--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always tell my writing students that…" description: "\"I always tell my writing students that every good piece of writing begins with both a mystery and a love story. And that every single sentence must be ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/571/silas-house-23346_character_i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-e_1305605.png" --- # I always tell my writing students that every good piece of… ![“I always tell my writing students that every good piece of writing begins with both a mystery and a love story. And that every single sentence must be a poem. And that economy is the key to all good writing. And that every character has to have a secret.” quote by Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/571/silas-house-23346_character_i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-e_1305605.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/571/silas-house-23346_character_i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-e_1305605.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/571/silas-house-23346_character_i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-e_1305605.png) > “I always tell my writing students that every good piece of writing begins with both a mystery and a love story. And that every single sentence must be a poem. And that economy is the key to all good writing. And that every character has to have a secret.” [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good writing should blend mystery, love, poetic language, economy, and secretive characters to engage readers. **In simple terms:** Great stories mix intrigue, emotion, and concise, poetic prose. Key Takeaway Write with mystery, love, and brevity. Themes writing craft storytelling poetry Mood instructive creative Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - novel writing - short stories - workshop teaching Key Concepts narrative tension character depth conciseness Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance mystery with clarity? - What secrets enrich your characters? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on mystery can obscure clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Good writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-writing/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-story/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [How often I have tried to tell writing students that the first thing a writer must do is love the reader and wish the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/how-often-i-have-tried-to-tell-writing-students-that-the-first-thing/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/almost-all-good-writing-begins-with-terrible-first-efforts-you-need/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something-anything-down on paper. A friend of mine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/almost-all-good-writing-begins-with-terrible-first-efforts-you-need-2/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something—anything—down on paper. What I’ve learned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/almost-all-good-writing-begins-with-terrible-first-efforts-you-need-3/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Good writing is the hardest form of thinking. It involves the agony of turning profoundly difficult thoughts into lucid form, then forcing them into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/good-writing-is-the-hardest-form-of-thinking-it-involves-the-agony-of-2/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“The most dangerous lie we tell ourselves is that writing novels shouldn't feel like a job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/the-most-dangerous-lie-we-tell-ourselves-is-that-writing-novels/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [What do I do when writing isn't going well? Well, I don't write - which is symptom, cure, and cause. And then sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/what-do-i-do-when-writing-isn-t-going-well-well-i-don-t-write-which/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [If you're a writer, write. You just keep writing. And if you're a filmmaker, you keep doing what you can to keep telling your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-brunetti/if-you-re-a-writer-write-you-just-keep-writing-and-if-you-re-a/) [Dana Brunetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-brunetti/) > [There's an old adage in writing: 'Don't tell, but show.' Writing is not psychology. We do not talk 'about' feelings. Instead the writer feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/there-s-an-old-adage-in-writing-don-t-tell-but-show-writing-is-not/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [My writings are an exploration, and I think a lot of writers would tell you this, but in writing, you're not simply putting down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/my-writings-are-an-exploration-and-i-think-a-lot-of-writers-would/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [I never really tell anyone what I'm writing beforehand because I usually don't know what it will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcdonagh/i-never-really-tell-anyone-what-i-m-writing-beforehand-because-i/) [Martin McDonagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcdonagh/) > [“I can tell you that the writing of a book, no matter how deeply, profoundly personal-if it is literature, if you have attended to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/i-can-tell-you-that-the-writing-of-a-book-no-matter-how-deeply/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [People will tell you that writing is too difficult, that it's impossible to get your work published, that you might as well hang yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-will-tell-you-that-writing-is-too-difficult-that-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“writing about drugs is like that though, isn't it? You can just tell when someone is writing about drugs and they've never really done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/writing-about-drugs-is-like-that-though-isn-t-it-you-can-just-tell/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [“Some writers might tell you that writing is like a piece of magic - a process of creating something out of nothing, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-marshall-stoneking/some-writers-might-tell-you-that-writing-is-like-a-piece-of-magic-a/) [Billy Marshall Stoneking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-marshall-stoneking/) ## More by Silas House > [Whole scenes of your life slip away forever if you don't put them down in ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/whole-scenes-of-your-life-slip-away-forever-if-you-don-t-put-them/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [Writing is a supernatural thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/writing-is-a-supernatural-thing/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [“Every morning I was renewed, though. Air and light healed me, over and over. I got to where I depended on it. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/every-morning-i-was-renewed-though-air-and-light-healed-me-over-and/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [“He liked the splash of the river and the night things that gathered there: katydids and crickets, frogs and cicadas. At night the smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/he-liked-the-splash-of-the-river-and-the-night-things-that-gathered/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [Sometimes just being still is the best thing you can do for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/sometimes-just-being-still-is-the-best-thing-you-can-do-for-yourself/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [In New York, the buildings are like mountains in some ways, but they are only alive because of the people living in them. Real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/in-new-york-the-buildings-are-like-mountains-in-some-ways-but-they/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [“Maybe all the trees were God.--A Parchment of Leaves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/maybe-all-the-trees-were-god-a-parchment-of-leaves/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [“When Clay was little, newscasters boasted that the War on Poverty was being waged in those very mountains, but if the government had fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/when-clay-was-little-newscasters-boasted-that-the-war-on-poverty-was/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [But you cannot know a place without loving it and hating it and feeling everything in between. You cannot understand a complex people by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/but-you-cannot-know-a-place-without-loving-it-and-hating-it-and/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [Since that night I have come to understand that sometimes the best families of all are those we create ourselves, the people we choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/since-that-night-i-have-come-to-understand-that-sometimes-the-best/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [“I appricated that Nell was talking to me like a grown-up, but I had no idea what she meant. Still, I could see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/i-appricated-that-nell-was-talking-to-me-like-a-grown-up-but-i-had-no/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [Strange, how such a small realization can affect everyone's life forever. In movies there is always a carefully staged moment - a big crescendo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/strange-how-such-a-small-realization-can-affect-everyone-s-life/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [“Easter, I don't want you to die and go to Heaven without having a little fun. The Lord forgives all things, honey. Live, sister!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/easter-i-don-t-want-you-to-die-and-go-to-heaven-without-having-a/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [“Any two people can set and jaw all day long, but it takes two people right for each other to set together and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/any-two-people-can-set-and-jaw-all-day-long-but-it-takes-two-people/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [“Learn how to forgive others, including yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/learn-how-to-forgive-others-including-yourself/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) [Explore all 26 Silas House quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [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'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I always tell my writing students that every good piece of writing begins with both a mystery and a love story. And that every single sentence must be a poem. And that economy is the key to all good writing. And that every character has to have a secret.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Silas House" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-every-good-piece-of-writing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-every-good-piece-of-writing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/571/silas-house-23346_character_i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-e_1305605.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/571/silas-house-23346_character_i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-e_1305605.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/571/silas-house-23346_character_i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-e_1305605.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always tell my writing students that every good piece of writing begins with both a mystery and a love…” — Silas House", "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": "Silas House", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I always tell my writing students...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-every-good-piece-of-writing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/i-always-tell-my-writing-students-that-every-good-piece-of-writing/#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 } } ] } ```