--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing two stories [in the Thorn and the…" description: "\"Writing two stories [in the Thorn and the Blossom] about the same set of events that were complete stories in themselves, but also added up to a larger..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/theodora-goss-10051_back-and-forth_writing-two-stories-in-the-thorn-and-the_213001.jpg" --- # Writing two stories \[in the Thorn and the Blossom\] about… ![“Writing two stories [in the Thorn and the Blossom] about the same set of events that were complete stories in themselves, but also added up to a larger story. As I was writing them, I kept going back and forth, because something would happen in one story that would have to be reflected in the…” quote by Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/theodora-goss-10051_back-and-forth_writing-two-stories-in-the-thorn-and-the_213001.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/theodora-goss-10051_back-and-forth_writing-two-stories-in-the-thorn-and-the_213001.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0d/theodora-goss-10051_back-and-forth_writing-two-stories-in-the-thorn-and-the_213001.jpg) > “Writing two stories \[in the Thorn and the Blossom\] about the same set of events that were complete stories in themselves, but also added up to a larger story. As I was writing them, I kept going back and forth, because something would happen in one story that would have to be reflected in the other story. And yet the same event would also have to be perceived in different ways by Brendan and Evelyn, because they are different people with their own interpretations.” [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes how interlinked narratives can each stand alone yet together form a broader, more complex story, requiring careful coordination of events and perspectives. **In simple terms:** Interconnected stories need shared events and distinct viewpoints. Key Takeaway Balance consistency and character perspective. Themes storytelling structure perspective interconnection Mood creative analytical Type literary instructional When to use this quote - writing workshops - novel planning - screenwriting - collaborative projects Key Concepts narrative design character perception thematic layering Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure each story remains compelling on its own? - What techniques help maintain coherence across perspectives? A Different Perspective Balancing multiple viewpoints can dilute narrative focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Interpretation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpretation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-writing/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-stories/) ## Related quotes > [I felt like I had never really heard of a story that reflected the stuff I was going through as a mom. I came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-center/i-felt-like-i-had-never-really-heard-of-a-story-that-reflected-the/) [Katherine Center](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-center/) > [Details make stories human, and the more human a story can be, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/details-make-stories-human-and-the-more-human-a-story-can-be-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/when-your-story-is-ready-for-rewrite-cut-it-to-the-bone-get-rid-of/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Tell the readers a story! Because without a story, you are merely using words to prove you can string them together in logical sentences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/tell-the-readers-a-story-because-without-a-story-you-are-merely-using/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [I have been successful probably because I have always realized that I knew nothing about writing and have merely tried to tell an interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/i-have-been-successful-probably-because-i-have-always-realized-that-i/) [Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/) > [Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/everybody-walks-past-a-thousand-story-ideas-every-day-the-good/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/anecdotes-don-t-make-good-stories-generally-i-dig-down-underneath/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/everybody-walks-past-a-thousand-story-ideas-every-day/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/if-you-write-one-story-it-may-be-bad-if-you-write-a-hundred-you-have/) [Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/) > [You learn by writing short stories. Keep writing short stories. The money's in novels, but writing short stories keeps your writing lean and pointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/you-learn-by-writing-short-stories-keep-writing-short-stories-the/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary-it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/all-the-words-i-use-in-my-stories-can-be-found-in-the-dictionary-it-s/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [I love story-writing because I can (more or less, on occasion) actually DO it. That's really the truth. I like the idea that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-love-story-writing-because-i-can-more-or-less-on-occasion-actually/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Daydreaming had started me on the way; but story writing, once I was truly in its grip, took me and shook me awake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/daydreaming-had-started-me-on-the-way-but-story-writing-once-i-was/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [I feel that discussing story-writing in terms of plot, character, and theme is like trying to describe the expression on a face by saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/i-feel-that-discussing-story-writing-in-terms-of-plot-character-and/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“If your characters write your story, rather than you writing your characters, it's like your dog taking YOU for a walk. Don't let them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bell/if-your-characters-write-your-story-rather-than-you-writing-your/) [Jessica Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bell/) ## More by Theodora Goss > [I've heard some readers saying they wished the story was longer, and I completely understand that desire - we all like to sink into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/i-ve-heard-some-readers-saying-they-wished-the-story-was-longer-and-i/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [“She drifted, feather-like, in tenuous radiance… Her gown, it seemed a thing made out of mist, As though the dewy air Had gathered