--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't tell a writer they should just…" description: "\"You can't tell a writer they should just be more confident.\" — Alice Mattison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/alice-mattison-11066_confidence_you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just_1795632.jpg" --- # You can't tell a writer they should just be more confident. ![“You can't tell a writer they should just be more confident.” quote by Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/alice-mattison-11066_confidence_you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just_1795632.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/alice-mattison-11066_confidence_you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just_1795632.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/alice-mattison-11066_confidence_you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just_1795632.jpg) > “You can't tell a writer they should just be more confident.” [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. Encouraging confidence in writers is ineffective; confidence must arise internally. **In simple terms:** Confidence must come from within, not external urging. Key Takeaway Foster self‑belief through practice. Themes creativity self‑esteem writing Mood reflective encouraging Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - personal journaling - peer feedback - creative retreats Key Concepts growth mindset intrinsic motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can writers build confidence without external validation? - What practices nurture intrinsic motivation? A Different Perspective External pressure can stifle authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Confident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confident/) [Just Confident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-confident-247620/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell/) [Tell Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-writer-1335865/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-just/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [I'm just confident in myself and my capability to be able to play this position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-bridgewater/i-m-just-confident-in-myself-and-my-capability-to-be-able-to-play/) [Teddy Bridgewater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-bridgewater/) > [I think confidence is a key thing in this league and I want everyone that's on the floor with me to be just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-harris/i-think-confidence-is-a-key-thing-in-this-league-and-i-want-everyone/) [Tobias Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-harris/) > [I have a special gift, and I go out and use it. I don't think you can hide it. I'm just confident in myself-always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-portis/i-have-a-special-gift-and-i-go-out-and-use-it-i-don-t-think-you-can/) [Clinton Portis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-portis/) > [Just because I'm confident and will tell you that I'm awesome and that I'm great, I'm all of the sudden the bad guy? Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-miz/just-because-i-m-confident-and-will-tell-you-that-i-m-awesome-and/) [The Miz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-miz/) > [I'm just a confident player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-doherty/i-m-just-a-confident-player/) [Matt Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-doherty/) > [I'm just confident in my abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shai-gilgeous-alexander/i-m-just-confident-in-my-abilities/) [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shai-gilgeous-alexander/) > [I wouldn't necessarily say I'm arrogant. I'm just confident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/draymond-green/i-wouldn-t-necessarily-say-i-m-arrogant-i-m-just-confident/) [Draymond Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/draymond-green/) > [There are plenty of books that tell you how to become a writer, but not one that suggests how, if you want a normal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/there-are-plenty-of-books-that-tell-you-how-to-become-a-writer-but/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [When people ask what you do, tell them you're a writer. Put yourself on the line. Make a commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/when-people-ask-what-you-do-tell-them-you-re-a-writer-put-yourself-on/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [You can tell when a writer moves out of a place of struggle and into a place of comfort, and it's always a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/you-can-tell-when-a-writer-moves-out-of-a-place-of-struggle-and-into/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [People do tell a writer things that they don't tell others. I don't know why, unless it is that having read one or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/people-do-tell-a-writer-things-that-they-don-t-tell-others-i-don-t/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [I've learned a lot about language from reading slush. You can immediately tell if a writer is in control of the narrative. This writer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-miller/i-ve-learned-a-lot-about-language-from-reading-slush-you-can/) [Mary J. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-miller/) > [The literary interview won't tell you what a writer is like. Far more compellingly to some, it will tell you what a writer is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/the-literary-interview-won-t-tell-you-what-a-writer-is-like-far-more/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [You usually can tell when a writer is going down hill by the size of his liquor bill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/you-usually-can-tell-when-a-writer-is-going-down-hill-by-the-size-of/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) ## 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 Confidence quotes > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [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/) > [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/) [Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/) > [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/) [Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't tell a writer they should just be more confident.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Mattison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just-be-more-confident/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Confidence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just-be-more-confident/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/alice-mattison-11066_confidence_you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just_1795632.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/alice-mattison-11066_confidence_you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just_1795632.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/alice-mattison-11066_confidence_you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just_1795632.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't tell a writer they should just be more confident.” — 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": "You can't tell a writer they...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just-be-more-confident/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/you-can-t-tell-a-writer-they-should-just-be-more-confident/#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 } } ] } ```