--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think you can teach someone how…" description: "\"I don't think you can teach someone how to come up with good characters or a story.\" — Thomas Lennon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/thomas-lennon-16150_character_i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how_1614870.png" --- # I don't think you can teach someone how to come up with… ![“I don't think you can teach someone how to come up with good characters or a story.” quote by Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/thomas-lennon-16150_character_i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how_1614870.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/thomas-lennon-16150_character_i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how_1614870.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/thomas-lennon-16150_character_i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how_1614870.png) > “I don't think you can teach someone how to come up with good characters or a story.” [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Crafting compelling characters is an intuitive skill that cannot be directly taught through instruction. **In simple terms:** Character creation is instinctive. Key Takeaway Observe people, practice storytelling. Themes storytelling character intuition Mood encouraging practical Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - novels - screenplays - games - teaching Key Concepts creative writing psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture your storytelling instinct? - What habits improve character insight? A Different Perspective Teaching may still help develop intuition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Characters Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-story-1556012/) [Come up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-up/) [Good character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-character/) [Good Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-characters-714217/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Think Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-teach-1258073/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [There are good characters and bad characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-stone/there-are-good-characters-and-bad-characters/) [Matt Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-stone/) > [Good characters are rare. As long as I find one or two a year, I'm happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludivine-sagnier/good-characters-are-rare-as-long-as-i-find-one-or-two-a-year-i-m-happy/) [Ludivine Sagnier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludivine-sagnier/) > [I have a very healthy appetite for good writing and good characters. Having weak writing is my biggest fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/i-have-a-very-healthy-appetite-for-good-writing-and-good-characters/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [I work very hard on finding good characters who can explain things to me, and I use them to help tell the story. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/i-work-very-hard-on-finding-good-characters-who-can-explain-things-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [There is nothing I can't do writing in Fantasy. I can have romance, I can have mystery, I can have drama, I can have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/there-is-nothing-i-can-t-do-writing-in-fantasy-i-can-have-romance-i/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [You can't write good characters if you can't imagine what it's like being in another person's skin. And if you can imagine that, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/you-can-t-write-good-characters-if-you-can-t-imagine-what-it-s-like/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I always look for good stories and good characters, and if they're placed in a whodunit, then I'm interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-always-look-for-good-stories-and-good-characters-and-if-they-re/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [I love playing characters that are bigger than life and maybe have a darker side that they present to the world. Those are good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-quaid/i-love-playing-characters-that-are-bigger-than-life-and-maybe-have-a/) [Randy Quaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-quaid/) > [Good characters the reader cares about combined with an intriguing plot. Do those two and you've got it made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/good-characters-the-reader-cares-about-combined-with-an-intriguing/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [I'd like to play nothing but good characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-leslie/i-d-like-to-play-nothing-but-good-characters/) [Joan Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-leslie/) > [You can’t out-spend the giants, but you can out-think, out-teach, and out-help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-halligan/you-can-t-out-spend-the-giants-but-you-can-out-think-out-teach-and/) [Brian Halligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-halligan/) > [The key to teaching anything is to remember what it was like not to understand that thing. That's a very hard thing to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-goodstein/the-key-to-teaching-anything-is-to-remember-what-it-was-like-not-to/) [David Goodstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-goodstein/) > [Leaders of the world's religions said, 'What do you think about what I teach?' Jesus said, 'Who do you say I am?'(Luke 9:20)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/leaders-of-the-world-s-religions-said-what-do-you-think-about-what-i/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [I don't think anyone can teach you how to be a man but a woman. You only learn by learning what they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gosling/i-don-t-think-anyone-can-teach-you-how-to-be-a-man-but-a-woman-you/) [Ryan Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gosling/) > [“Teach me not what to think, teach me only to think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-bax/teach-me-not-what-to-think-teach-me-only-to-think/) [Timothy Bax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-bax/) ## More by Thomas Lennon > [Books are great for if you want to work on the craft of writing for yourself, or, you know, to write novels or indie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/books-are-great-for-if-you-want-to-work-on-the-craft-of-writing-for/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [Kerri and I met at theatre camp when were 16 years old, which is pretty lame. The rest of us met when we founded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/kerri-and-i-met-at-theatre-camp-when-were-16-years-old-which-is/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [If you're a studio writer, the funny better be on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/if-you-re-a-studio-writer-the-funny-better-be-on-the-page/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [“There are many self-proclaimed “screenwriting gurus”—though how you get to be a “guru” of something you’ve never actually done is beyond us. Screenplays are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/there-are-many-self-proclaimed-screenwriting-gurus-though-how-you-get/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [I guess I considered myself just sort of a sketch comedian, you know? Actual screenwriting hadn't really occurred to me as a viable job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/i-guess-i-considered-myself-just-sort-of-a-sketch-comedian-you-know/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [The level of acting that I bring to films in three dimensions. I hope they make people sign some kind of waiver because if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/the-level-of-acting-that-i-bring-to-films-in-three-dimensions-i-hope/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [Being a movie star is stressful as hell. You've got to do crunches all day long. You've got to get up and learn lines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/being-a-movie-star-is-stressful-as-hell-you-ve-got-to-do-crunches-all/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [Yes, I am complimented on my work in Kids in the Hall once or twice a week. Its a nice feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/yes-i-am-complimented-on-my-work-in-kids-in-the-hall-once-or-twice-a/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [All studio movies are the middle of the Bell curve. The only way to do something is to do it yourself. And the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/all-studio-movies-are-the-middle-of-the-bell-curve-the-only-way-to-do/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [People love that monkey torture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/people-love-that-monkey-torture/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [Writing studio movies is the best job in the world... it's awesome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/writing-studio-movies-is-the-best-job-in-the-world-it-s-awesome/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [The only guaranteed way to make something not very funny is to make it vague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/the-only-guaranteed-way-to-make-something-not-very-funny-is-to-make/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [You hate to see yourself do one draft of a script and then have somebody else come back in and change what you've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/you-hate-to-see-yourself-do-one-draft-of-a-script-and-then-have/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [Our reward for Starsky and Hutch was getting to write The Six Million Dollar Man for Todd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/our-reward-for-starsky-and-hutch-was-getting-to-write-the-six-million/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [I feel like I'm the most well-adjusted character on the show, even though I'm sure the other actors would tell you the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/i-feel-like-i-m-the-most-well-adjusted-character-on-the-show-even/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) [Explore all 40 Thomas Lennon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 don't think you can teach someone how to come up with good characters or a story.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Lennon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how-to-come-up-with-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how-to-come-up-with-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/thomas-lennon-16150_character_i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how_1614870.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/thomas-lennon-16150_character_i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how_1614870.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/thomas-lennon-16150_character_i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how_1614870.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't think you can teach someone how to come up with good characters or a story.” — Thomas Lennon", "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": "Thomas Lennon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't think you can teach...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how-to-come-up-with-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/i-don-t-think-you-can-teach-someone-how-to-come-up-with-good/#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 } } ] } ```