Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Whedon argues that fiction reveals character through journey and peril.
In plain terms
Journeys and peril reveal true character.
What can you take from it?
Use conflict to reveal truth.

Where it applies

  • writing
  • leadership
  • self-discovery

Putting it to work

  • create meaningful conflict
  • observe under pressure
  • seek truth

Questions to consider

  • What reveals your true character?
  • How does adversity help you?

Another view

Real life often reveals character faster.

More from Joss Whedon

  1. Quiet on the set... unless yer poultry.

    Permalink to quote #19
  2. Plans for the series, lessee. New member? Hell yes. The team? Roadtrip to end all roadtrips. The core concept? Ain't even gonna go there.

    Permalink to quote #21
  3. I'd rather have a show that a hundred people need to see than a thousand people like to see.

    Permalink to quote #18

Related quotes

  1. I wanted readers to be genuinely unsure as to whether she's telling the truth or lying. It meant making her partly sympathetic, and partly unsympathetic, which…

    Lee ChildLee Child quote #28
  2. Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally, I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdote…

    Alice MunroAlice Munro quote #1
  3. 'I have this thing for generating character-oriented plots, where you look at a character and say 'What's the worst thing I could do to this guy?' I've found t…

    Lois McMaster BujoldLois McMaster Bujold quote #1