Quote #0
The cat sat on the mat is not a story; the cat sat on the dog’s mat is the beginning of an exciting story.
John Le Carré
About This Quote
In a 1974 interview (later printed in The Listener), John le Carré explained his approach to plot by emphasizing that drama begins when characters’ desires collide. He illustrated this with a simple animal example: a neutral situation is not yet a story, but a situation that creates conflict is.
Interpretation
The line is a compact lesson in storytelling: narrative interest starts when a character’s action creates tension—especially by intruding on someone else’s territory or goals—because that sets up consequences and escalation.
Extended Quotation
The cat sat on the mat is not a story; the cat sat on the dog’s mat is the beginning of an exciting story.
Variations
"The cat sat on the mat" is not a story. "The cat sat on the dog's mat" is a story.
"The cat sat on the mat" is not the beginning of a story, but "the cat sat on the dog's mat" is.
Misattributions
- Michael Dean
- Austin Kleon
- James Scott Bell
