--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's my experience that people don't…" description: "\"It's my experience that people don't think of fiction writing as being as intellectually serious as other kinds of writing in academia and so without a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/alexander-chee-16129_academia_it-s-my-experience-that-people-don-t-thi_1159461.png" --- # It's my experience that people don't think of fiction… ![“It's my experience that people don't think of fiction writing as being as intellectually serious as other kinds of writing in academia and so without a career as a critic or essayist you can be treated as something of a spiritual medium - a fraud - for "just" writing fiction.” quote by Alexander Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/alexander-chee-16129_academia_it-s-my-experience-that-people-don-t-thi_1159461.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/alexander-chee-16129_academia_it-s-my-experience-that-people-don-t-thi_1159461.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/alexander-chee-16129_academia_it-s-my-experience-that-people-don-t-thi_1159461.png) > “It's my experience that people don't think of fiction writing as being as intellectually serious as other kinds of writing in academia and so without a career as a critic or essayist you can be treated as something of a spiritual medium - a fraud - for "just" writing fiction.” [Alexander Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-chee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fiction is often dismissed as less scholarly, leading writers to be seen as mere spiritual conduits or frauds unless they also critique or essayize. **In simple terms:** Fiction is seen as less serious, so writers can be labeled frauds. Key Takeaway Recognize and assert the intellectual merit of storytelling. Themes literature academic bias identity creativity Mood frustrated defensive Type reflective analytical When to use this quote - writing workshops - academic conferences - publishing houses - literary criticism Key Concepts genre hierarchy cultural capital authorship Questions to Reflect On - How can fiction writers demonstrate scholarly value? - What role does criticism play in legitimizing art? A Different Perspective The perception varies across cultures and disciplines, limiting universal acceptance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academia/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Essayists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essayists/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-writing/) [Fraud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fraud/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Mediums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediums/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Think Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-fiction/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Treated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treated/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-fiction/) [Writing Intellectually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-intellectually-3313303/) ## Related quotes > [I think that's what fiction writing is actually all about. 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No one should have gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-chee/you-ought-to-know-you-were-my-best-friend-you-were-i-know-you-loved/) [Alexander Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-chee/) > [Each source that I read, I would look through the bibliography and the footnotes, and use that as a map for the next thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-chee/each-source-that-i-read-i-would-look-through-the-bibliography-and-the/) [Alexander Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-chee/) > [“Writers aren't born, they're made--from practice, reading, and a lot of caffeine. And sometimes tutelage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-chee/writers-aren-t-born-they-re-made-from-practice-reading-and-a-lot-of-2/) [Alexander Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-chee/) > [One of my big inspirations was Céleste Mogador. 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