--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I start with characters, and then I start…" description: "\"I start with characters, and then I start writing, and then, if I'm lucky, things start to happen.\" — Susan Choi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/susan-choi-21843_characters_i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start_3037012.jpg" --- # I start with characters, and then I start writing, and… ![“I start with characters, and then I start writing, and then, if I'm lucky, things start to happen.” quote by Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/susan-choi-21843_characters_i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start_3037012.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/susan-choi-21843_characters_i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start_3037012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/susan-choi-21843_characters_i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start_3037012.jpg) > “I start with characters, and then I start writing, and then, if I'm lucky, things start to happen.” [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer builds stories by starting with characters, then letting events unfold. **In simple terms:** Start with characters, then write. Key Takeaway Develop characters before plot. Themes writing creativity process Mood thoughtful inspirational Type guidance process When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting Key Concepts character development organic storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How to balance character and plot? - When to intervene? A Different Perspective Characters may not drive plot alone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I don't start with the characters. I start with the series of events that will provide the conflict and how it can be resolved.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/i-don-t-start-with-the-characters-i-start-with-the-series-of-events/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [Everyone thinks when they start writing that they can't do it. I was lucky. My sister Delia was the most important person in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hallie-ephron/everyone-thinks-when-they-start-writing-that-they-can-t-do-it-i-was/) [Hallie Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hallie-ephron/) > [When you recognize good writing and you're lucky enough to get it, like with Lost, that's what I follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nestor-carbonell/when-you-recognize-good-writing-and-you-re-lucky-enough-to-get-it/) [Nestor Carbonell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nestor-carbonell/) > [Usually when you start the characters, the first thing is the script. Your design work is about telling the story. It's later that casting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-byrne/usually-when-you-start-the-characters-the-first-thing-is-the-script/) [Alexandra Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-byrne/) > [I usually base my characters on composites of people I know. One trumpet player in SIDE MAN is really a mix of four different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-leight/i-usually-base-my-characters-on-composites-of-people-i-know-one/) Warren Leight > [I always start with characters rather than with a plot, which many critics would say is very obvious from the lack of plot in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jarmusch/i-always-start-with-characters-rather-than-with-a-plot-which-many/) [Jim Jarmusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jarmusch/) > [I love to start characters in a place where you think you know them. We can make all kinds of assumptions about them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callie-khouri/i-love-to-start-characters-in-a-place-where-you-think-you-know-them/) [Callie Khouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callie-khouri/) > [Usually with film writing I start with characters, and set about writing their story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/usually-with-film-writing-i-start-with-characters-and-set-about/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [You eventually come to the conclusion that there's only so much you can do with these established characters, and you start wondering who among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/you-eventually-come-to-the-conclusion-that-there-s-only-so-much-you/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [My characters all start with rhythms and sounds. 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Almost every movie I've done starts with a happy marriage, it's all beautiful, wealthy, whatever... and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-bouquet/my-characters-always-start-well-in-movies-almost-every-movie-i-ve/) [Carole Bouquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-bouquet/) > [My characters often start out with a loss of some sort, usually a loss of emotion or purpose or hope. What I do in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/my-characters-often-start-out-with-a-loss-of-some-sort-usually-a-loss/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [When you're really young, you tend to fall in love with characters. If you start seeing the same type of character everywhere and realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-marie-tran/when-you-re-really-young-you-tend-to-fall-in-love-with-characters-if/) [Kelly Marie Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-marie-tran/) ## More by Susan Choi > [Innocence as we understand it in our culture is very theatrical. The flip side is, if you're charming enough, you can get away with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/innocence-as-we-understand-it-in-our-culture-is-very-theatrical-the/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) > [“Coup de foudre; perhaps it was real. One went from believing, when twenty, that it was the one kind of love that was real,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/coup-de-foudre-perhaps-it-was-real-one-went-from-believing-when/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) > [It's pathetic, but I don't really remember my first time reading 'The Great Gatsby.' I must have read it in high school. I'm pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/it-s-pathetic-but-i-don-t-really-remember-my-first-time-reading-the/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) > [The most shocking act, closely examined, is just a louder version of some habitual gesture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/the-most-shocking-act-closely-examined-is-just-a-louder-version-of/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) > [I've at times in my past been so unhappy, and thought, like, 'I would give anything for this not to be happening.' 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That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/i-ve-never-written-a-book-with-an-outline-or-a-predetermined-theme-it/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) > [It's still funny for me to think of myself as someone who writes historical fiction because it seems like a really fusty, musty term,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/it-s-still-funny-for-me-to-think-of-myself-as-someone-who-writes/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) > [“I didn't grasp that desire and duty could rival each other, least of all that they most often did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/i-didn-t-grasp-that-desire-and-duty-could-rival-each-other-least-of/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) > [I stopped writing short fiction early on - I was never really good at it, and I never liked the results. 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"I'll miss you," he said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/something-crossed-his-face-a-pure-motion-like-wind-over-water-i/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) > [I was the daughter of an immigrant, raised to feel that I needed to get excellent, flawless grades and a full scholarship and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/i-was-the-daughter-of-an-immigrant-raised-to-feel-that-i-needed-to/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) > [“I couldn't let you believe we'd keep going, when we'd already lasted too long.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/i-couldn-t-let-you-believe-we-d-keep-going-when-we-d-already-lasted/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) [Explore all 28 Susan Choi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) ## More Characters 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'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/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. 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Handing them on is like giving a child to a nanny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-fellowes/you-do-get-fond-of-your-characters-handing-them-on-is-like-giving-a/) [Julian Fellowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-fellowes/) > [Your job as a writer is to find storylines, narrative structures, and characters to show the things that you believe rather than saying them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/your-job-as-a-writer-is-to-find-storylines-narrative-structures-and/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. 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I always wanted to be all these things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-fireman-a-cop-an-indian-chief-a-doctor-a/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) [Browse all 3,066 Characters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I start with characters, and then I start writing, and then, if I'm lucky, things start to happen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Choi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start-writing-and-then-if-i-m/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Characters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start-writing-and-then-if-i-m/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/susan-choi-21843_characters_i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start_3037012.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/susan-choi-21843_characters_i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start_3037012.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/susan-choi-21843_characters_i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start_3037012.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I start with characters, and then I start writing, and then, if I'm lucky, things start to happen.” — Susan Choi", "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": "Susan Choi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I start with characters, and then...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start-writing-and-then-if-i-m/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/i-start-with-characters-and-then-i-start-writing-and-then-if-i-m/#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 } } ] } ```