Become Quote by Susan Choi
“I've never written a book with an outline or a predetermined theme. It's only in retrospect that themes or subjects become identifiable. That's the fun of it: discovering what's next. I'm often surprised by plot developments I would not have dreamed of starting out, but that, in the course of the writing, come to seem inevitable.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Author Talk, The New Yorker, 2015
Writing without a preset outline lets the story emerge organically, making discovery part of the creative process.
In simple terms: Stories form as you write, not before.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty and let ideas unfold.
Themes
creativity
discovery
process
surprise
inevitability
Mood
curious
excited
reflective
Type
process
inspirational
When to use this quote
- novel drafting
- screenwriting
- creative brainstorming
- improvised performance
Key Concepts
emergent narrative
organic development
authorial intuition
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance spontaneity with coherence?
- What methods help you recognize emerging themes?
A Different Perspective
Lack of structure can lead to incoherence or missed thematic depth.
