---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like to allow young readers to keep…"
description: "\"I like to allow young readers to keep writing in their heads after they've finished reading. Not to leave the ending too open, but enough so they can i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/amy-king-25962_book_i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-wr_587098.jpg"
---

#  I like to allow young readers to keep writing in their…

![“I like to allow young readers to keep writing in their heads after they've finished reading. Not to leave the ending too open, but enough so they can imagine: What does this mean? My young adult books usually end in a far more obscure way.” quote by Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/amy-king-25962_book_i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-wr_587098.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/amy-king-25962_book_i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-wr_587098.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/amy-king-25962_book_i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-wr_587098.jpg)

> “I like to allow young readers to keep writing in their heads after they've finished reading. Not to leave the ending too open, but enough so they can imagine: What does this mean? My young adult books usually end in a far more obscure way.”

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

## About This Quote

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

Leaving endings slightly ambiguous invites readers, especially young adults, to continue imagining and interpreting the story beyond the page.

**In simple terms:** Open endings spark imagination.

Key Takeaway

Encourage readers to imagine.

Themes

literature imagination young adults

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

literary educational

When to use this quote

- classroom
- book clubs
- writing workshops

Key Concepts

narrative ambiguity creative thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- What does an open ending mean to you?
- How does ambiguity affect engagement?

A Different Perspective

Some may find ambiguity unsatisfying.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Young adult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-adult/)

## Related quotes

> [It’s a good poem if I’m a different person when I’m finished reading it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-stanton/it-s-a-good-poem-if-i-m-a-different-person-when-i-m-finished-reading/)

[Brandon Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-stanton/)

> [“I thought of To Kill a Mockingbird. I had finished reading it one night in a bunker, my knees bent and hunched together while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-anthony/i-thought-of-to-kill-a-mockingbird-i-had-finished-reading-it-one/)

[Michael Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-anthony/)

> [I like my characters to be ones I think about long after I've finished reading the script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-like-my-characters-to-be-ones-i-think-about-long-after-i-ve/)

[Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/)

> [I didn't want to die - not before I'd finished reading The Return of the Native anyhow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siegfried-sassoon/i-didn-t-want-to-die-not-before-i-d-finished-reading-the-return-of/)

[Siegfried Sassoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siegfried-sassoon/)

> [“I JUST FINISHED READING WOLF RIDER SUCH A GOOD BOOK...YOU HAVE TO TO READ IT!!!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi/i-just-finished-reading-wolf-rider-such-a-good-book-you-have-to-to/)

[Avi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi/)

> [In the end all books are written for your friends. The problem after writing One Hundred Years of Solitude was that now I no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/in-the-end-all-books-are-written-for-your-friends-the-problem-after/)

[Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [I made a decision to write for my readers, not to try to find more readers for my writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-made-a-decision-to-write-for-my-readers-not-to-try-to-find-more/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [I don't consciously try to take my readers on a journey as I don't really think about my readers when I'm writing. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/i-don-t-consciously-try-to-take-my-readers-on-a-journey-as-i-don-t/)

[Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/)

> [I get letters from two kinds of readers. History buffs, who love to read history and biography for fun, and then kids who want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-freedman/i-get-letters-from-two-kinds-of-readers-history-buffs-who-love-to/)

[Russell Freedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-freedman/)

> [For me, as a writer, I desperately want to be read. I'm very conscious of readers as I'm writing. I think, 'If you write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/for-me-as-a-writer-i-desperately-want-to-be-read-i-m-very-conscious/)

[Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/)

> [I really do enjoy getting out to meet my readers. Writing is such a solitary business, it's gratifying to thank folks in person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-golden/i-really-do-enjoy-getting-out-to-meet-my-readers-writing-is-such-a/)

[Christie Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-golden/)

> [Usually, at the end of a film it's like I've finally gotten to know this person completely, and then we're done. That actually happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/usually-at-the-end-of-a-film-it-s-like-i-ve-finally-gotten-to-know/)

[Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/)

> [Crime shows are really popular, in general, but usually, at the end of every episode, you have to let go of the people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mireille-enos/crime-shows-are-really-popular-in-general-but-usually-at-the-end-of/)

[Mireille Enos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mireille-enos/)

> [My name is usually the one on the end of people's lips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-wright/my-name-is-usually-the-one-on-the-end-of-people-s-lips/)

Ian Wright

> [90% of all friends with benefits relationships never work and usually end badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/90-of-all-friends-with-benefits-relationships-never-work-and-usually/)

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

## More by Amy King

> [“LIFE IS NEVER OVER.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/life-is-never-over/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [I do write about thinkers. And that's what I love about reading. My favorite books, the ones that made me sit there for days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/i-do-write-about-thinkers-and-that-s-what-i-love-about-reading-my/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“SOME PEOPLE SIMPLY DO NOT EXIST ANYMORE. GET USED TO IT. QUESTION MARK.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/some-people-simply-do-not-exist-anymore-get-used-to-it-question-mark/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [I have people say that they love how I keep them off balance as to what is real or not real about pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/i-have-people-say-that-they-love-how-i-keep-them-off-balance-as-to/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“POETRY HAS A PEPTIC PRESENCE. PRESENTLY.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/poetry-has-a-peptic-presence-presently/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“There are things that are not sayable. That's why we have words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/there-are-things-that-are-not-sayable-that-s-why-we-have-words/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“YOU SAY "POET" LIKE THAT MEANS SOMETHING.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/you-say-poet-like-that-means-something/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“OMG! I DESIGNED THIS NEW SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM! IT'S CALLED "POETRY" - YOU HAVE TO READ AMY KING'S POEMS TO GET AN INVITE ~”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/omg-i-designed-this-new-social-media-platform-it-s-called-poetry-you/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“ASK NOT IF POETRY IS DEAD, ASK HOW YOU CAN LIVE FOR POETRY.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/ask-not-if-poetry-is-dead-ask-how-you-can-live-for-poetry/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“IT'S NOT THE HONEY WHISKEY IN A FRIDAY NIGHT - IT'S THE MANIC SHOW OF POETRY TWEETS THAT TURNS ME ON.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/it-s-not-the-honey-whiskey-in-a-friday-night-it-s-the-manic-show-of/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“WORDS SHLD BE FREE. RELEASE THEM FROM THEIR SENTENCES.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/words-shld-be-free-release-them-from-their-sentences/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [Some of us are taught to ask for help. Some of us don't feel comfortable asking for help. Some of us will get into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/some-of-us-are-taught-to-ask-for-help-some-of-us-don-t-feel/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“THE AMPUTATED HEART BEATS HARDER”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/the-amputated-heart-beats-harder/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“ERRORS ARE WHAT MAKE US HUMAN. PLOT TWIST: I'M A HORSE.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/errors-are-what-make-us-human-plot-twist-i-m-a-horse/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

> [“DESPITE THE INVENTION OF TIME MACHINES, WE KEEP BEING LINEAR.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/despite-the-invention-of-time-machines-we-keep-being-linear/)

[Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

[Explore all 22 Amy King quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/)

## More Book quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I like to allow young readers to keep writing in their heads after they've finished reading. Not to leave the ending too open, but enough so they can imagine: What does this mean? My young adult books usually end in a far more obscure way.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Amy King"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-writing-in-their-heads-after/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-writing-in-their-heads-after/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/amy-king-25962_book_i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-wr_587098.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/amy-king-25962_book_i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-wr_587098.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/amy-king-25962_book_i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-wr_587098.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I like to allow young readers to keep writing in their heads after they've finished reading. Not to leave…” — Amy King",
                "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": "Amy King",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I like to allow young readers...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-writing-in-their-heads-after/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/i-like-to-allow-young-readers-to-keep-writing-in-their-heads-after/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
