---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's always difficult to write honestly…"
description: "\"It's always difficult to write honestly of one's deepest feelings, particularly without the protective veil of fiction. But the more difficult, the mor..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/alix-kates-shulman-19070_deepest-feelings_it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly_144466.jpg"
---

#  It's always difficult to write honestly of one's deepest…

![“It's always difficult to write honestly of one's deepest feelings, particularly without the protective veil of fiction. But the more difficult, the more rewarding if one succeeds. Rewarding not only to the work but to one's peace of mind.” quote by Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/alix-kates-shulman-19070_deepest-feelings_it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly_144466.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/alix-kates-shulman-19070_deepest-feelings_it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly_144466.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/alix-kates-shulman-19070_deepest-feelings_it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly_144466.jpg)

> “It's always difficult to write honestly of one's deepest feelings, particularly without the protective veil of fiction. But the more difficult, the more rewarding if one succeeds. Rewarding not only to the work but to one's peace of mind.”

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Honest self‑expression is hard without fiction’s shield, yet it yields deep personal peace when achieved.

**In simple terms:** Writing truthfully is tough but rewarding.

Key Takeaway

Embrace vulnerability in writing.

Themes

creativity honesty self‑growth

Mood

introspective hopeful

Type

inspirational reflective

When to use this quote

- journaling
- therapy
- artistic practice

Key Concepts

psychology literary art

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you protect yourself while being honest?
- What rewards have you felt from authentic writing?

A Different Perspective

Vulnerability can expose one to criticism.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Deepest feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deepest-feelings/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Peace of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-of-mind/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [The ability of discovering and reading the ideas of people , concerning emotions and feelings, particularly what they feel of happines and sadness through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-ability-of-discovering-and-reading-the-ideas-of-people-concerning/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It was difficult, but it was also rewarding. When you have a chance to see kids get better, everything makes it all worth it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brandt/it-was-difficult-but-it-was-also-rewarding-when-you-have-a-chance-to/)

[Paul Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brandt/)

> [Self acceptance is one of the most difficult and one of the most rewarding goals you can accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/self-acceptance-is-one-of-the-most-difficult-and-one-of-the-most/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [Motherhood is... difficult and... rewarding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/motherhood-is-difficult-and-rewarding/)

[Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/)

> [The More Difficult Something Became, The More Rewarding It Was In The End...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/the-more-difficult-something-became-the-more-rewarding-it-was-in-the/)

Pacifiersucker

> [There is truly no other business in the world like making movies. It's unique, it's extremely demanding and difficult, but it's also the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-campisi/there-is-truly-no-other-business-in-the-world-like-making-movies-it-s/)

[Gabriel Campisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-campisi/)

> [I do write fiction, and I find it more difficult, but also more liberating. On the one hand, you can make up the story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-susan-rapp/i-do-write-fiction-and-i-find-it-more-difficult-but-also-more/)

[Emily Susan Rapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-susan-rapp/)

> [There are very few people who are creative and imaginative. Therefore, fiction is difficult for people to embrace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/there-are-very-few-people-who-are-creative-and-imaginative-therefore/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [“Writing fiction, especially a long work of fiction can be difficult, lonely job; it’s like crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a bathtub. There’s plenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/writing-fiction-especially-a-long-work-of-fiction-can-be-difficult/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [I would write light entertainment nonfiction pieces during the day, then come home and work on my fantasy fiction. It was very difficult to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-would-write-light-entertainment-nonfiction-pieces-during-the-day/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [A non-fiction writer pretty much has the shape of the figure in front of him or her and goes about refining it. A work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/a-non-fiction-writer-pretty-much-has-the-shape-of-the-figure-in-front/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [The most difficult part of writing a book is not devising a plot which will captivate the reader. It's not developing characters the reader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/the-most-difficult-part-of-writing-a-book-is-not-devising-a-plot/)

[Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/)

> [Writing is like praying, because you stop all other activities, descend into silence, and listen patiently to the depths of your soul, waiting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/writing-is-like-praying-because-you-stop-all-other-activities-descend/)

[Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/)

> [Years ago I read an interview with Paula Fox in which she said that in writing, truth is just as important as story. Reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-antopol/years-ago-i-read-an-interview-with-paula-fox-in-which-she-said-that/)

[Molly Antopol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-antopol/)

> [“We do need to bring to our writing, over and over again, all the abundance we possess. To be able, to be ready, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/we-do-need-to-bring-to-our-writing-over-and-over-again-all-the/)

[Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/)

