--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The characters in my stories, whether…" description: "\"The characters in my stories, whether historical or fictional, usually prove to be a compilation of influences taken from differing sources, but never ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/thomas-steinbeck-23891_characters_the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-his_2739718.jpg" --- # The characters in my stories, whether historical or… ![“The characters in my stories, whether historical or fictional, usually prove to be a compilation of influences taken from differing sources, but never drawn from one model.” quote by Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/thomas-steinbeck-23891_characters_the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-his_2739718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/thomas-steinbeck-23891_characters_the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-his_2739718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/thomas-steinbeck-23891_characters_the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-his_2739718.jpg) > “The characters in my stories, whether historical or fictional, usually prove to be a compilation of influences taken from differing sources, but never drawn from one model.” [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories blend many influences rather than a single model, creating complex characters. **In simple terms:** Characters are built from many sources, not one. Key Takeaway Embrace diverse inspirations for richer narratives. Themes creativity character development influence literature Mood reflective inspired Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - character workshops Key Concepts intertextuality hybridization storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance multiple influences? - When does synthesis become confusion? A Different Perspective Relying on many sources can dilute originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Characters Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-stories-341117/) [Differing Sources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differing-sources-3018074/) [Drawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawn/) [Fictional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fictional/) [Fictional Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fictional-usually-3018076/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [Historical Fictional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical-fictional-3018075/) [Influences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influences/) [Influences Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influences-taken-3018077/) [Model](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/model/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Prove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prove/) [Sources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sources/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Whether](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whether/) ## Related quotes > [“So if your Story doesn’t change your lead character irrevocably from beginning to end, no one will deeply care about it. It may entertain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-coyne/so-if-your-story-doesn-t-change-your-lead-character-irrevocably-from/) [Shawn Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-coyne/) > [“Our lives are like books; we are merely characters in each other's stories. While we can impact each other's plotlines, respecting the authorship of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erick-the-black-sheep-g/our-lives-are-like-books-we-are-merely-characters-in-each-other-s/) [Erick "The Black Sheep" G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erick-the-black-sheep-g/) > [“But we're all characters in our own stories, Iggy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-klise/but-we-re-all-characters-in-our-own-stories-iggy/) [Kate Klise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-klise/) > [... We must remember that there's more than one story and plot in every novel. There are at least as many stories as there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/we-must-remember-that-there-s-more-than-one-story-and-plot-in-every/) [Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/) > [Writers, good ones, don't tell stories. Characters show stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-newton-peck/writers-good-ones-don-t-tell-stories-characters-show-stories/) [Robert Newton Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-newton-peck/) > [If I ever got to do television, I would be interested in doing different kinds of characters and stories, and television doesn't lend itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobcat-goldthwait/if-i-ever-got-to-do-television-i-would-be-interested-in-doing/) [Bobcat Goldthwait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobcat-goldthwait/) > [I have always included minority characters in my stories, often as heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-have-always-included-minority-characters-in-my-stories-often-as/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [“It was one thing to talk about being by yourself, doing important things, but quite another when the opportunity arose. The characters in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-babbitt/it-was-one-thing-to-talk-about-being-by-yourself-doing-important/) [Natalie Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-babbitt/) > [I've worked a lot with Noah Baumbach, and he doesn't make it easy to like his characters, but the stories are funny and witty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciaran-hinds/i-ve-worked-a-lot-with-noah-baumbach-and-he-doesn-t-make-it-easy-to/) [Ciaran Hinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciaran-hinds/) > [I like characters and stories that challenge the status quo. Lately, I'm really interested in history because I find that in my public school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/i-like-characters-and-stories-that-challenge-the-status-quo-lately-i/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [Many novelists take well-defined, precise characters, whose stories are sometimes of mediocre interest, and place them in an important historical context, which remains secondary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-queneau/many-novelists-take-well-defined-precise-characters-whose-stories-are/) [Raymond Queneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-queneau/) > [I write characters and stories that move me, and I write from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crais/i-write-characters-and-stories-that-move-me-and-i-write-from-the-heart/) [Robert Crais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crais/) > [We are all the main characters in our stories, so why not write the ending of how it should be ourselves...