--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As an author, I breathe life into each…" description: "\"“As an author, I breathe life into each and every character within the stories that I write. But it is the reader who gives them their souls.”\" — Scott..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/scott-borgman-276675_books_as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-an_795673.jpg" --- # As an author, I breathe life into each and every character… ![“As an author, I breathe life into each and every character within the stories that I write. But it is the reader who gives them their souls.” quote by Scott Borgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/scott-borgman-276675_books_as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-an_795673.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/scott-borgman-276675_books_as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-an_795673.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/scott-borgman-276675_books_as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-an_795673.jpg) > ““As an author, I breathe life into each and every character within the stories that I write. But it is the reader who gives them their souls.”” Scott Borgman ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authors create characters, but readers give them life through imagination and emotional connection. **In simple terms:** Readers animate fictional characters. Key Takeaway Engage deeply with literature to enrich stories. Themes writing reading imagination creativity literature Mood inspirational thoughtful Type Books:1 Inspirational attitude:1 Life:0 Souls:0 Writer:1 Character Stories:1 Gives Souls:0 Reader Gives:0 Author Breathe:0 When to use this quote - book clubs - creative writing workshops - literary analysis Key Concepts authorial intent reader response character development Questions to Reflect On - How does your imagination shape a story? - What responsibility do readers have to characters? A Different Perspective May not apply to non‑fiction works. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Inspirational attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-attitude/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Souls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/souls/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn't be daunting, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/i-have-a-passion-for-teaching-kids-to-become-readers-to-become/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Every work coming from the creator is about getting the demons out, and each character in those stories had a different personal crisis to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-miller/every-work-coming-from-the-creator-is-about-getting-the-demons-out/) [Rebecca Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-miller/) > [As in nature, as in art, so in grace; it is rough treatment that gives souls, as well as stones, their luster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-guthrie/as-in-nature-as-in-art-so-in-grace-it-is-rough-treatment-that-gives/) [Thomas Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-guthrie/) > [“And St. Francis added: "My dear and beloved Brother, the treasure of blessed poverty is so very precious and divine that we are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-francis-of-assisi/and-st-francis-added-my-dear-and-beloved-brother-the-treasure-of/) [St. Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-francis-of-assisi/) > [The opportunity to be able to tell long-form character stories is something that TV affords and is therefore a terrain that a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/the-opportunity-to-be-able-to-tell-long-form-character-stories-is/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [“There is no shortcut for hard work that leads to effectiveness. You must stay disciplined because most of the work is behind the scenes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/there-is-no-shortcut-for-hard-work-that-leads-to-effectiveness-you/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [University can teach you skill and give you opportunity, but it can't teach you sense, nor give you understanding. Sense and understanding are produced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/university-can-teach-you-skill-and-give-you-opportunity-but-it-can-t/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [“Be where you are, stop over-thinking, and focus on what you are doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/be-where-you-are-stop-over-thinking-and-focus-on-what-you-are-doing/) [Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [“Be kind to everyone you meet. Give a little bit of yourself to mankind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/be-kind-to-everyone-you-meet-give-a-little-bit-of-yourself-to-mankind/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“We all have negative thoughts now and then, but we can choose not to dwell there and not to let them control us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/we-all-have-negative-thoughts-now-and-then-but-we-can-choose-not-to/) [Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [“Nobody has the right to break your spirit, not even you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuwan-thapaliya/nobody-has-the-right-to-break-your-spirit-not-even-you/) [Bhuwan Thapaliya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuwan-thapaliya/) > [“Instead of labelling your emotions as problems to solve, you can see them as signals to interpret. Instead of judging your desires as shameful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/instead-of-labelling-your-emotions-as-problems-to-solve-you-can-see/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [“Ignorance is the source of all problems you encounting on your life time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ignorance-is-the-source-of-all-problems-you-encounting-on-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Today if anything is trying to hold you back, give no attention to it. Get your hopes up, get your faith up, look up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/today-if-anything-is-trying-to-hold-you-back-give-no-attention-to-it/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“What you owe your critics are your RESULTS not explanations not defence just RESULTS.Evidence terminates Arguments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/what-you-owe-your-critics-are-your-results-not-explanations-not/) [Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/) ## 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. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. 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. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As an author, I breathe life into each and every character within the stories that I write. But it is the reader who gives them their souls.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott Borgman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-borgman/as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-and-every-character-within-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-borgman/as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-and-every-character-within-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/scott-borgman-276675_books_as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-an_795673.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/scott-borgman-276675_books_as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-an_795673.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/scott-borgman-276675_books_as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-an_795673.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As an author, I breathe life into each and every character within the stories that I write. But it is the…” — Scott Borgman", "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": "Scott Borgman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-borgman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“As an author, I breathe life...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-borgman/as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-and-every-character-within-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-borgman/as-an-author-i-breathe-life-into-each-and-every-character-within-the/#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 } } ] } ```