--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A story should be managed so that it…" description: "\"A story should be managed so that it should suggest interesting things to the reader instead of the author's doing all the thinking for him, and settin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/sarah-orne-jewett-10338_black_a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-sho_439411.jpg" --- # A story should be managed so that it should suggest… ![“A story should be managed so that it should suggest interesting things to the reader instead of the author's doing all the thinking for him, and setting it before him in black and white.” quote by Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/sarah-orne-jewett-10338_black_a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-sho_439411.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/sarah-orne-jewett-10338_black_a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-sho_439411.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/sarah-orne-jewett-10338_black_a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-sho_439411.jpg) > “A story should be managed so that it should suggest interesting things to the reader instead of the author's doing all the thinking for him, and setting it before him in black and white.” [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories should invite readers to infer meaning rather than spell everything out. **In simple terms:** Let readers think for themselves. Key Takeaway Write with subtlety, not over‑explaining. Themes narrative technique reader engagement show don’t tell Mood thoughtful analytical Type educational literary When to use this quote - teaching writing - book clubs - creative workshops - editing Key Concepts Literary theory storytelling craft Questions to Reflect On - How much detail is enough? - When does ambiguity hinder understanding? A Different Perspective Over‑subtlety may leave readers confused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Author Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/author-doing-1725887/) [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black and white](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-and-white/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Instead Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instead-author-3856532/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Interesting things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-things/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Reader Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader-instead-3856533/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Settings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settings/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Managed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-managed-3856530/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-setting-3856531/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) ## Related quotes > [The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/the-secret-to-editing-your-work-is-simple-you-need-to-become-its/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“That’s why you should flip through the pages so that someday you’d be an ebook author. So doing you’d save a newer generation the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/that-s-why-you-should-flip-through-the-pages-so-that-someday-you-d-be/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [I used to love reading, but since I've started writing, it's harder for me to immerse, because I spend so much time looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/i-used-to-love-reading-but-since-i-ve-started-writing-it-s-harder-for/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-crosby/it-seemed-intended-by-the-blessed-providence-of-god-that-i-should-be/) [Fanny Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-crosby/) > [For me, personally, there is one really interesting thing. You're all a bit too young for that, but when you get to a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-waltz/for-me-personally-there-is-one-really-interesting-thing-you-re-all-a/) [Christoph Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-waltz/) > [The interesting thing about Sherlock is that he is himself a reflection of that very English duality. As a drug addict, he is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-everett/the-interesting-thing-about-sherlock-is-that-he-is-himself-a/) [Rupert Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-everett/) > [Sometimes when I'm nervous, that's when the most interesting things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-peretti/sometimes-when-i-m-nervous-that-s-when-the-most-interesting-things/) [Chelsea Peretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-peretti/) > [ The interesting thing about a song like 'Bulletproof Heart' - it was \[originally\] called 'Trans Am' - the interesting thing about the amalgamation of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-way/the-interesting-thing-about-a-song-like-bulletproof-heart-it-was/) [Mikey Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-way/) > [As a designer, I think you just have to make sure you know what you want and stay true to it. You need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-browne/as-a-designer-i-think-you-just-have-to-make-sure-you-know-what-you/) [Thom Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-browne/) > [Whenever you are examining someone else's belongings, you are bound to learn many interesting things about the person of which you were not previously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whenever-you-are-examining-someone-else-s-belongings-you-are-bound-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the most interesting things for me in playing another species is that you want to make them different enough to be alien…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-murray/one-of-the-most-interesting-things-for-me-in-playing-another-species/) [Jaime Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-murray/) > [The interesting thing about a lot of serialized television is that it's a blessing and curse. Smart writers really take their time in investing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-weil/the-interesting-thing-about-a-lot-of-serialized-television-is-that-it/) [Liza Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-weil/) > [I come from a working-class family. They're the people I know and the people I love, I guess. I do not write about them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-come-from-a-working-class-family-they-re-the-people-i-know-and-the/) [Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [You find out so many interesting things when you're not on drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/you-find-out-so-many-interesting-things-when-you-re-not-on-drugs/) [Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/) ## More by Sarah Orne Jewett > [You must find your own quiet center of life, and write from that to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/you-must-find-your-own-quiet-center-of-life-and-write-from-that-to/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [“This is a very small world; we are all within hail of each other. I dare say when we get to Heaven there will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/this-is-a-very-small-world-we-are-all-within-hail-of-each-other-i/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [It seems to me like stealing, for men and women to live in the world and do nothing to make it better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/it-seems-to-me-like-stealing-for-men-and-women-to-live-in-the-world/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [my friends plunged into a borderless sea of reminiscences and personal news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/my-friends-plunged-into-a-borderless-sea-of-reminiscences-and/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [When she walked...she stretched out long and thin like a little tiger, and held her head high to look over the grass as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/when-she-walked-she-stretched-out-long-and-thin-like-a-little-tiger/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [You never get over bein' a child long's you have a mother to go to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/you-never-get-over-bein-a-child-long-s-you-have-a-mother-to-go-to/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [The warm sun kissed the earthTo consecrate thy birth,And from his close embraceThy radiant faceSprang into sight,A blossoming delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/the-warm-sun-kissed-the-earthto-consecrate-thy-birth-and-from-his/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [There's some herb that's good for everybody, except for them that thinks they're sick when they ain't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/there-s-some-herb-that-s-good-for-everybody-except-for-them-that/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [I've found that people who look at things as they are, and not as they wish them to be, are the ones who succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/i-ve-found-that-people-who-look-at-things-as-they-are-and-not-as-they/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [There is something out of gear about graded schools and all that. Memory is developed at the expense of what in general we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/there-is-something-out-of-gear-about-graded-schools-and-all-that/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [My dear father; my dear friend; the best and wisest man I ever knew, who taught me many lessons and showed me many things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/my-dear-father-my-dear-friend-the-best-and-wisest-man-i-ever-knew-who/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [In these days the young folks is all copy-cats, 'fraid to death they won't be all just alike; as for the old folks, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/in-these-days-the-young-folks-is-all-copy-cats-fraid-to-death-they/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [So we die before our own eyes; so we see some chapters of our lives come to their natural end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/so-we-die-before-our-own-eyes-so-we-see-some-chapters-of-our-lives/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [Who was it said that you never get to a place until a day after you come, nor leave it until a day after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/who-was-it-said-that-you-never-get-to-a-place-until-a-day-after-you/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [“I couldn't help thinkin' if she was as far out o' town as she was out o' tune, she wouldn't get back in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/i-couldn-t-help-thinkin-if-she-was-as-far-out-o-town-as-she-was-out-o/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) [Explore all 66 Sarah Orne Jewett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) [Frank B. Wilderson III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-wilderson-iii/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) [Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A story should be managed so that it should suggest interesting things to the reader instead of the author's doing all the thinking for him, and setting it before him in black and white.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah Orne Jewett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-should-suggest-interesting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-should-suggest-interesting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/sarah-orne-jewett-10338_black_a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-sho_439411.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/sarah-orne-jewett-10338_black_a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-sho_439411.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/sarah-orne-jewett-10338_black_a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-sho_439411.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A story should be managed so that it should suggest interesting things to the reader instead of the author's…” — Sarah Orne Jewett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sarah Orne Jewett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A story should be managed so...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-should-suggest-interesting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/a-story-should-be-managed-so-that-it-should-suggest-interesting/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```