--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing is like breathing underwater…" description: "\"“Writing is like breathing underwater. It's really hard to do unless you can imagine yourself a nice set of gills.”\" — Alane Adams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/alane-adams-89228_underwater_writing-is-like-breathing-underwater-it_2533495.jpg" --- # Writing is like breathing underwater. It's really hard to… ![“Writing is like breathing underwater. It's really hard to do unless you can imagine yourself a nice set of gills.” quote by Alane Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/alane-adams-89228_underwater_writing-is-like-breathing-underwater-it_2533495.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/alane-adams-89228_underwater_writing-is-like-breathing-underwater-it_2533495.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/alane-adams-89228_underwater_writing-is-like-breathing-underwater-it_2533495.jpg) > ““Writing is like breathing underwater. It's really hard to do unless you can imagine yourself a nice set of gills.”” [Alane Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alane-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing feels suffocating without imagination, akin to needing gills to breathe underwater. **In simple terms:** Imagination fuels writing flow. Key Takeaway Cultivate vivid mental images. Themes writing creativity imagination metaphor challenge growth Mood inspirational metaphorical Type Underwater:0 Writer:1 Writing:1 Writing life:0 Writing Like:0 Like Breathing:0 Underwater Really:0 Breathing Underwater:0 When to use this quote - writing workshops - daily writing - creative retreats Key Concepts creative process mental visualization authorial stamina Questions to Reflect On - What visualizations spark your writing? - How can you practice mental “gills”? A Different Perspective Lack of imagination stalls progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breathing Underwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing-underwater-1366511/) [Like Breathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-breathing/) [Underwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underwater/) [Underwater Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underwater-really-715683/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-life/) [Writing Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-like/) ## Related quotes > [It's hard to film underwater. It really is tricky. You don't have goggles, so you can't see anything. 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The harder you try the faster you sink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alane-adams/writing-is-like-trying-to-escape-quicksand-the-harder-you-try-the/) [Alane Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alane-adams/) > [For me writing is like breathing. I could not live without breathing and I could not live without writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/for-me-writing-is-like-breathing-i-could-not-live-without-breathing/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [Reading is like breathing in, writing is like breathing out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-allyn/reading-is-like-breathing-in-writing-is-like-breathing-out/) [Pam Allyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-allyn/) > [“If reading is like breathing then writing is like the beat of a heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-holford-green/if-reading-is-like-breathing-then-writing-is-like-the-beat-of-a-heart/) [Laura Holford-Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-holford-green/) > [“But writing is like breathing--I do it because I have to. Actually, writing might be more like reading--I do it because I can't imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-frost/but-writing-is-like-breathing-i-do-it-because-i-have-to-actually/) [Heather Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-frost/) > [“Writing is like breathing -- it is necessary for my survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-c-hillstrom/writing-is-like-breathing-it-is-necessary-for-my-survival/) [Michelle C. Hillstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-c-hillstrom/) > [Writing is like breathing, it's possible to learn to do it well, but the point is to do it no matter what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/writing-is-like-breathing-it-s-possible-to-learn-to-do-it-well-but/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [“Anyone else feel like that? Like your life's a big act. Like you're trying to be a man when you're just a scared kid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-flinn/anyone-else-feel-like-that-like-your-life-s-a-big-act-like-you-re/) [Alex Flinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-flinn/) > [“writing was like breathing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/writing-was-like-breathing/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Writing is like going underwater - thank you for being there when I come back up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-shaw/writing-is-like-going-underwater-thank-you-for-being-there-when-i/) [Ali Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-shaw/) > [“Writing is like surfing on a wild sea, in the middle of a moonless night, in a hailstorm, on a deserted island. Yeah... that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heena-rathore-p/writing-is-like-surfing-on-a-wild-sea-in-the-middle-of-a-moonless/) [Heena Rathore P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heena-rathore-p/) > [“However, just like any line of work, writing is a negotiation, and creative control is as elusive as financial stability. I discovered that writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-driver/however-just-like-any-line-of-work-writing-is-a-negotiation-and/) [Alice Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-driver/) ## More by Alane Adams > [“Writing is like trying to escape quicksand. The harder you try the faster you sink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alane-adams/writing-is-like-trying-to-escape-quicksand-the-harder-you-try-the/) [Alane Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alane-adams/) [Explore all 2 Alane Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alane-adams/) ## More Underwater quotes > [“he moved neither forward nor backward in time, but merely endured variations of the same day over and over. Maybe he was the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/he-moved-neither-forward-nor-backward-in-time-but-merely-endured/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [Nationally, the share of mortgages that are underwater fell by about one-half between 2011 and 2014.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/nationally-the-share-of-mortgages-that-are-underwater-fell-by-about/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [Poverty comes from Hell. Prosperity comes from Heaven. Adam had complete dominion over the earth and all it contains. A. Adam could fly like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hinn/poverty-comes-from-hell-prosperity-comes-from-heaven-adam-had/) [Benny Hinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hinn/) > [I always try to write on the principle of the iceberg. There is seven-eighths of it underwater for every part that shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-always-try-to-write-on-the-principle-of-the-iceberg-there-is-seven/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [There's a lot of stress involved when your house is underwater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mccallum/there-s-a-lot-of-stress-involved-when-your-house-is-underwater/) [Scott McCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mccallum/) > [“Human?' The girl cocked her head the other way. I caught a glimpse of pink gills under her chin. 'My sisters told me stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/human-the-girl-cocked-her-head-the-other-way-i-caught-a-glimpse-of/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [Perhaps we should put up posters in such places reminding people that where they stand was underwater the last time that the Earth ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-calvin/perhaps-we-should-put-up-posters-in-such-places-reminding-people-that/) [William H. Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-calvin/) > [You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-mentioned-the-navy-for-example-and-that-we-have-fewer-ships-than/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think something that forces financial institutions to write down underwater mortgages, I think, would be a sensible thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/i-think-something-that-forces-financial-institutions-to-write-down/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [Like a fish needs a bicycle. A goldfish riding a bicycle underwater. I need a man like a fish needs a bicycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-dunn/like-a-fish-needs-a-bicycle-a-goldfish-riding-a-bicycle-underwater-i/) [Irina Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-dunn/) > [“Anyone else feel like that? Like your life's a big act. 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(I never read without making sure I am in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-setterfield/still-in-my-coat-and-hat-i-sank-onto-the-stair-to-read-the-letter-i/) [Diane Setterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-setterfield/) > [I've always said, 'Underwater or on top, men and women are compatible.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/i-ve-always-said-underwater-or-on-top-men-and-women-are-compatible/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [I like underwater life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/i-like-underwater-life/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [Sponge Bob set fire underwater, Adele set fire to the rain, and I set fire on ice cubes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vip/sponge-bob-set-fire-underwater-adele-set-fire-to-the-rain-and-i-set/) [Vip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vip/) [Browse all 248 Underwater quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underwater/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Writing is like breathing underwater. 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