---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Someone once said that the joy is not in…"
description: "\"Someone once said that the joy is not in writing but in having written. I can't say I find that to be true, though I understand the sentiment.\" — Adam ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/adam-gopnik-6789_being-true_someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in_1300170.jpg"
---

#  Someone once said that the joy is not in writing but in…

![“Someone once said that the joy is not in writing but in having written. I can't say I find that to be true, though I understand the sentiment.” quote by Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/adam-gopnik-6789_being-true_someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in_1300170.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/adam-gopnik-6789_being-true_someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in_1300170.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/adam-gopnik-6789_being-true_someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in_1300170.jpg)

> “Someone once said that the joy is not in writing but in having written. I can't say I find that to be true, though I understand the sentiment.”

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The pleasure of writing lies not in the act itself but in the completion and reflection on the finished work.

**In simple terms:** Joy comes after finishing, not during.

Key Takeaway

Finish to find joy.

Themes

creativity completion reflection

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- authoring a novel
- finishing a report
- completing a project

Key Concepts

literary theory process vs product

Questions to Reflect On

- What project have you left unfinished?
- How does finishing change your perception?

A Different Perspective

Joy may be fleeting after completion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Sentiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiments/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [“Say nothing and he' ll think you regret having written. Say anything and it will be out of place. Do what, then? Wait.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/say-nothing-and-he-ll-think-you-regret-having-written-say-anything/)

[André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/)

> [What I love is the writing, it's not having written. I like the process of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-koryta/what-i-love-is-the-writing-it-s-not-having-written-i-like-the-process/)

[Michael Koryta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-koryta/)

> [“They say everything that can be written has been written. I say we are just getting started.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-barger/they-say-everything-that-can-be-written-has-been-written-i-say-we-are/)

[Andrew Barger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-barger/)

> [If I show somebody something that I've written and they say, "Eh...alright," I just put it away and I never show it to anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/if-i-show-somebody-something-that-i-ve-written-and-they-say-eh/)

[Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/)

> [My poetry is the most disappointing thing for me that I've ever written. When I say I can write everything, I don't say I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/my-poetry-is-the-most-disappointing-thing-for-me-that-i-ve-ever/)

[Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/)

> [“Joy was substance over optics,” he said. “Joy was a long-term thinker. Joy was bold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/joy-was-substance-over-optics-he-said-joy-was-a-long-term-thinker-joy/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“Both deaths are woven into the fabric of my life, but they’re not what define me,” she said. “Joy is very important to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/both-deaths-are-woven-into-the-fabric-of-my-life-but-they-re-not-what/)

[Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/)

> [“And he said, “The joy of scaring is a deep and lasting one, and I never tire of it.” Said I, after a minute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/and-he-said-the-joy-of-scaring-is-a-deep-and-lasting-one-and-i-never/)

[Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/)

> [They always said Joy comes in the morning... I'm so sure you didn't leave because I woke up next to you that and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-ceaser/they-always-said-joy-comes-in-the-morning-i-m-so-sure-you-didn-t/)

[Evan Ceaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-ceaser/)

> [“The true joy comes from filling the spiritual vacuum with an intimate relationship with the One who is pure joy – Jesus Christ. Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prasanth-jonathan/the-true-joy-comes-from-filling-the-spiritual-vacuum-with-an-intimate/)

[Prasanth Jonathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prasanth-jonathan/)

> [Now, I think of my writing as having two foundations: entertainment and meaning. The meaning portion is really me trying to answer my questions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-bajaj/now-i-think-of-my-writing-as-having-two-foundations-entertainment-and/)

[Karan Bajaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-bajaj/)

> [So writing is not just writing. It is also having a relationship with other writers. And don't be jealous, especially secretly. That's the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/so-writing-is-not-just-writing-it-is-also-having-a-relationship-with/)

[Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/)

> [“Writing can give you what having a baby can give you: it can get you to start paying attention, can help you to soften,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/writing-can-give-you-what-having-a-baby-can-give-you-it-can-get-you/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [The story was writing itself and I was having a hard time keeping up with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-story-was-writing-itself-and-i-was-having-a-hard-time-keeping-up/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

> [Generally, I find that when you're writing and having fun with the writing, that energy and dynamism is going to come out in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/generally-i-find-that-when-you-re-writing-and-having-fun-with-the/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

