--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing is, emotion - if it's visibly…" description: "\"The thing is, emotion - if it's visibly felt by the writer - will go through all the processes it takes to publish a story and still hit the reader rig..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-fel_2140307.jpg" --- # The thing is, emotion - if it's visibly felt by the writer… ![“The thing is, emotion - if it's visibly felt by the writer - will go through all the processes it takes to publish a story and still hit the reader right in the gut. But you have to really mean it.” quote by Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-fel_2140307.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-fel_2140307.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-fel_2140307.jpg) > “The thing is, emotion - if it's visibly felt by the writer - will go through all the processes it takes to publish a story and still hit the reader right in the gut. But you have to really mean it.” [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. Emphasizes that genuine emotion in writing must be felt by the author to affect readers deeply **In simple terms:** True feeling is essential for impactful storytelling Key Takeaway Write with authentic emotion to connect with readers Themes writing emotion authenticity Mood reflective inspirational Type creative educational When to use this quote - fiction writing - personal essays - journalism - creative workshops Key Concepts narrative voice reader engagement emotional resonance Questions to Reflect On - How can writers ensure their emotions are authentic? - What techniques help convey feeling without overdoing it? A Different Perspective Risk of melodrama if emotion is forced or insincere ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Emotion Visibly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion-visibly-4454169/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Felt Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-writer-993433/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Publish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publish/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Thing Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-emotion-2872274/) [Visibly Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visibly-felt-4454170/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I always felt that I was a writer, that was what I had to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/i-always-felt-that-i-was-a-writer-that-was-what-i-had-to-do/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“I am always drawn back to places where I have lived, the houses and their neighborhoods. For instance,there is a brownstone in the East…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/i-am-always-drawn-back-to-places-where-i-have-lived-the-houses-and-2/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [Simply from the fact that we have regarded a thing with the emotion of pleasure or pain, though that thing be not the efficient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/simply-from-the-fact-that-we-have-regarded-a-thing-with-the-emotion/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“You are every thing, every being, every emotion, every event, every situation. You are unity. You are infinity. You are love/light, light/love. You are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ra/you-are-every-thing-every-being-every-emotion-every-event-every/) [Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ra/) > [“There's no such thing as emotion. It's only body chemistry in action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/there-s-no-such-thing-as-emotion-it-s-only-body-chemistry-in-action/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [I think in terms of educating a group of readers, MFA programs are very good. I just think the model of MFA programs in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/i-think-in-terms-of-educating-a-group-of-readers-mfa-programs-are/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [Way back in 1989, I got lucky with my first published story when it was selected for the Journey Prize anthology. Then I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bergen/way-back-in-1989-i-got-lucky-with-my-first-published-story-when-it/) [David Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bergen/) > [All poets write bad poetry. Bad poets publish them, good poets burn them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/all-poets-write-bad-poetry-bad-poets-publish-them-good-poets-burn-them/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [I began writing seriously in my mid-20s and didn't publish my first book until I was 41.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-began-writing-seriously-in-my-mid-20s-and-didn-t-publish-my-first/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [I'm not interested in writing for adults. I like them as people! I don't like the way they publish books in that world. Nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-m-not-interested-in-writing-for-adults-i-like-them-as-people-i-don/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I have to declare in all candor that no one interested in being published in our time can afford to be so naive as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-curtis/i-have-to-declare-in-all-candor-that-no-one-interested-in-being/) [Richard Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-curtis/) > [I want to keep growing as a writer. I find myself doing unexpected projects and sort of challenging my idea of where I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-want-to-keep-growing-as-a-writer-i-find-myself-doing-unexpected/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [Once you publish a book, it is out of your control. You cannot dictate how people read it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/once-you-publish-a-book-it-is-out-of-your-control-you-cannot-dictate/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [A thing may in itself be the finest piece of writing one has ever done, and yet have absolutely no place in the manuscript…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-forche/a-thing-may-in-itself-be-the-finest-piece-of-writing-one-has-ever/) [Carolyn Forche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-forche/) > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The thing is, emotion - if it's visibly felt by the writer - will go through all the processes it takes to publish a story and still hit the reader right in the gut. But you have to really mean it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anne McCaffrey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-felt-by-the-writer-will-go/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-felt-by-the-writer-will-go/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-fel_2140307.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-fel_2140307.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/anne-mccaffrey-7944_books_the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-fel_2140307.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The thing is, emotion - if it's visibly felt by the writer - will go through all the processes it takes to…” — Anne McCaffrey", "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": "Anne McCaffrey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The thing is, emotion - if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-felt-by-the-writer-will-go/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/the-thing-is-emotion-if-it-s-visibly-felt-by-the-writer-will-go/#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 } } ] } ```