---
title: "8 Trying Writer Quotes by 8 authors"
description: "Browse 8 Trying Writer quotes by 8 authors. Discover the best Trying Writer sayings and thoughts."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/874/janet-frame-8769_awful_the-only-certainty-about-writing-and-try_189806.jpg"
---

> [The only certainty about writing and trying to be a writer is that it has to be done, not dreamed of or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-frame/the-only-certainty-about-writing-and-trying-to-be-a-writer-is-that-it/)

[Janet Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-frame/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/874/janet-frame-8769_awful_the-only-certainty-about-writing-and-try_189806.jpg)

> [If my mother hadn't been trying to be a writer, I don't know if I would have thought of it myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/if-my-mother-hadn-t-been-trying-to-be-a-writer-i-don-t-know-if-i/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/john-updike-396_been_if-my-mother-hadn-t-been-trying-to-be-a_866440.png)

> [“I'm not trying as a writer to be smart or to understand the inner workings of my narrator, I'm trying to survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-carlson/i-m-not-trying-as-a-writer-to-be-smart-or-to-understand-the-inner/)

[Ron Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-carlson/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/ron-carlson-28022_writer_i-m-not-trying-as-a-writer-to-be-smart-o_1374180.png)

> [Are you a reader? If you aren't a reader, you might as well forget trying to be a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/are-you-a-reader-if-you-aren-t-a-reader-you-might-as-well-forget/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b14/wallace-stegner-1352_books_are-you-a-reader-if-you-aren-t-a-reader_1420619.png)

> [As soon as I start to write I'm very aware, I'm trying to be aware that a reader just might well pick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/as-soon-as-i-start-to-write-i-m-very-aware-i-m-trying-to-be-aware/)

[Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/billy-collins-3004_back-and-forth_as-soon-as-i-start-to-write-i-m-very-awa_1488745.png)

> [My great fear of being attacked or trivialized by my contemporaries made me concentrate on what I was trying to do as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/my-great-fear-of-being-attacked-or-trivialized-by-my-contemporaries/)

[Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/pat-conroy-768_attacked_my-great-fear-of-being-attacked-or-trivi_1538060.jpg)

> [Punk gave you a kind of chutzpah, so even trying to be a writer, I just thought, 'Well, I'm going to send…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/punk-gave-you-a-kind-of-chutzpah-so-even-trying-to-be-a-writer-i-just/)

[Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/ian-rankin-7748_go_punk-gave-you-a-kind-of-chutzpah-so-even_2076290.jpg)

> [I feel like I have to be a walking encyclopedia - I constantly have to be explaining myself - especially when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nilo-cruz/i-feel-like-i-have-to-be-a-walking-encyclopedia-i-constantly-have-to/)

[Nilo Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nilo-cruz/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/nilo-cruz-36320_culture_i-feel-like-i-have-to-be-a-walking-encyc_2837667.jpg)

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                        "text": "I feel like I have to be a walking encyclopedia - I constantly have to be explaining myself - especially when I do table work or when I'm talking to a dramaturg about, you know, the culture, but also what I'm trying to do as a writer in this particular play. You know, you have to protect yourself too.",
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