--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think you have to remember that writing…" description: "\"I think you have to remember that writing is hard; my first editor used to say that to me.\" — Alice Mattison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/alice-mattison-11066_editors_i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writin_1337752.jpg" --- # I think you have to remember that writing is hard; my… ![“I think you have to remember that writing is hard; my first editor used to say that to me.” quote by Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/alice-mattison-11066_editors_i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writin_1337752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/alice-mattison-11066_editors_i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writin_1337752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/alice-mattison-11066_editors_i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writin_1337752.jpg) > “I think you have to remember that writing is hard; my first editor used to say that to me.” [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. Writing is challenging; remembering this helps maintain humility and perseverance in the craft. **In simple terms:** Writing is hard; remember it. Key Takeaway Stay humble and persistent in writing. Themes writing humility perseverance Mood encouraging realistic Type advisory motivational When to use this quote - daily writing - peer critique - goal setting Key Concepts creative process mental resilience authorial discipline Questions to Reflect On - How do you cope with writing difficulties? - What strategies keep you motivated? A Different Perspective May discourage beginners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editors/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard Editor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-editor-4509498/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Remember Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-writing/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-hard/) ## Related quotes > [Critics sometimes appear to be addressing themselves to works other than those I remember writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/critics-sometimes-appear-to-be-addressing-themselves-to-works-other/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Remember, with writing, what you’re looking for is just one person to come up and tell you, 'I love you for what you do.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/remember-with-writing-what-you-re-looking-for-is-just-one-person-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Creativity was definitely a big part of our household, and I remember always writing stories and being encouraged to be creative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-lake/creativity-was-definitely-a-big-part-of-our-household-and-i-remember/) [Katrina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-lake/) > [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/) > [“The important thing for any writer to remember is to take the writing seriously, but not the writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-poynor/the-important-thing-for-any-writer-to-remember-is-to-take-the-writing/) [A.E. Poynor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-poynor/) > [ I clearly remember writing songs \[when I was young\] and the power that it gave me of feeling like somebody. My whole life changed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-stefani/i-clearly-remember-writing-songs-when-i-was-young-and-the-power-that/) [Gwen Stefani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-stefani/) > [The Journal is not essentially a confession, a story about oneself. It is a Memorial. What does the writer have to remember? Himself, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-blanchot/the-journal-is-not-essentially-a-confession-a-story-about-oneself-it/) [Maurice Blanchot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-blanchot/) > [“Remember that writing is translation, and the opus to be translated is yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white-2/remember-that-writing-is-translation-and-the-opus-to-be-translated-is/) [E.B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white-2/) > [Remember you love writing. It wouldn't be worth it if you didn't. If the love fades, do what you need to and get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-l-kennedy/remember-you-love-writing-it-wouldn-t-be-worth-it-if-you-didn-t-if/) [A.L. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-l-kennedy/) > [I have to always remember, writing is really hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-have-to-always-remember-writing-is-really-hard/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [If anything in your life is more important than writing - anything at all - you should walk away now while you still can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/if-anything-in-your-life-is-more-important-than-writing-anything-at/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [People shout out for songs and I don't even remember writing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-womack/people-shout-out-for-songs-and-i-don-t-even-remember-writing-them/) [Bobby Womack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-womack/) > [I remember that as I was writing a poem on 'Snow' when I was eight, I said aloud, 'I wish I could have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-remember-that-as-i-was-writing-a-poem-on-snow-when-i-was-eight-i/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“Dear Beloved woman, Time… so much time has passed since my love wrote his last words for me. And yet I remember it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talon-p-s/dear-beloved-woman-time-so-much-time-has-passed-since-my-love-wrote/) [Talon P.S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talon-p-s/) > [I think the main thing to remember when writing a novel is to stay true to the characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-think-the-main-thing-to-remember-when-writing-a-novel-is-to-stay/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## 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 Editors quotes > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [My biggest advice would be to take the pictures you want to take. Don’t think about the marketplace, what sells or what an editor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lachapelle/my-biggest-advice-would-be-to-take-the-pictures-you-want-to-take-don/) [David LaChapelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lachapelle/) > [A perfect movie is a different thing, but a funny movie is easy. I was really happy that I got everyone that I got.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/a-perfect-movie-is-a-different-thing-but-a-funny-movie-is-easy-i-was/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [ I walked all around it \[the Guggenheim Bilbao\] and couldn't find one clear, clean shot. To make things worse, the weather was lousy. Nothing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-polidori/i-walked-all-around-it-the-guggenheim-bilbao-and-couldn-t-find-one/) [Robert Polidori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-polidori/) > [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Authors of published papers and editors of scientific journals can, unfortunately, be slow to come to terms with criticism, and it's good that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gelman/authors-of-published-papers-and-editors-of-scientific-journals-can/) [Andrew Gelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gelman/) > [Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/democracy-becomes-a-government-of-bullies-tempered-by-editors/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [51% of the French people - who are not very religious - were thinking that what "Charlie Hebdo" did was unwise. They aren't asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/51-of-the-french-people-who-are-not-very-religious-were-thinking-that/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [If you look at any list of great modern writers such as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, you'll notice two things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/if-you-look-at-any-list-of-great-modern-writers-such-as-ernest/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial 'we.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/only-kings-presidents-editors-and-people-with-tapeworms-have-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [While I was still going to embrace social media, I knew I had to do things that nobody else was doing. I decided I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-edward/while-i-was-still-going-to-embrace-social-media-i-knew-i-had-to-do/) [Mark Edward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-edward/) > [My books have been translated into various languages and sold in other countries, but I never have any contact with the foreign publishers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/my-books-have-been-translated-into-various-languages-and-sold-in/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [Every newspaper editor says the heart of the paper is the reporter - which is true - except for the pay!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-germond/every-newspaper-editor-says-the-heart-of-the-paper-is-the-reporter/) [Jack Germond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-germond/) [Browse all 976 Editors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think you have to remember that writing is hard; my first editor used to say that to me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Mattison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writing-is-hard-my-first-editor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Editors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writing-is-hard-my-first-editor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/alice-mattison-11066_editors_i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writin_1337752.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/alice-mattison-11066_editors_i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writin_1337752.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/alice-mattison-11066_editors_i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writin_1337752.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think you have to remember that writing is hard; my first editor used to say that to me.” — 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 think you have to remember...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writing-is-hard-my-first-editor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/i-think-you-have-to-remember-that-writing-is-hard-my-first-editor/#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 } } ] } ```