--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't have the courage not to write all…" description: "\"I don't have the courage not to write all the time.\" — Alice Mattison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/alice-mattison-11066_courage_i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-al_2560765.jpg" --- # I don't have the courage not to write all the time. ![“I don't have the courage not to write all the time.” quote by Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/alice-mattison-11066_courage_i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-al_2560765.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/alice-mattison-11066_courage_i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-al_2560765.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/alice-mattison-11066_courage_i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-al_2560765.jpg) > “I don't have the courage not to write all the time.” [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expresses an irresistible drive to write constantly. **In simple terms:** Can't stop writing; it's a compulsion. Key Takeaway Write regularly. Themes creativity discipline passion Mood reflective determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - authoring - blogging - journaling Key Concepts writing habit creative flow Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance writing with rest? - What rituals sustain your writing habit? A Different Perspective Burnout can follow relentless output. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-write-330373/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-time-866657/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I think we need to develop the courage to write from the viewpoint of people who may seem quite different from ourselves, who might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-think-we-need-to-develop-the-courage-to-write-from-the-viewpoint-of/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [I write the best book that I can write each time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-robards/i-write-the-best-book-that-i-can-write-each-time/) [Karen Robards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-robards/) > [If you knew when you began a book what you would say at the end, do you think that you would have the courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/if-you-knew-when-you-began-a-book-what-you-would-say-at-the-end-do/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [“I wrote this memoir to show I can help others do what I had the courage to do for myself; write a family legacy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edie-little/i-wrote-this-memoir-to-show-i-can-help-others-do-what-i-had-the/) [Edie Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edie-little/) > [“I might not have ever had the courage to write those stories without that experience, that training ground in how to look at one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/i-might-not-have-ever-had-the-courage-to-write-those-stories-without/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [It takes more talent to write music, but it takes more courage to write lyrics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-mercer/it-takes-more-talent-to-write-music-but-it-takes-more-courage-to/) [Johnny Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-mercer/) > [“I don’t feel that it is necessary to know exactly what I am. The main interest in life and work is to become someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/i-don-t-feel-that-it-is-necessary-to-know-exactly-what-i-am-the-main-2/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [I'm grateful to the LGBTQ community for giving me the courage to write music about who I am and not just about my sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayley-kiyoko/i-m-grateful-to-the-lgbtq-community-for-giving-me-the-courage-to/) [Hayley Kiyoko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayley-kiyoko/) > [“I don't feel that it is necessary to know exactly what I am. The main interest in life and work is to become someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/i-don-t-feel-that-it-is-necessary-to-know-exactly-what-i-am-the-main/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [It takes some courage to write fiction about politically controversial topics. The dread is you'll be labeled a political writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-takes-some-courage-to-write-fiction-about-politically/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Once in a while I catch myself wondering whether I would have found the courage to write if I had not started to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ama-ata-aidoo/once-in-a-while-i-catch-myself-wondering-whether-i-would-have-found/) [Ama Ata Aidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ama-ata-aidoo/) > [I think a lot of writers spend years just getting up the courage to write because it seems like such a fantasy of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-novak-2/i-think-a-lot-of-writers-spend-years-just-getting-up-the-courage-to/) [B. J. Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-novak-2/) > [I've thought many times, 'I can't write this,' but on my own little planet I found the courage to write it because it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/i-ve-thought-many-times-i-can-t-write-this-but-on-my-own-little/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [Outlining is like putting on training wheels. It gives me the courage to write, but we always go off the outline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hallie-ephron/outlining-is-like-putting-on-training-wheels-it-gives-me-the-courage/) [Hallie Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hallie-ephron/) > [have the courage to write whatever your dream is for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/have-the-courage-to-write-whatever-your-dream-is-for-yourself/) [May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/) ## More by Alice Mattison > [Sometimes indirect style and varying chronology is great, but quite often I've seen it be just something that gets in the way. It turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/sometimes-indirect-style-and-varying-chronology-is-great-but-quite/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [Every once in a while someone says, 'You can't really learn anything, if you're really a writer then you wouldn't need to do it.