--- title: "11 Solitary Occupation Quotes by 11 authors" description: "Browse 11 Solitary Occupation quotes by 11 authors. Discover the best Solitary Occupation sayings and thoughts." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/bernard-cornwell-1849_career_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-1239363_1239363.jpg" --- > [Writing is a solitary occupation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/writing-is-a-solitary-occupation/) [Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/bernard-cornwell-1849_career_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-1239363_1239363.jpg) > [Writing is a solitary occupation, and we like it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-maclean/writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-and-we-like-it-that-way/) [Julianne MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-maclean/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/julianne-maclean-20933_career_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-and-we_1191817.png) > [Writing is a solitary occupation; we don't really have any colleagues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-we-don-t-really-have-any-colleagues/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/chris-pavone-3124_colleagues_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-we-don_2191327.png) > [It's true that it's a solitary occupation, but you would be surprised at how much companionship a group of imaginary characters can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/it-s-true-that-it-s-a-solitary-occupation-but-you-would-be-surprised/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76f/anne-tyler-1837_companionship_it-s-true-that-it-s-a-solitary-occupatio_2764165.png) > [Well I've been writing books. So that, by its nature, is kind of a solitary occupation. And from time to time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-kennedy/well-i-ve-been-writing-books-so-that-by-its-nature-is-kind-of-a/) [Caroline Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-kennedy/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/caroline-kennedy-10228_book_well-i-ve-been-writing-books-so-that-by_477261.jpg) > [“Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted and slightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessamyn-west/writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-family-friends-and-society-are/) [Jessamyn West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessamyn-west/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/jessamyn-west-12938_community_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-family_1516814.jpg) > [Writing is, of course, a solitary occupation. But for many writers, myself included, it's through writing that we make certain vital connections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/writing-is-of-course-a-solitary-occupation-but-for-many-writers/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/elizabeth-berg-853_connections_writing-is-of-course-a-solitary-occupati_3153438.jpg) > [“Writing is such a solitary occupation that it takes a long time to build up a group of professional peers with whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/writing-is-such-a-solitary-occupation-that-it-takes-a-long-time-to/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/sara-sheridan-1032_alone_writing-is-such-a-solitary-occupation-th_779640.png) > [Writing fiction is a solitary occupation but not really a lonely one. The writer's head is mobbed with characters, images and language,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilma-wolitzer/writing-fiction-is-a-solitary-occupation-but-not-really-a-lonely-one/) [Hilma Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilma-wolitzer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/hilma-wolitzer-38026_character_writing-fiction-is-a-solitary-occupation_197103.jpg) > [Writing, and especially writing a novel, where you get to sit in a room by yourself with either a pen and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/writing-and-especially-writing-a-novel-where-you-get-to-sit-in-a-room/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/neil-gaiman-29_book_writing-and-especially-writing-a-novel-w_973704.jpg) > [“It turned out plant collecting was a solitary occupation. In the past Robert had enjoyed being alone, or so he thought. Actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/it-turned-out-plant-collecting-was-a-solitary-occupation-in-the-past/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/tracy-chevalier-7345_solitary_it-turned-out-plant-collecting-was-a-sol_2387328.jpg) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitary-occupation/#itemlist", "name": "Solitary Occupation Quotes", "numberOfItems": 11, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing is a solitary occupation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bernard Cornwell" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/writing-is-a-solitary-occupation/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/bernard-cornwell-1849_career_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-1239363_1239363.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/bernard-cornwell-1849_career_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-1239363_1239363.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/bernard-cornwell-1849_career_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-1239363_1239363.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing is a solitary occupation.” — Bernard Cornwell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing is a solitary occupation, and we like it that way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Julianne MacLean" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-maclean/writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-and-we-like-it-that-way/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/julianne-maclean-20933_career_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-and-we_1191817.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/julianne-maclean-20933_career_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-and-we_1191817.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/julianne-maclean-20933_career_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-and-we_1191817.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing is a solitary occupation, and we like it that way.” — Julianne MacLean", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing is a solitary occupation; we don't really have any colleagues.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chris Pavone" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-we-don-t-really-have-any-colleagues/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/chris-pavone-3124_colleagues_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-we-don_2191327.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/chris-pavone-3124_colleagues_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-we-don_2191327.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/chris-pavone-3124_colleagues_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-we-don_2191327.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing is a solitary occupation; we don't really have any colleagues.” — Chris Pavone", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's true that it's a solitary occupation, but you would be surprised at how much companionship a group of imaginary characters can offer once you get to know them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anne Tyler" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/it-s-true-that-it-s-a-solitary-occupation-but-you-would-be-surprised/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76f/anne-tyler-1837_companionship_it-s-true-that-it-s-a-solitary-occupatio_2764165.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76f/anne-tyler-1837_companionship_it-s-true-that-it-s-a-solitary-occupatio_2764165.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76f/anne-tyler-1837_companionship_it-s-true-that-it-s-a-solitary-occupatio_2764165.