## More by Alix Kates Shulman

> [Within walking distance of any spot on Earth there's probably more than enough mystery to investigate in a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/within-walking-distance-of-any-spot-on-earth-there-s-probably-more/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [Ever since Freud, being alone has been considered something of a psychological failure. The point, according to Freudian theory, is to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/ever-since-freud-being-alone-has-been-considered-something-of-a/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [“His cup of tea did not include the dregs, though the dregs are the tea. His brew was nothing but vapor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/his-cup-of-tea-did-not-include-the-dregs-though-the-dregs-are-the-tea/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [Solitude offers a lot that being coupled or being in a group does not. It helps us learn what we are capable of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/solitude-offers-a-lot-that-being-coupled-or-being-in-a-group-does-not/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [When I became a feminist, when the movement started in the late sixties, I started writing because I had something urgent to say. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/when-i-became-a-feminist-when-the-movement-started-in-the-late/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [Being alone for a woman is probably much more scary than for a man. I'm all for getting over our fears by facing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/being-alone-for-a-woman-is-probably-much-more-scary-than-for-a-man-i/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [I think you get mentally ill being homeless. Most of the bag ladies wind up mentally ill pretty quickly - what people would call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/i-think-you-get-mentally-ill-being-homeless-most-of-the-bag-ladies/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [I don't really think myself that sex work is necessarily more demeaning than other kinds of demeaning work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/i-don-t-really-think-myself-that-sex-work-is-necessarily-more/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [For many decades my relations with my parents constituted unfinished business. I had dealt with them through sheer avoidance and guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/for-many-decades-my-relations-with-my-parents-constituted-unfinished/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [The movement for women's liberation was about an emotional transformation, an explosion, a feeling all over the country that things must be different, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/the-movement-for-women-s-liberation-was-about-an-emotional/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [I am a feminist. I'm trying to show the relationships between men and women, always the structural relations, not individual villains. I'd never make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/i-am-a-feminist-i-m-trying-to-show-the-relationships-between-men-and/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [I did not intend to be a writer. I first wanted to be a lawyer, like my father. Then I got bit by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/i-did-not-intend-to-be-a-writer-i-first-wanted-to-be-a-lawyer-like-my/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [Fiction is ideally suited to re-creating the important emotional aspects of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/fiction-is-ideally-suited-to-re-creating-the-important-emotional/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [I am not a psychological novelist, and I try very hard not to allow the reader to see the plight or circumstances of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/i-am-not-a-psychological-novelist-and-i-try-very-hard-not-to-allow/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [Sexism goes so deep that at first it's hard to see; you think it's just reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/sexism-goes-so-deep-that-at-first-it-s-hard-to-see-you-think-it-s/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

[Explore all 33 Alix Kates Shulman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

## More Deepest feelings quotes

> [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [Anyone who realises what Love is, the dedication of the heart, so profound, so absorbing, so mysterious, so imperative, and always just in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-carpenter/anyone-who-realises-what-love-is-the-dedication-of-the-heart-so/)

[Edward Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-carpenter/)

> [I love you more than you will ever know, I love you more than my deepest feelings could ever show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/i-love-you-more-than-you-will-ever-know-i-love-you-more-than-my/)

[Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/)

> [I hid my deepest feelings so well I forgot where I placed them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/i-hid-my-deepest-feelings-so-well-i-forgot-where-i-placed-them/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [One of the deepest feelings you can have is secretly being in love with some and never confessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-feelings-you-can-have-is-secretly-being-in-love/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I was in my study writing. I was learning how to go down into myself and salvage bits and pieces of the past. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/i-was-in-my-study-writing-i-was-learning-how-to-go-down-into-myself/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [Love is not measured in the time we spend in showing our feelings but the deepest feelings can arouse even in the shortest little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoheb/love-is-not-measured-in-the-time-we-spend-in-showing-our-feelings-but/)

[Zoheb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoheb/)

> [Falsehood is a critical element in fiction. Part of the thrill of being told a story is the chance of being hoodwinked. . .The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/falsehood-is-a-critical-element-in-fiction-part-of-the-thrill-of/)

[John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/)

> [Babe, just confide in me your deepest feelings, tell me your fantasies, and they shall all be fulfilled. I will do anything it takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/babe-just-confide-in-me-your-deepest-feelings-tell-me-your-fantasies/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My deepest feeling about politicians is that they are dangerous lunatics to be avoided when possible and carefully humored; people, above all, to whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/my-deepest-feeling-about-politicians-is-that-they-are-dangerous/)

[W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/)

> [Feeling is the language of the soul. If you want to know what's true for you about something, look to how you're feeling about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/feeling-is-the-language-of-the-soul-if-you-want-to-know-what-s-true/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [She realized for the first time that two people can never reach each others deepest feelings and instincts, that they spend their lives side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/she-realized-for-the-first-time-that-two-people-can-never-reach-each/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [You could make your fingers reproduce exactly what you felt, if you really worked at it. I achieved it, not only spending a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennie-tristano/you-could-make-your-fingers-reproduce-exactly-what-you-felt-if-you/)

[Lennie Tristano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennie-tristano/)

> [Trust enables you to put your deepest feelings and fears in the palm of your partner's hand, knowing they will be handled with care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/trust-enables-you-to-put-your-deepest-feelings-and-fears-in-the-palm/)

[Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/)

> [The deepest feeling always shows itself in silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/the-deepest-feeling-always-shows-itself-in-silence/)

[Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/)

[Browse all 58 Deepest feelings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deepest-feelings/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's always difficult to write honestly of one's deepest feelings, particularly without the protective veil of fiction. But the more difficult, the more rewarding if one succeeds. Rewarding not only to the work but to one's peace of mind.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alix Kates Shulman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly-of-one-s-deepest-feelings/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Deepest feelings"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly-of-one-s-deepest-feelings/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/alix-kates-shulman-19070_deepest-feelings_it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly_144466.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/alix-kates-shulman-19070_deepest-feelings_it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly_144466.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/alix-kates-shulman-19070_deepest-feelings_it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly_144466.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's always difficult to write honestly of one's deepest feelings, particularly without the protective veil…” — Alix Kates Shulman",
                "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": "Alix Kates Shulman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's always difficult to write honestly...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly-of-one-s-deepest-feelings/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly-of-one-s-deepest-feelings/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