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-all-the-main-characters-in-our-stories-so-why-not-write-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We're moved by emotions and characters and stories. We love that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-droga/we-re-moved-by-emotions-and-characters-and-stories-we-love-that/) [David Droga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-droga/) > [The characters in my stories all have quite loud lives in my head. It's a relief to get them on the page. Often they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-joyce/the-characters-in-my-stories-all-have-quite-loud-lives-in-my-head-it/) [Rachel Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-joyce/) ## More by Thomas Steinbeck > [I've always been fascinated by the Chinese. This goes a long way back to my childhood. The Chinese invented money, movable type, clocks, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-chinese-this-goes-a-long-way-back/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [For someone who loves literature, and all books on principle, being asked to name three titles over a half century of serious reading is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/for-someone-who-loves-literature-and-all-books-on-principle-being/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I started writing serious books so late because I knew I'd be accused of riding on my father's coattails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-started-writing-serious-books-so-late-because-i-knew-i-d-be-accused/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I thought my dad was out of work, because my friends had fathers with briefcases who'd go off somewhere with bow ties on. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-thought-my-dad-was-out-of-work-because-my-friends-had-fathers-with/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [My father, John Steinbeck, was a man who held human history in great reverence, and in particular the biographies of those people who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-held-human-history-in-great/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [My only job is to write in such a way that the reader gets a new handle on humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-only-job-is-to-write-in-such-a-way-that-the-reader-gets-a-new/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [When I was fifteen, my father gave me a first edition copy of Ray Bradbury's magnificent work, 'The Martian Chronicles.' I had read other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/when-i-was-fifteen-my-father-gave-me-a-first-edition-copy-of-ray/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I would hardly say that I have a rich knowledge of anything in particular, but I do seem to be burdened with an unseemly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-would-hardly-say-that-i-have-a-rich-knowledge-of-anything-in/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [Since I can't write the greatest American novel, I'm going to write the longest American novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/since-i-can-t-write-the-greatest-american-novel-i-m-going-to-write/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I like writing, but I write for self-improvement more than I do for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-like-writing-but-i-write-for-self-improvement-more-than-i-do-for/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [From my fathers point of view, without a thought for self, a true patriot stands up against the stones of condemnation and speaks for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/from-my-fathers-point-of-view-without-a-thought-for-self-a-true/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I started writing serious books so late because I knew Id be accused of riding on my fathers coattails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-started-writing-serious-books-so-late-because-i-knew-id-be-accused/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [You didn't grow up in the shadow of John Steinbeck. He put you on his shoulders and gave you all the light you wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/you-didn-t-grow-up-in-the-shadow-of-john-steinbeck-he-put-you-on-his/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [My father believed, like Pericles, that a man's genius could be easily judged by the number of unenlightened fools set in phalanx against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-father-believed-like-pericles-that-a-man-s-genius-could-be-easily/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [My father told us all the time: to become a good writer takes writing. Because the more you do it, the better you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-father-told-us-all-the-time-to-become-a-good-writer-takes-writing/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) [Explore all 25 Thomas Steinbeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) ## 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. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/i-m-truly-100-guided-by-the-characters-and-my-muse-if-one-of-the/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [I have played several characters that are crabby and cranky. I don't know if I'm just not a very well-developed human being or if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-greer/i-have-played-several-characters-that-are-crabby-and-cranky-i-don-t/) [Judy Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-greer/) > [You do get fond of your characters. 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. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I really like all of the characters in 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt, especially Camilla, the one girl. I find her fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-murray/i-really-like-all-of-the-characters-in-the-secret-history-by-donna/) [Hannah Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-murray/) > [I've just always loved really good projects. The things that draw me into a new project have very little to do with genre and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel-staite/i-ve-just-always-loved-really-good-projects-the-things-that-draw-me/) [Jewel Staite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel-staite/) > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I always wanted to be a fireman, a cop, an Indian chief, a doctor, a lawyer. 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": "The characters in my stories, whether historical or fictional, usually prove to be a compilation of influences taken from differing sources, but never drawn from one model.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Steinbeck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-historical-or-fictional-usually/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Characters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-historical-or-fictional-usually/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/thomas-steinbeck-23891_characters_the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-his_2739718.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/thomas-steinbeck-23891_characters_the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-his_2739718.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/thomas-steinbeck-23891_characters_the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-his_2739718.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The characters in my stories, whether historical or fictional, usually prove to be a compilation of…” — Thomas Steinbeck", "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 Steinbeck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The characters in my stories, whether...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-historical-or-fictional-usually/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/the-characters-in-my-stories-whether-historical-or-fictional-usually/#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 } } ] } ```