--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Drama and comedy, to me ,are all about…" description: "\"Drama and comedy, to me ,are all about being surprising, coherent, and true, all at once.\" — Tim Blake Nelson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/tim-blake-nelson-36150_about_drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-bei_2233641.jpg" --- # Drama and comedy, to me ,are all about being surprising… ![“Drama and comedy, to me ,are all about being surprising, coherent, and true, all at once.” quote by Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/tim-blake-nelson-36150_about_drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-bei_2233641.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/tim-blake-nelson-36150_about_drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-bei_2233641.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/tim-blake-nelson-36150_about_drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-bei_2233641.jpg) > “Drama and comedy, to me ,are all about being surprising, coherent, and true, all at once.” [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Drama and comedy succeed when they surprise, stay coherent, and remain authentic simultaneously. **In simple terms:** Surprise, coherence, truth make compelling stories. Key Takeaway Blend surprise, logic, and authenticity in storytelling. Themes storytelling genre authenticity surprise coherence Mood analytical creative Type instructional inspirational When to use this quote - screenwriting - theatre - stand‑up comedy - novel writing - advertising Key Concepts narrative theory dramatic structure comedic timing Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep a story coherent while adding twists? - What makes authenticity resonate with audiences? A Different Perspective Balancing surprise with coherence is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Coherent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coherent/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comedy Surprising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-surprising-5034829/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Drama Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama-comedy-389403/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Once](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/once/) [Surprising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprising/) [Surprising Coherent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprising-coherent-5034830/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) ## Related quotes > [I come from a very expressive family, so it's really not surprising that we became actors. There was a lot of real-life drama in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-turturro/i-come-from-a-very-expressive-family-so-it-s-really-not-surprising/) [John Turturro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-turturro/) > [I find it really hard to say anything coherent or interesting about the work I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-find-it-really-hard-to-say-anything-coherent-or-interesting-about/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [“...the real is coherent and probable because it is real, not real because it is coherent...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/the-real-is-coherent-and-probable-because-it-is-real-not-real-because/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [We are constantly nothing but a bunch of energy being processed. Into this whirlpool, the more complex the system, the more energy it requires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/we-are-constantly-nothing-but-a-bunch-of-energy-being-processed-into/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [I respect those who openly advocate for unlimited immigration to the United States. Open borders is an intellectually coherent, defensible position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/i-respect-those-who-openly-advocate-for-unlimited-immigration-to-the/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [To go back to architecture, whats organic about architecture as a field, unlike product design, is this whole issue of holism and of monumentality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lynn/to-go-back-to-architecture-whats-organic-about-architecture-as-a/) [Greg Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lynn/) > [I realized if I'm not really making an album, I don't have to be concerned about things like stylistic consistency, pacing, a coherent mood.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/i-realized-if-i-m-not-really-making-an-album-i-don-t-have-to-be/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [I am totally convinced the Christian faith is the most coherent worldview around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/i-am-totally-convinced-the-christian-faith-is-the-most-coherent/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Think what evil creeps liberals would be if their plans to enfeeble the individual, exhaust the economy, impede the rule of law, and cripple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/think-what-evil-creeps-liberals-would-be-if-their-plans-to-enfeeble/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [“Why should conversation always be so much more coherent than experience?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-leach/why-should-conversation-always-be-so-much-more-coherent-than/) [Amy Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-leach/) > [Thousands of civilians have lost their lives to terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, and thousands more will - because, unlike the Pakistani government, which has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharmeen-obaid-chinoy/thousands-of-civilians-have-lost-their-lives-to-terrorist-attacks/) [Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharmeen-obaid-chinoy/) > [Space can vibrate, space can fluctuate, space can be quantum mechanical, but what the devil is it? And, you know, everybody has their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-susskind/space-can-vibrate-space-can-fluctuate-space-can-be-quantum-mechanical/) [Leonard Susskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-susskind/) > [Language is not merely a set of unrelated sounds, clauses, rules, and meanings; it is a total coherent system of these integrating with each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/language-is-not-merely-a-set-of-unrelated-sounds-clauses-rules-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A coherent life is one lived in such a way that you can clearly connect the dots between three things: 1. Who you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-evans/a-coherent-life-is-one-lived-in-such-a-way-that-you-can-clearly/) [Dave Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-evans/) > [...consciousness is a coherent whole, which is never static or complete, but which is in an unending process of movement and unfoldment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/consciousness-is-a-coherent-whole-which-is-never-static-or-complete/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) ## More by Tim Blake Nelson > [Really, life is full of contradictions. Life is messy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/really-life-is-full-of-contradictions-life-is-messy/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [I think we all live dichotomies. I'm a father of three boys and a loyal homebody sort of husband and father. And yet I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/i-think-we-all-live-dichotomies-i-m-a-father-of-three-boys-and-a/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [I am not a natural singer, but I can sing, and probably the way I sing is more imitative than from myself, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/i-am-not-a-natural-singer-but-i-can-sing-and-probably-the-way-i-sing/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [I wanted to get the most broad foundation for a lifelong education that I could find, and that was studying Latin and the classics.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/i-wanted-to-get-the-most-broad-foundation-for-a-lifelong-education/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [I've done about every kind of fishing you can imagine, but I've never noodled. And the reason I've never noodled is because I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/i-ve-done-about-every-kind-of-fishing-you-can-imagine-but-i-ve-never/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [I started writing 'Leaves Of Grass' when my professional life was falling apart somewhat. I just had a movie implode in pre-production. And so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/i-started-writing-leaves-of-grass-when-my-professional-life-was/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [When I'm in a movie, what I always do, instead of sitting in a trailer or watching a DVD, is I go on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/when-i-m-in-a-movie-what-i-always-do-instead-of-sitting-in-a-trailer/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [I frankly encountered more anti-Semitism in the northeast than I did in Oklahoma, but not much either place. Anti-Semitism is not part of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/i-frankly-encountered-more-anti-semitism-in-the-northeast-than-i-did/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [We approach life not just to be able to think about it and talk about it and discover its truths, but also to enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/we-approach-life-not-just-to-be-able-to-think-about-it-and-talk-about/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [I tried to film 'Leaves of Grass' in Oklahoma, but it was literally about a million dollars less to shoot in Louisiana.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/i-tried-to-film-leaves-of-grass-in-oklahoma-but-it-was-literally/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [I love writing about Oklahoma. I love writing Oklahoma characters; I love playing Southwestern characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/i-love-writing-about-oklahoma-i-love-writing-oklahoma-characters-i/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > ['O Brother, Where Art Thou?' was this role that utterly fell into my lap and changed my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/o-brother-where-art-thou-was-this-role-that-utterly-fell-into-my-lap/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) [Explore all 13 Tim Blake Nelson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) [Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Drama and comedy, to me ,are all about being surprising, coherent, and true, all at once.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tim Blake Nelson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-being-surprising-coherent-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-being-surprising-coherent-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/tim-blake-nelson-36150_about_drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-bei_2233641.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/tim-blake-nelson-36150_about_drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-bei_2233641.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/tim-blake-nelson-36150_about_drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-bei_2233641.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Drama and comedy, to me ,are all about being surprising, coherent, and true, all at once.” — Tim Blake Nelson", "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": "Tim Blake Nelson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Drama and comedy, to me ,are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-being-surprising-coherent-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/drama-and-comedy-to-me-are-all-about-being-surprising-coherent-and/#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 } } ] } ```