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's true that it's a solitary occupation, but you would be surprised at how much companionship a group of…” — Anne Tyler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Well I've been writing books. So that, by its nature, is kind of a solitary occupation. And from time to time I have research help, but mostly I've done those completely on my own.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Caroline Kennedy" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-kennedy/well-i-ve-been-writing-books-so-that-by-its-nature-is-kind-of-a/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/caroline-kennedy-10228_book_well-i-ve-been-writing-books-so-that-by_477261.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/caroline-kennedy-10228_book_well-i-ve-been-writing-books-so-that-by_477261.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/caroline-kennedy-10228_book_well-i-ve-been-writing-books-so-that-by_477261.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Well I've been writing books. So that, by its nature, is kind of a solitary occupation. And from time to…” — Caroline Kennedy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jessamyn West" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessamyn-west/writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-family-friends-and-society-are/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/jessamyn-west-12938_community_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-family_1516814.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/jessamyn-west-12938_community_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-family_1516814.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/jessamyn-west-12938_community_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-family_1516814.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are natural enemies of the writer. He must be…” — Jessamyn West", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing is, of course, a solitary occupation. But for many writers, myself included, it's through writing that we make certain vital connections.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth Berg" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/writing-is-of-course-a-solitary-occupation-but-for-many-writers/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/elizabeth-berg-853_connections_writing-is-of-course-a-solitary-occupati_3153438.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/elizabeth-berg-853_connections_writing-is-of-course-a-solitary-occupati_3153438.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/elizabeth-berg-853_connections_writing-is-of-course-a-solitary-occupati_3153438.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing is, of course, a solitary occupation. But for many writers, myself included, it's through writing…” — Elizabeth Berg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Writing is such a solitary occupation that it takes a long time to build up a group of professional peers with whom you genuinely identify.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sara Sheridan" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/writing-is-such-a-solitary-occupation-that-it-takes-a-long-time-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/sara-sheridan-1032_alone_writing-is-such-a-solitary-occupation-th_779640.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/sara-sheridan-1032_alone_writing-is-such-a-solitary-occupation-th_779640.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/sara-sheridan-1032_alone_writing-is-such-a-solitary-occupation-th_779640.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing is such a solitary occupation that it takes a long time to build up a group of professional peers…” — Sara Sheridan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing fiction is a solitary occupation but not really a lonely one. The writer's head is mobbed with characters, images and language, making the creative process something like eavesdropping at a party for which you've had the fun of drawing up the guest list. Loneliness usually doesn't set in until the work is finished, and all the partygoers and their imagined universe have disappeared.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hilma Wolitzer" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilma-wolitzer/writing-fiction-is-a-solitary-occupation-but-not-really-a-lonely-one/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/hilma-wolitzer-38026_character_writing-fiction-is-a-solitary-occupation_197103.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/hilma-wolitzer-38026_character_writing-fiction-is-a-solitary-occupation_197103.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/hilma-wolitzer-38026_character_writing-fiction-is-a-solitary-occupation_197103.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing fiction is a solitary occupation but not really a lonely one. The writer's head is mobbed with…” — Hilma Wolitzer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing, and especially writing a novel, where you get to sit in a room by yourself with either a pen and a paper or a computer for a couple of years, is a very solitary occupation. You can read sales figures - a hundred thousand books sold, half a million books sold - but they are just numbers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Gaiman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/writing-and-especially-writing-a-novel-where-you-get-to-sit-in-a-room/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/neil-gaiman-29_book_writing-and-especially-writing-a-novel-w_973704.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/neil-gaiman-29_book_writing-and-especially-writing-a-novel-w_973704.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/neil-gaiman-29_book_writing-and-especially-writing-a-novel-w_973704.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing, and especially writing a novel, where you get to sit in a room by yourself with either a pen and a…” — Neil Gaiman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It turned out plant collecting was a solitary occupation. In the past Robert had enjoyed being alone, or so he thought. Actually he had rarely been alone for long: working in hotels, in stables, on ranches and farms, and as a miner, he had always been around others. Now, out in the woods or up in the hills or out on the flat central plain, he could go for days without speaking to anyone. His throat seemed to close up and he had to keep clearing it, singing songs aloud or reciting the Latin names of plants, just to check that he still had a voice. 'Araucaria imbricata. Sequoia sempervirens. Pinus lambertiana. Abies magnifica'. He was surprised at how much he missed people..”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tracy Chevalier" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/it-turned-out-plant-collecting-was-a-solitary-occupation-in-the-past/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/tracy-chevalier-7345_solitary_it-turned-out-plant-collecting-was-a-sol_2387328.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/tracy-chevalier-7345_solitary_it-turned-out-plant-collecting-was-a-sol_2387328.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/tracy-chevalier-7345_solitary_it-turned-out-plant-collecting-was-a-sol_2387328.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It turned out plant collecting was a solitary occupation. In the past Robert had enjoyed being alone, or so…” — Tracy Chevalier", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitary-occupation/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitary-occupation/", "name": "Solitary Occupation Quotes", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitary-occupation/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/bernard-cornwell-1849_career_writing-is-a-solitary-occupation-1239363_1239363.jpg" }, "description": "Browse 11 Solitary Occupation quotes by 11 authors. 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