--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every fine story must leave in the mind…" description: "\"Every fine story must leave in the mind of the sensitive reader an intangible residuum of pleasure, a cadence, a quality of voice that is exclusively t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/willa-cather-634_being-unique_every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind_2161579.png" --- # Every fine story must leave in the mind of the sensitive… ![“Every fine story must leave in the mind of the sensitive reader an intangible residuum of pleasure, a cadence, a quality of voice that is exclusively the writer's own, individual, unique.” quote by Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/willa-cather-634_being-unique_every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind_2161579.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/willa-cather-634_being-unique_every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind_2161579.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/willa-cather-634_being-unique_every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind_2161579.png) > “Every fine story must leave in the mind of the sensitive reader an intangible residuum of pleasure, a cadence, a quality of voice that is exclusively the writer's own, individual, unique.” [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A great story lingers in a perceptive reader’s mind as a subtle, lasting pleasure, marked by a distinctive rhythm and voice unique to the author. **In simple terms:** A good story stays with a sensitive reader as a unique, lasting feeling. Key Takeaway Craft a distinct voice that resonates. Themes literature creativity voice reader experience pleasure Mood reflective inspired thoughtful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - novel writing - short story workshops - literary criticism - teaching creative writing Key Concepts Narrative resonance authorial identity aesthetic impact Questions to Reflect On - How does your personal voice shape your storytelling? - What subtle cues make a story unforgettable? A Different Perspective A unique voice may be lost if the writer mimics trends rather than authentic expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-unique/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cadence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cadence/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Comedy, drama, Westerns, sci-fi... it's all fine if the story's compelling and the character is interesting to me. I do like action a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-ackles/comedy-drama-westerns-sci-fi-it-s-all-fine-if-the-story-s-compelling/) [Jensen Ackles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-ackles/) > [I think a little menace is fine to have in a story. For one thing, it's good for the circulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/i-think-a-little-menace-is-fine-to-have-in-a-story-for-one-thing-it-s/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [Once the writer in every individual comes to life (and that time is not far off), we are in for an age of universal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/once-the-writer-in-every-individual-comes-to-life-and-that-time-is/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“The proliferation of mass graphomania among politicians, cab drivers, women on the delivery table, mistresses, murderers, criminals, prostitutes, police chiefs, doctors, and patients proves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-proliferation-of-mass-graphomania-among-politicians-cab-drivers/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [There were epochs in the history of humanity in which the writer was a sacred person. He wrote the sacred books, universal books, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusto-roa-bastos/there-were-epochs-in-the-history-of-humanity-in-which-the-writer-was/) [Augusto Roa Bastos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusto-roa-bastos/) > [Art makes you see people as individual, unique human beings. Art, in that way, allows us to see each other in particulate, as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/art-makes-you-see-people-as-individual-unique-human-beings-art-in/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [“You are you. You are unique individual You have unique purpose. You have unique fulfillment. You have unique mission in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-you-you-are-unique-individual-you-have-unique-purpose-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Do you. Wear what you want to wear. Be an individual. Be unique and live your best life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kali-uchis/do-you-wear-what-you-want-to-wear-be-an-individual-be-unique-and-live/) [Kali Uchis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kali-uchis/) > [Every individual has a unique contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/every-individual-has-a-unique-contribution/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [Since everybody is an individual, nobody can be you. You are unique. No one can tell you how to use your time. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/since-everybody-is-an-individual-nobody-can-be-you-you-are-unique-no/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“Each individual has a unique food personality. The key is finding the balance point at which you feel great and are healthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-frank/each-individual-has-a-unique-food-personality-the-key-is-finding-the/) Rachel Frank > [At the heart of each of us, whatever our imperfections, there exists a silence pulse of perfect rhythm which is absolutely individual and unique,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-leonard/at-the-heart-of-each-of-us-whatever-our-imperfections-there-exists-a/) [George Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-leonard/) > [I think realising that you're individual and unique is really amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie/i-think-realising-that-you-re-individual-and-unique-is-really-amazing/) [Anne-Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie/) > [There's something so powerful about being my own gorgeous, beautiful, individual, unique self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/there-s-something-so-powerful-about-being-my-own-gorgeous-beautiful/) [Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/) > [“(My parents) had always instilled in me that it was way cooler to be an individual and to be unique and that you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/my-parents-had-always-instilled-in-me-that-it-was-way-cooler-to-be-an/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) ## More by Willa Cather > [The end is nothing; the road is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-end-is-nothing-the-road-is-all/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Success is less interesting than struggle. There is great pleasure in the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/success-is-less-interesting-than-struggle-there-is-great-pleasure-in/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“I only knew the schoolbooks said he "died in the wilderness, of a broken heart." "More than him has done that," said Antonia sadly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/i-only-knew-the-schoolbooks-said-he-died-in-the-wilderness-of-a/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“Have the last word ma'm," he said cheerfully. "It's a lady's privilege.