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/every-once-in-a-while-someone-says-you-can-t-really-learn-anything-if/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [Whoever would write books? It's suffering as well as greatly satisfying. And certainly there's suffering in the sense that you don't know for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/whoever-would-write-books-it-s-suffering-as-well-as-greatly/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [I get to a certain point, and I think in a novel it's about the third draft, when I want other eyes on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-get-to-a-certain-point-and-i-think-in-a-novel-it-s-about-the-third/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [It's hard to say which of us is luckier, the ones who go through long periods when they can't write or the ones who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/it-s-hard-to-say-which-of-us-is-luckier-the-ones-who-go-through-long/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [“When a man I like touches my arm or my hair, I want to know if he'll touch the center of me, and whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/when-a-man-i-like-touches-my-arm-or-my-hair-i-want-to-know-if-he-ll/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [I heard a white writer say, 'Oh, I'd never put black people in my writing, I'm afraid I would offend someone by doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-heard-a-white-writer-say-oh-i-d-never-put-black-people-in-my/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [When I've taught writing to five, six, and seven year olds, it's not very different than talking to an adult writer. They're writers then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/when-i-ve-taught-writing-to-five-six-and-seven-year-olds-it-s-not/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [I find that I get very excited about what my students are up to and that I get to be the hurdle they need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-find-that-i-get-very-excited-about-what-my-students-are-up-to-and/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [I love to read nonfiction and memoir, but I'm mostly interested in the piece of writing more than the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-love-to-read-nonfiction-and-memoir-but-i-m-mostly-interested-in-the/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [I think that inevitably, the trouble our characters go through is a kind of metaphor for what's happening in ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-think-that-inevitably-the-trouble-our-characters-go-through-is-a/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [When an editor first explained to me the difference between direct and indirect writing, I just thought it was a stylistic choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/when-an-editor-first-explained-to-me-the-difference-between-direct/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [Writers sometimes are paid a great deal of money, but much more frequently they're not paid or are paid only a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/writers-sometimes-are-paid-a-great-deal-of-money-but-much-more/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [We're always inventing, even if we're making someone who's fairly close to ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/we-re-always-inventing-even-if-we-re-making-someone-who-s-fairly/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [I just like doing it, I like writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-just-like-doing-it-i-like-writing/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) [Explore all 62 Alice Mattison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) ## More Courage quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) [James T. Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-conway/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Tranquillity is courage in repose. It is a statical manifestation of valor, as daring deeds are a dynamical. A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/) [Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/) > [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/) [Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/) > [“Of all the train, none escaped except Wamba, who showed upon the occasion much more courage than those who pretended to greater sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/of-all-the-train-none-escaped-except-wamba-who-showed-upon-the/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“There is nothing purer, braver, or more beautiful than the try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-armstrong/there-is-nothing-purer-braver-or-more-beautiful-than-the-try/) [Kristen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-armstrong/) > [“One theory on cannibals, of course, is that they eat parts of their slain enemies to benefit from that person's greatest assets - their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-powell/one-theory-on-cannibals-of-course-is-that-they-eat-parts-of-their/) [Julie Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-powell/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcela-valladolid/i-have-pictures-with-morimoto-where-i-m-all-embarrassed-and-he-s-so/) [Marcela Valladolid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcela-valladolid/) [Browse all 14,559 Courage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't have the courage not to write all the time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Mattison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-all-the-time/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Courage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-all-the-time/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/alice-mattison-11066_courage_i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-al_2560765.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/alice-mattison-11066_courage_i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-al_2560765.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/alice-mattison-11066_courage_i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-al_2560765.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't have the courage not to write all the time.” — Alice Mattison", "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": "Alice Mattison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't have the courage not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-all-the-time/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-don-t-have-the-courage-not-to-write-all-the-time/#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 } } ] } ```