in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/she-drifted-feather-like-in-tenuous-radiance-her-gown-it-seemed-a/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [The Thorn and The Blossom can be read from either side - you can choose whether to read it from Brendan's or Evelyn's perspective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/the-thorn-and-the-blossom-can-be-read-from-either-side-you-can-choose/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [ The editor, Stephen Segal, actually called me with the idea of creating an accordion book \[ "The Thorn & The Blossom"\], and asked if… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/the-editor-stephen-segal-actually-called-me-with-the-idea-of-creating/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [ The book itself \[The Thorn and The Blossom\] is bound accordion-style: it has no spine, so it can open in either direction, and it's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/the-book-itself-the-thorn-and-the-blossom-is-bound-accordion-style-it/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [“Spectacular cases are usually simpler, and less interesting, than they initially appear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/spectacular-cases-are-usually-simpler-and-less-interesting-than-they/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [If you look at the natural world, really look at it, it's always magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/if-you-look-at-the-natural-world-really-look-at-it-it-s-always-magical/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [Art inspires me. Looking at art in a museum, listening to music, reading the works of other writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/art-inspires-me-looking-at-art-in-a-museum-listening-to-music-reading/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [I loved writing something people usually have - miscommunication, for example. Now that I've written a romance, I'm sure I'll write more: it's fascinating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/i-loved-writing-something-people-usually-have-miscommunication-for/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [I would tell myself to get more sleep! Believe it or not, I wrote the book while finishing my PhD in English literature. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/i-would-tell-myself-to-get-more-sleep-believe-it-or-not-i-wrote-the/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [Nature inspires me continually. Today, I can look out my window and see the entire world covered with snow. It's like Narnia under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/nature-inspires-me-continually-today-i-can-look-out-my-window-and-see/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [Understanding what is going on in the world today inspires me in a negative sense because there's so much about it that I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/understanding-what-is-going-on-in-the-world-today-inspires-me-in-a/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [“I will tell you, too, that every fairy tale has a moral. The moral of my story may be that love is a constraint,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/i-will-tell-you-too-that-every-fairy-tale-has-a-moral-the-moral-of-my/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [ I put that part of myself into both Brendan and Evelyn \[from The Thorn and the Blossom\] - as well as some of my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/i-put-that-part-of-myself-into-both-brendan-and-evelyn-from-the-thorn/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [If you believe you have a voice and something to say, chances are you do, and the world needs you to do whatever you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/if-you-believe-you-have-a-voice-and-something-to-say-chances-are-you/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) [Explore all 68 Theodora Goss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) ## More Back and forth quotes > [He should release the tax returns tomorrow. 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There's a real back-and-forth thing that goes on between the audience and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stein/cs-i-always-say-there-s-a-tribal-element-in-a-rock-concert-there-s-a/) [Chris Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stein/) > [I'm a southern girl, and I grew up with this slightly schizophrenic upbringing where I bounced back and forth between Atlanta, Georgia, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-myracle/i-m-a-southern-girl-and-i-grew-up-with-this-slightly-schizophrenic/) [Lauren Myracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-myracle/) > [Originally, one of the reasons I was drawn to photography, as opposed to painting or sculpture or installation, is that of all the arts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-crewdson/originally-one-of-the-reasons-i-was-drawn-to-photography-as-opposed/) [Gregory Crewdson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-crewdson/) > [Until presence becomes your predominant state, you may find yourself moving back and forth for a while between the old consciousness and the new,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/until-presence-becomes-your-predominant-state-you-may-find-yourself/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Real communication is an attitude, an environment. It is the most interactive of all processes. It requires countless hours of eyeball to eyeball, back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/real-communication-is-an-attitude-an-environment-it-is-the-most/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [People jump back and forth in pursuit of pleasures only because they see the emptiness of their lives more clearly than they do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/people-jump-back-and-forth-in-pursuit-of-pleasures-only-because-they/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [How long were the stretches of toilsome tacking back and forth, of being blocked, of being thrown back again and again. But all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathe-kollwitz/how-long-were-the-stretches-of-toilsome-tacking-back-and-forth-of/) [Kathe Kollwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathe-kollwitz/) > [The relationship with the words someone uses is more intimate and integrated than just a quick read and a blurb can ever be. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/the-relationship-with-the-words-someone-uses-is-more-intimate-and/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [ One day he \[Wagner\] was batting against a young pitcher who had just come into the league. 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