---
title: "1 Writers Talk Quotes By Daniel Kehlmann"
description: "1 Writers Talk quotes by Daniel Kehlmann. Plus more from Daniel Kehlmann and more Writers Talk sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/daniel-kehlmann-13333_book_usually-i-work-out-the-plot-before-i-sta_1193473.jpg"
---

> [Usually I work out the plot before I start. This time I thought: Writers always talk about not knowing where a book is going - -I want to experience that, too. What I found out is that it's very interesting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/usually-i-work-out-the-plot-before-i-start-this-time-i-thought/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/daniel-kehlmann-13333_book_usually-i-work-out-the-plot-before-i-sta_1193473.jpg)

## More by Daniel Kehlmann

> [When I look at life I try to be as agnostic and unmetaphysical as possible. So I have to admit that, most probably, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/when-i-look-at-life-i-try-to-be-as-agnostic-and-unmetaphysical-as/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [“Sweat was running down my face. The next turn wasn’t too bad, and I noticed an old barn on the roadside, the roof caved-in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/sweat-was-running-down-my-face-the-next-turn-wasn-t-too-bad-and-i/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [A neglect of one's sentimental education early in life could bear the most unfortunate fruit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/a-neglect-of-one-s-sentimental-education-early-in-life-could-bear-the/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [It was both odd and unjust, a real example of pitiful arbitrariness of existance, that you were born into a particular time & held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/it-was-both-odd-and-unjust-a-real-example-of-pitiful-arbitrariness-of/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [You say fate is almost indispensable to literature - I think it's completely indispensable, at least in a novel, because a novel always has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/you-say-fate-is-almost-indispensable-to-literature-i-think-it-s/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [When I write a book I'm always questioning the project as a whole. I always feel I might have to just throw it away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/when-i-write-a-book-i-m-always-questioning-the-project-as-a-whole-i/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [Also, whenever you have direct speech, and I don't quite know why, but it always gets better in English. Dialogue, the flow of dialogue,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/also-whenever-you-have-direct-speech-and-i-don-t-quite-know-why-but/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [One of the points where the art world is at its most metaphysical is in this weird aspect of the power of the expert.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/one-of-the-points-where-the-art-world-is-at-its-most-metaphysical-is/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [“But why people? I asked. What does he care about people? He’s a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/but-why-people-i-asked-what-does-he-care-about-people-he-s-a-bear/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [Usually I work out the plot before I start. This time I thought: Writers always talk about not knowing where a book is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/usually-i-work-out-the-plot-before-i-start-this-time-i-thought/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [For a while I never show anybody what I'm writing, and during that time I need the feeling that publishing is only an option.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/for-a-while-i-never-show-anybody-what-i-m-writing-and-during-that/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [German can take a lot more pathos than English can. When you say "pathetic" in English it's a disparaging term, but when you say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/german-can-take-a-lot-more-pathos-than-english-can-when-you-say/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [English has a better way with colloquialisms. It has colloquialisms that are colorful and expressive but not too heavy or distracting. In German, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/english-has-a-better-way-with-colloquialisms-it-has-colloquialisms/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [It's also one of these strange points where metaphysics converges with economy. Because really what the experts are doing is creating value by banishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/it-s-also-one-of-these-strange-points-where-metaphysics-converges/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

> [Usually the German translators do something terrible, especially with Tom Wolfe, which is that they make it local. So if the characters are from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/usually-the-german-translators-do-something-terrible-especially-with/)

[Daniel Kehlmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kehlmann/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-talk/daniel-kehlmann/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Writers Talk Quotes By Daniel Kehlmann",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Usually I work out the plot before I start. This time I thought: Writers always talk about not knowing where a book is going - -I want to experience that, too. What I found out is that it's very interesting, but it takes much longer because you have so many false starts. You take wrong turns and you have to go back and start the whole chapter, or the whole section, from scratch.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Daniel Kehlmann"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kehlmann/usually-i-work-out-the-plot-before-i-start-this-time-i-thought/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/daniel-kehlmann-13333_book_usually-i-work-out-the-plot-before-i-sta_1193473.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/daniel-kehlmann-13333_book_usually-i-work-out-the-plot-before-i-sta_1193473.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/daniel-kehlmann-13333_book_usually-i-work-out-the-plot-before-i-sta_1193473.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Usually I work out the plot before I start. This time I thought: Writers always talk about not knowing where…” — Daniel Kehlmann",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-talk/daniel-kehlmann/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-talk/daniel-kehlmann/",
            "name": "Writers Talk Quotes by Daniel Kehlmann",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-talk/daniel-kehlmann/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/daniel-kehlmann-13333_book_usually-i-work-out-the-plot-before-i-sta_1193473.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Writers Talk quotes by Daniel Kehlmann. Plus more from Daniel Kehlmann and more Writers Talk sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-talk/daniel-kehlmann/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-talk/daniel-kehlmann/#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": "Writers Talk",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-talk/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Daniel Kehlmann",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-talk/daniel-kehlmann/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```