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The characters have their own lives and their own logic, and you have to act accordingly.
Isaac Bashevis Singer
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Characters in stories have their own distinct personalities and motivations, influencing how a writer should portray them.

This quote by Isaac Bashevis Singer emphasizes the importance of understanding and honoring the individuality of characters within a narrative. It suggests that as a writer, one must respect the logic and life experiences of these characters, as they contribute to the authenticity of the story being told. Writers are not just creators but also facilitators who must allow the characters to develop and act in ways that are true to their inherent traits and circumstances.

Themes

CharactersNarrativeAuthenticityMotivationWriting

In practice

Example use cases

In a writing workshop discussing character development.

More from Isaac Bashevis Singer

When a human being kills an animal for food, he is neglecting his own hunger for justice.
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There will be no justice as long as man will stand with a knife or with a gun and destroy those who are weaker than he is.
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Our knowledge is a little island in a great ocean of nonknowledge.
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As long as people will shed the blood of innocent creatures there can be no peace, no liberty, no harmony between people. Slaughter and justice cannot dwell together.
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Sometimes love is stronger than a man's convictions.
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I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens.
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