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/have-the-last-word-ma-m-he-said-cheerfully-it-s-a-lady-s-privilege/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > ["More than him has done that," said Antonia sadly, and the girls murmured assent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/more-than-him-has-done-that-said-antonia-sadly-and-the-girls-murmured/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Nothing mattered ... but writing books, and living the kind of life that made it possible to write them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/nothing-mattered-but-writing-books-and-living-the-kind-of-life-that/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“Money and office and success are the consolations of impotence. Fortune turns kind to such solid people and lets them suck their bone in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/money-and-office-and-success-are-the-consolations-of-impotence/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [But she still had that something which fires the imagination, could still stop one's breath for a moment by a look or gesture that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/but-she-still-had-that-something-which-fires-the-imagination-could/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“You remember how homesick I used to get, and what long talks we used to have coming from school? We've someway always felt alike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/you-remember-how-homesick-i-used-to-get-and-what-long-talks-we-used/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“He placed this book in my grandmother's hands, looked at her entreatingly, and said, with an earnestness which I shall never forget, "Te-e-ach, te-e-ach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/he-placed-this-book-in-my-grandmother-s-hands-looked-at-her/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [The sincerity of feeling that is possible between a writer and a reader is one of the finest things I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-sincerity-of-feeling-that-is-possible-between-a-writer-and-a/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [One realizes that human relationships are the tragic necessity of human life; that they can never be wholly satisfactory, that every ego is half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/one-realizes-that-human-relationships-are-the-tragic-necessity-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Our tree became the talking tree of the fairy tale; legends and stories nestled like birds in its branches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/our-tree-became-the-talking-tree-of-the-fairy-tale-legends-and/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“Isn’t it queer: there are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/isn-t-it-queer-there-are-only-two-or-three-human-stories-and-they-go/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) [Explore all 434 Willa Cather quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) ## More Being unique quotes > [If we are lucky enough to have something that makes us different from everybody else, dont change. Uniqueness is priceless. In this crazy world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-are-lucky-enough-to-have-something-that-makes-us-different-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being unique is what's cool. Normal? What's normal? A setting on a washing machine. No one wants to be that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-purdy/being-unique-is-what-s-cool-normal-what-s-normal-a-setting-on-a/) [Ashley Purdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-purdy/) > [We are all born originals, why is it so many of us die copies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/we-are-all-born-originals-why-is-it-so-many-of-us-die-copies/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [Do something remarkable or accept being the mere statistic that you have always been awarded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsepiso-makhubedu/do-something-remarkable-or-accept-being-the-mere-statistic-that-you/) [Tsepiso Makhubedu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsepiso-makhubedu/) > [Girls have unique powers; they get wet without water, bleed without injury and make boneless things hard ..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/girls-have-unique-powers-they-get-wet-without-water-bleed-without/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you walk in the footprints of others, you wont make any of your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gusso-montanna/if-you-walk-in-the-footprints-of-others-you-wont-make-any-of-your-own/) [Gusso Montanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gusso-montanna/) > [Never change your originality for the sake of others because no one can play your role better than you. so be yourself you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-24/never-change-your-originality-for-the-sake-of-others-because-no-one/) Tina\_24 > [There's NOTHING wrong with standing out and being different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaylon-hillsman/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-standing-out-and-being-different/) [Jaylon Hillsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaylon-hillsman/) > [Be yourself. If everyone is the same, what's the use? Being unique is great. One in a million is better than a million the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-yourself-if-everyone-is-the-same-what-s-the-use-being-unique-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What you find is what you seek, everyone's different everyone's unique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-bell/what-you-find-is-what-you-seek-everyone-s-different-everyone-s-unique/) [Ashley Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-bell/) > [Be unique, because you are different. Just don't be different for the sake of being unique...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-unique-because-you-are-different-just-don-t-be-different-for-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No one's fingerprints are exactly the same as anyone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/no-one-s-fingerprints-are-exactly-the-same-as-anyone-else-s/) [Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/) > [Do not be afraid to be different. Every man is born to do something unique and something distinctive, and if we do not do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-mamerto/do-not-be-afraid-to-be-different-every-man-is-born-to-do-something/) [Edwin Mamerto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-mamerto/) > [I'm one of a kind, and so are you, so don't judge me, until you've walked in my shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glyz/i-m-one-of-a-kind-and-so-are-you-so-don-t-judge-me-until-you-ve/) Glyz > [Never be afraid to be loud, be afraid to have no voice. Never be afraid of the thoughts of others, be afraid of not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmina-siderovski/never-be-afraid-to-be-loud-be-afraid-to-have-no-voice-never-be-afraid/) [Jasmina Siderovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmina-siderovski/) [Browse all 222 Being unique quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-unique/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every fine story must leave in the mind of the sensitive reader an intangible residuum of pleasure, a cadence, a quality of voice that is exclusively the writer's own, individual, unique.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Willa Cather" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind-of-the-sensitive-reader-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being unique" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind-of-the-sensitive-reader-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/willa-cather-634_being-unique_every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind_2161579.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/willa-cather-634_being-unique_every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind_2161579.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/willa-cather-634_being-unique_every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind_2161579.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every fine story must leave in the mind of the sensitive reader an intangible residuum of pleasure, a…” — Willa Cather", "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": "Willa Cather", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every fine story must leave in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind-of-the-sensitive-reader-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/every-fine-story-must-leave-in-the-mind-of-the-sensitive-reader-an/#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 } } ] } ```