--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did not have a chance to write novels…" description: "\"I did not have a chance to write novels until my youngest child started school fulltime\" — Anne McCaffrey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b75/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_i-did-not-have-a-chance-to-write-novels_2614731.jpg" --- # I did not have a chance to write novels until my youngest… ![“I did not have a chance to write novels until my youngest child started school fulltime” quote by Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b75/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_i-did-not-have-a-chance-to-write-novels_2614731.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b75/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_i-did-not-have-a-chance-to-write-novels_2614731.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b75/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_i-did-not-have-a-chance-to-write-novels_2614731.jpg) > “I did not have a chance to write novels until my youngest child started school fulltime” [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author reflects that parenting responsibilities delayed her writing career. **In simple terms:** Children’s schooling freed her to write. Key Takeaway Balance caregiving with personal goals. Themes family career creativity Mood reflective inspirational Type personal motivational When to use this quote - parenting - career planning - creative pursuits Key Concepts work-life balance time management Questions to Reflect On - How can parents find time for creative work? - What support systems help? A Different Perspective May not apply to those without children. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [“God has given every man an opportunity and a chance to re-write his or her story; it is up to you to use a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayode-ojo/god-has-given-every-man-an-opportunity-and-a-chance-to-re-write-his/) [Bayode Ojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayode-ojo/) > [Give me some time give me some brain give me another chance to write the paper once again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/give-me-some-time-give-me-some-brain-give-me-another-chance-to-write/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [We all kind of grew up together with Art Blakey because we all were young and he gave us a chance to write. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-hubbard/we-all-kind-of-grew-up-together-with-art-blakey-because-we-all-were/) [Freddie Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-hubbard/) > [I never thought it was unusual to write, and I've been writing or pretending to write since before I even started school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/i-never-thought-it-was-unusual-to-write-and-i-ve-been-writing-or/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [I had a friend who had been teaching music for a long time, and he knew a bunch of teachers, so I just put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flea/i-had-a-friend-who-had-been-teaching-music-for-a-long-time-and-he/) [Flea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flea/) > [Well, I didn't really admit that I anywhere until my daughter started school and I knew I couldn't pull up and leave when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-lane/well-i-didn-t-really-admit-that-i-anywhere-until-my-daughter-started/) [Diane Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-lane/) > [I started at school. When I painted, all the girls would come and sit around me. I realised that this was a really good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-scully/i-started-at-school-when-i-painted-all-the-girls-would-come-and-sit/) [Sean Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-scully/) > [I started working with Special Olympics when I was 17 years old. I'll never forget the first time I did it: I was at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-lillard/i-started-working-with-special-olympics-when-i-was-17-years-old-i-ll/) [Damian Lillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-lillard/) > [“I wish I could report that it's getting better, but unfortunately it isn't. 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That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-was-like-forty-at-birth-when-i-wasn-t-even-a-year-old-i-spoke-i-was/) [Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/) > [And then, when I started to school, I found out I couldn't talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-tillis/and-then-when-i-started-to-school-i-found-out-i-couldn-t-talk/) [Mel Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-tillis/) > [I remember the day I started school; my mother's tears as I skipped away; birthdays with candles on the cake, too soon too many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-norris-1st-earl-of-berkshire/i-remember-the-day-i-started-school-my-mother-s-tears-as-i-skipped/) Francis Norris, 1st Earl of Berkshire ## More by Anne McCaffrey > [I have my good days and my bad days, but I don't have as much energy as I used to back when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/i-have-my-good-days-and-my-bad-days-but-i-don-t-have-as-much-energy/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [I'm very fond of the Talent series, and also the Crystal Singer trio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/i-m-very-fond-of-the-talent-series-and-also-the-crystal-singer-trio/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [Each email contains an unsubscribe link. We will NEVER sell, rent, loan, or abuse your email address in ANY way. Writing has been so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/each-email-contains-an-unsubscribe-link-we-will-never-sell-rent-loan/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [“Necessity breeds solution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/necessity-breeds-solution/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [Make no judgments where you have no compassion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/make-no-judgments-where-you-have-no-compassion/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [How much can a dragon carry? As much as it thinks it can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/how-much-can-a-dragon-carry-as-much-as-it-thinks-it-can/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [“The blackest night must end in dawn, the light dispel the dreamer's fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/the-blackest-night-must-end-in-dawn-the-light-dispel-the-dreamer-s/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [The horse, the noblest, bravest, proudest, most courageous and certainly the most perverse and infuriating animal that humans ever domesticated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/the-horse-the-noblest-bravest-proudest-most-courageous-and-certainly/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [I don't often reread my own books, unless I am going into another in the series and need to refresh my mood when originating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/i-don-t-often-reread-my-own-books-unless-i-am-going-into-another-in/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [But Ship Who Sang remains my favorite story. I really rocked folks with that and still cannot read it aloud myself without weeping at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/but-ship-who-sang-remains-my-favorite-story-i-really-rocked-folks/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [How could she have believed such an artificial life as the theatre was suitable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/how-could-she-have-believed-such-an-artificial-life-as-the-theatre/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [I didn't raise Todd to be a writer, but he happened to be one anyway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/i-didn-t-raise-todd-to-be-a-writer-but-he-happened-to-be-one-anyway/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [A good story is a good story no matter who wrote it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/a-good-story-is-a-good-story-no-matter-who-wrote-it/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [“Look around you, Lessa of Pern, look around the Weyr with unveiled eyes. Old and hallowed is the Weyr? Yes, but shabby and worn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/look-around-you-lessa-of-pern-look-around-the-weyr-with-unveiled-eyes/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [“Has been done. Can be done. Must be done...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/has-been-done-can-be-done-must-be-done/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) [Explore all 86 Anne McCaffrey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) ## More Books 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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [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/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [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/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. 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