## More by Adam Gopnik

> [ Often the block \[in writing\] comes from the wall of words that keep out the simplicity of sense. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/often-the-block-in-writing-comes-from-the-wall-of-words-that-keep-out/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [Drawing is one of those things which sit on the uneasy bending line between instinct and instruction, where seeming perversity eventually trumps pleasure as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/drawing-is-one-of-those-things-which-sit-on-the-uneasy-bending-line/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [Of all the unexpected things in contemporary literature, this is among the oddest: that kids have an inordinate appetite for very long, very tricky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/of-all-the-unexpected-things-in-contemporary-literature-this-is-among/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [“...we see life as deeply in our pleasures as in our pains.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/we-see-life-as-deeply-in-our-pleasures-as-in-our-pains/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [ Leafing through Forbes or Fortune \[magazine\]s is like reading the operating manual of a strangely sanctimonious pirate ship ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/leafing-through-forbes-or-fortune-magazine-s-is-like-reading-the/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [Writing well isn't just a question of winsome expression, but of having found something big and true to say and having found the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/writing-well-isn-t-just-a-question-of-winsome-expression-but-of/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [“There is, I believe now, a force in stories, words in motion, that either drives them forward past things into feelings or doesn't. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/there-is-i-believe-now-a-force-in-stories-words-in-motion-that-either/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [Cooking is the showy side of domesticity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/cooking-is-the-showy-side-of-domesticity/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [Writing doesn't come easily to anyone, I think, certainly not to me. But pressure and practice does lend a certain fluency, I think -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/writing-doesn-t-come-easily-to-anyone-i-think-certainly-not-to-me-but/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [Art without accomplishment becomes a form of faith, sustained more by the intensity of its common practice than by the pleasure it gives to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/art-without-accomplishment-becomes-a-form-of-faith-sustained-more-by/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [ “\[A\]s military history reveals, a bad plan is often better than no plan, especially if the people on the other side think it’s a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/a-s-military-history-reveals-a-bad-plan-is-often-better-than-no-plan/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [I don't think there's any question journalists have become targets, but then I think that - that anyone who tries to practice liberty becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/i-don-t-think-there-s-any-question-journalists-have-become-targets/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [After all, spinning is its own reward. There wouldn't be carousels if it weren't so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/after-all-spinning-is-its-own-reward-there-wouldn-t-be-carousels-if/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [“This is surely the most significant of the elements that Tolkien brought to fantasy… his arranged marriage between the Elder Edda and "The Wind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/this-is-surely-the-most-significant-of-the-elements-that-tolkien/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

> [The future will be like the past, in the sense that, no matter how amazing or technologically advanced a society becomes, the basic human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/the-future-will-be-like-the-past-in-the-sense-that-no-matter-how/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

[Explore all 97 Adam Gopnik quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

## More Being true quotes

> [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/)

[Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/)

> [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/)

[Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/)

> [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Intuitionists think that there are cases in which, say, some identity statement between real numbers is neither true nor false, even though we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-f-heck/intuitionists-think-that-there-are-cases-in-which-say-some-identity/)

[Richard F. Heck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-f-heck/)

> [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/)

[Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/)

> [There is no normal. I've never met a normal person. The concept is flawed. It implies that there is only one way people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/there-is-no-normal-i-ve-never-met-a-normal-person-the-concept-is/)

[Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/)

> [I learned a tremendous amount about what was important to me as a head coach in that I was not in charge. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-carroll/i-learned-a-tremendous-amount-about-what-was-important-to-me-as-a/)

[Pete Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-carroll/)

> [Life is all about being true to yourself and what you believe in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-biersack/life-is-all-about-being-true-to-yourself-and-what-you-believe-in/)

[Andy Biersack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-biersack/)

> [I have spent most of my life unlearning things that were proved not to be true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/i-have-spent-most-of-my-life-unlearning-things-that-were-proved-not/)

[R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/)

> [It seemed too good to be true. That's grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judah-smith/it-seemed-too-good-to-be-true-that-s-grace/)

[Judah Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judah-smith/)

> [You create the happiness and the balance that you have, and your own power. This is one thing that I know to be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/you-create-the-happiness-and-the-balance-that-you-have-and-your-own/)

[Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/)

> [Being true to yourself means living in truth with each person in your life. It means refusing to say or do something that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/being-true-to-yourself-means-living-in-truth-with-each-person-in-your/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [History is nothing but gossip about the past, with the hope that it might be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/history-is-nothing-but-gossip-about-the-past-with-the-hope-that-it/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [It is not the responsibility of the enlightened teacher to bring the student to enlightenment. That may be true in the classroom, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/it-is-not-the-responsibility-of-the-enlightened-teacher-to-bring-the/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

Browse all 1,447 Being true quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Someone once said that the joy is not in writing but in having written. I can't say I find that to be true, though I understand the sentiment.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Adam Gopnik"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in-writing-but-in-having/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Being true"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in-writing-but-in-having/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/adam-gopnik-6789_being-true_someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in_1300170.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/adam-gopnik-6789_being-true_someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in_1300170.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/adam-gopnik-6789_being-true_someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in_1300170.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Someone once said that the joy is not in writing but in having written. I can't say I find that to be true…” — Adam Gopnik",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "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": "Adam Gopnik",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Someone once said that the joy...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in-writing-but-in-having/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/someone-once-said-that-the-joy-is-not-in-writing-but-in-having/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
