--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think, as a writer, sometimes you do…" description: "\"I think, as a writer, sometimes you do worry, 'Am I just writing, or am I putting the burden of African-Americans on my shoulder and carrying it?' But ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/angie-thomas-2699_burden_i-think-as-a-writer-sometimes-you-do-wor_1018203.jpg" --- # I think, as a writer, sometimes you do worry, 'Am I just… ![“I think, as a writer, sometimes you do worry, 'Am I just writing, or am I putting the burden of African-Americans on my shoulder and carrying it?' But if we just write the stories that we're supposed to write, that's when we have the biggest impact.” quote by Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/angie-thomas-2699_burden_i-think-as-a-writer-sometimes-you-do-wor_1018203.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/angie-thomas-2699_burden_i-think-as-a-writer-sometimes-you-do-wor_1018203.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/angie-thomas-2699_burden_i-think-as-a-writer-sometimes-you-do-wor_1018203.jpg) > “I think, as a writer, sometimes you do worry, 'Am I just writing, or am I putting the burden of African-Americans on my shoulder and carrying it?' But if we just write the stories that we're supposed to write, that's when we have the biggest impact.” [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers must balance storytelling with social responsibility, avoiding tokenism while aiming for impact. **In simple terms:** Balance story and responsibility. Key Takeaway Write purposefully, not just for impact. Themes responsibility authorship social impact Mood thoughtful serious Type advice reflective When to use this quote - publishing - education - activism Key Concepts representation ethical storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure authentic representation? - When does responsibility hinder creativity? A Different Perspective Impact can be diluted if stories are forced or inauthentic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [When a book leaves your hands, it belongs to God. 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I haven't thought, 'Let me write some major opus here.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-pekar/i-ve-just-been-writing-stuff-down-as-it-comes-to-me-i-haven-t-thought/) [Harvey Pekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-pekar/) > [“No, I am just writing this because, sometimes, you’re still all I have to write about. Sometimes you’re the only thing that my typewriter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moriah-pearson/no-i-am-just-writing-this-because-sometimes-you-re-still-all-i-have/) Moriah Pearson > [As a memoirist, I may claim to write the easier-to-remember things, but I could also just be writing to sweep them away. 'Don't bother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/as-a-memoirist-i-may-claim-to-write-the-easier-to-remember-things-but/) [Andre Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [I don't really need to stand out, there's room for everyone. Although I haven't built a niche yet, I'm just writing love songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/i-don-t-really-need-to-stand-out-there-s-room-for-everyone-although-i/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [“I never really chose to be a writer. It's just always been what I do. Writing chose me...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-russ/i-never-really-chose-to-be-a-writer-it-s-just-always-been-what-i-do/) Té Russ > [I'm writing new music all the time. I'm just not writing pop stuff. It's not my goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/i-m-writing-new-music-all-the-time-i-m-just-not-writing-pop-stuff-it/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [I began just writing poems and then fell in love with the form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-muench/i-began-just-writing-poems-and-then-fell-in-love-with-the-form/) [Simone Muench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-muench/) > [I made the choice not to have children, so I can spend my days just writing; there are no kids demanding my time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/i-made-the-choice-not-to-have-children-so-i-can-spend-my-days-just/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“You can only write what you know if you've lived, otherwise, you'll just be writing words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-eastwood/you-can-only-write-what-you-know-if-you-ve-lived-otherwise-you-ll/) [Joseph Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-eastwood/) > [I was very in my own head as a kid. But I liked it there! I was just writing poetry, writing stories, writing plays.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-parks/i-was-very-in-my-own-head-as-a-kid-but-i-liked-it-there-i-was-just/) [Arlo Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-parks/) > [I'm often just writing just to write. I'm not writing with...If I write, like, sitting down with a goal in mind, it's always, like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-deacon/i-m-often-just-writing-just-to-write-i-m-not-writing-with-if-i-write/) [Dan Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-deacon/) > [I throw ideas out into the open when I really should just be writing them down in a journal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-deacon/i-throw-ideas-out-into-the-open-when-i-really-should-just-be-writing/) [Dan Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-deacon/) ## More by Angie Thomas > [“The black officer checks Daddy while his partner glances around at all of the onlookers. There's quite a few of us now. Ms. Yvette…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/the-black-officer-checks-daddy-while-his-partner-glances-around-at/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [“For real?” I say what I’m supposed to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/for-real-i-say-what-i-m-supposed-to/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [I think that the more of us who take the time to understand how someone else is feeling, the more likely we are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/i-think-that-the-more-of-us-who-take-the-time-to-understand-how/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [The transition from unknown to known-in-publishing has been empowering but also challenging. It's an honor to know that people actually want to know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/the-transition-from-unknown-to-known-in-publishing-has-been/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [I really do hope 'The Hate U Give' provides mirrors for readers who don't often get them in books. I've had so many young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/i-really-do-hope-the-hate-u-give-provides-mirrors-for-readers-who-don/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [“Slave masters thought they were making a difference in black people’s lives too. Saving them from their “wild African ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/slave-masters-thought-they-were-making-a-difference-in-black-people-s/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [As a black woman, I feel like I have a unique experience that we don't often see in media portrayals of the South.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/as-a-black-woman-i-feel-like-i-have-a-unique-experience-that-we-don-t/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [“Who the fuck complains about going to Harry Potter World? Or Butter Beer? Or wands?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/who-the-fuck-complains-about-going-to-harry-potter-world-or-butter/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [“With King Lords, we had a whole bunch of folks who had our backs, no matter what. They bought us clothes and shit our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/with-king-lords-we-had-a-whole-bunch-of-folks-who-had-our-backs-no/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [I wanted to write a book like a rapper would write it - I didn't want to hold back. Rappers catch a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/i-wanted-to-write-a-book-like-a-rapper-would-write-it-i-didn-t-want/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [Bent Literary Agency had a Q&A on Twitter, and I took a chance and asked if the Black Lives Matter movement was an appropriate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/bent-literary-agency-had-a-q-a-on-twitter-and-i-took-a-chance-and/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [“Has this situation made you fearful of cops?" she eventually asks. "I don't know," I say truthfully. "My uncle's a cop. I know not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/has-this-situation-made-you-fearful-of-cops-she-eventually-asks-i-don/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [My maternal grandmother was a star on her high school basketball team in small-town Mississippi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/my-maternal-grandmother-was-a-star-on-her-high-school-basketball-team/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [“Now I am that person, and I’m too afraid to speak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/now-i-am-that-person-and-i-m-too-afraid-to-speak/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [Representation makes a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/representation-makes-a-difference/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) [Explore all 153 Angie Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) ## More Burden quotes > [Everything I do is more memorable and I understand music more than ever now. 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Weikel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-weikel/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [Wherever I am, I see the yoke on women in some form or another. On some it sits easy for they are but beasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-may-alcott/wherever-i-am-i-see-the-yoke-on-women-in-some-form-or-another-on-some/) [Abby May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-may-alcott/) > [It's a burden trying to keep a secret. It's hard. 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