--- title: "1 Element of surprise Quotes By Ralph Keyes" description: "1 Element of surprise quotes by Ralph Keyes. Plus more from Ralph Keyes and more Element of surprise sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c44/ralph-keyes-25968_books_if-you-are-in-difficulties-with-a-book-s_87749.png" --- > [“If you are in difficulties with a book,” suggested H. G. Wells, “try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn’t expecting it.” This was one way Gail Godwin learned to outfox her “watcher” (the inner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/if-you-are-in-difficulties-with-a-book-suggested-h-g-wells-try-the/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c44/ralph-keyes-25968_books_if-you-are-in-difficulties-with-a-book-s_87749.png) ## More by Ralph Keyes > [“If you are in difficulties with a book,” suggested H. G. Wells, “try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/if-you-are-in-difficulties-with-a-book-suggested-h-g-wells-try-the/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [“Find tricks to keep yourself going,” William Least Heat Moon once advised a group of aspiring writers. “Anything you can do to trick yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/find-tricks-to-keep-yourself-going-william-least-heat-moon-once/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [“Fear flushes clogged pores of perception.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/fear-flushes-clogged-pores-of-perception/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [“Henrik Ibsen hung a picture of August Strindberg over his desk. “He is my mortal enemy and shall hang there and watch while I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/henrik-ibsen-hung-a-picture-of-august-strindberg-over-his-desk-he-is/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [Anxiety is not only an inevitable part of the writing process but a necessary part. If you’re not scared, you’re not writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/anxiety-is-not-only-an-inevitable-part-of-the-writing-process-but-a/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [Willa Cather said that she write best when she stopped trying to write and began simply to remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/willa-cather-said-that-she-write-best-when-she-stopped-trying-to/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [Serious writers write, inspired or not. Over time they discover that routine is a better friend than inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/serious-writers-write-inspired-or-not-over-time-they-discover-that/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [One thing I like about writing is that it provides such a wonderful opportunity for confidential chats with readers. In the privacy of writing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/one-thing-i-like-about-writing-is-that-it-provides-such-a-wonderful/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [“One thing that separates would-be writers from working writers is that the latter know their work will never match their dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/one-thing-that-separates-would-be-writers-from-working-writers-is/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [Be as creative in your tactics as you are in your writing. Find what gets your engine going, no matter how peculiar it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/be-as-creative-in-your-tactics-as-you-are-in-your-writing-find-what/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [Fear is felt by writers at every level. Anxiety accompanies the first word they put on paper and the last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/fear-is-felt-by-writers-at-every-level-anxiety-accompanies-the-first/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [“...fear and courage are like lightning and thunder; they both sart out at the same time, but the fear travels faster and arrives sooner.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/fear-and-courage-are-like-lightning-and-thunder-they-both-sart-out-at/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [“Christopher Isherwood tried to trick a good topic into rising from his unconscious by irritating it, “deliberately writing nonsense until it intervenes, as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/christopher-isherwood-tried-to-trick-a-good-topic-into-rising-from/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [I'm tempted to say that the top three reasons for hopelessness are rejection, rejection, rejection. But let's cast our net wider. 1) Not being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/i-m-tempted-to-say-that-the-top-three-reasons-for-hopelessness-are/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) > [“Success as a writer is within the grasp of whoever can tell a story on paper that people want to hear, and is willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/success-as-a-writer-is-within-the-grasp-of-whoever-can-tell-a-story/) [Ralph Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-keyes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-of-surprise/ralph-keyes/#itemlist", "name": "1 Element of surprise Quotes By Ralph Keyes", "numberOfItems": 1, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you are in difficulties with a book,” suggested H. G. Wells, “try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn’t expecting it.” This was one way Gail Godwin learned to outfox her “watcher” (the inner critic who kept an eye on her as she worked): looking for times to write when she was off guard. Other tactics Godwin found helpful included writing too fast and in unexpected places and times; working when tired; writing in purple ink on the back of charge card statements; and jotting down whatever came to mind while a tea kettle boiled, using its whistle as a deadline. “Deadlines are a great way to outdistance the watcher,” advised Godwin.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ralph Keyes" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-keyes/if-you-are-in-difficulties-with-a-book-suggested-h-g-wells-try-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c44/ralph-keyes-25968_books_if-you-are-in-difficulties-with-a-book-s_87749.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c44/ralph-keyes-25968_books_if-you-are-in-difficulties-with-a-book-s_87749.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c44/ralph-keyes-25968_books_if-you-are-in-difficulties-with-a-book-s_87749.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you are in difficulties with a book,” suggested H. G. Wells, “try the element of surprise: attack it at…” — Ralph Keyes", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-of-surprise/ralph-keyes/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-of-surprise/ralph-keyes/", "name": "Element of surprise Quotes by Ralph Keyes", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-of-surprise/ralph-keyes/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c44/ralph-keyes-25968_books_if-you-are-in-difficulties-with-a-book-s_87749.png" }, "description": "1 Element of surprise quotes by Ralph Keyes. Plus more from Ralph Keyes and more Element of surprise sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-of-surprise/ralph-keyes/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-of-surprise/ralph-keyes/#breadcrumb", "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": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Element Of Surprise", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-of-surprise/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Ralph Keyes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-of-surprise/ralph-keyes/" } ] }, { "@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 } } ] } ```