-how-can-you-get-burned-out-doing/) [Tommy Lasorda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lasorda/) > [Dogbert gazing at night sky No matter how bad the day is, the stars are always there. Dilbert Actually, many of them burned out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/dogbert-gazing-at-night-sky-no-matter-how-bad-the-day-is-the-stars/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [I'm so burned out, the only person I can stand is myself. I'm the only one I would put through this. Wheels and wings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-m-so-burned-out-the-only-person-i-can-stand-is-myself-i-m-the-only/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I was very burned out after Buffy. It was exhausting. 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I was down there for 10 or 12 years, raising children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-majors/i-got-kind-of-burned-out-so-i-moved-to-florida-i-was-down-there-for/) [Lee Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-majors/) ## More by Ruth Sawyer > [“..."You're getting a sort of vaccination this year. If you don't know it now, you'll find it out some day. 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That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. 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We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be a good storyteller one must be gloriously alive. It is not possible to kindle fresh fires from burned-out embers. I have noticed that the best of the traditional storytellers whom I have heard have been those who live close to the heart of things-to the earth, the sea, wind and weather. They have been those who knew solitude, silence. They have been given unbroken time in which to feel deeply, to reach constantly for understanding. They have come to know the power of the spoken word. 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