--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the few things I know about…" description: "\"“One of the few things I know about writing is this:spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/annie-dillard-509_better-place_one-of-the-few-things-i-know-about-writi_2407178.jpg" --- # One of the few things I know about writing is this:spend… ![“One of the few things I know about writing is this:spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is a…” quote by Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/annie-dillard-509_better-place_one-of-the-few-things-i-know-about-writi_2407178.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/annie-dillard-509_better-place_one-of-the-few-things-i-know-about-writi_2407178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/annie-dillard-509_better-place_one-of-the-few-things-i-know-about-writi_2407178.jpg) > ““One of the few things I know about writing is this:spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is a signal to spend it now. Something more will arise later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water.”” [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer urges immediate use of good material, warning against hoarding ideas for later, trusting that future inspiration will fill gaps. **In simple terms:** Use good ideas now, don’t save them. Key Takeaway Write boldly, trust later flow. Themes creativity writing productivity Mood inspirational motivational Type advice creative When to use this quote - novel drafting - blog posts - screenwriting Key Concepts impermanence generativity Questions to Reflect On - What ideas are you keeping for later? - How does immediate sharing affect your creative process? A Different Perspective Holding back can lead to missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-place/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“One of the things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/one-of-the-things-i-know-about-writing-is-this-spend-it-all-shoot-it/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/one-of-the-few-things-i-know-about-writing-is-this-spend-it-all-shoot-3/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/one-of-the-few-things-i-know-about-writing-is-this-spend-it-all-shoot-4/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/one-of-the-few-things-i-know-about-writing-is-this-spend-it-all-shoot/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/one-of-the-few-things-i-know-about-writing-is-this-spend-it-all-shoot-2/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [Still, something about writing made me spend large hours of my free time at my desk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/still-something-about-writing-made-me-spend-large-hours-of-my-free/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“When you're writing a book, it's rather like going on a very long walk, across valleys and mountains and things, and you get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-you-re-writing-a-book-it-s-rather-like-going-on-a-very-long-walk-2/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“To write a book is to suspend the present and create a new reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-dudics-dean-aka-suzanne-quill/to-write-a-book-is-to-suspend-the-present-and-create-a-new-reality/) Susan Dudics-Dean aka Suzanne Quill > [“The difference between wanting to write and having written is one year of hard, relentless labour. It's a bridge you have to build all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shatrujeet-nath/the-difference-between-wanting-to-write-and-having-written-is-one/) Shatrujeet Nath > [Well,the fun part of being a writer is that it's like making a wonderful film, with no limit on my budget. I can design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/well-the-fun-part-of-being-a-writer-is-that-it-s-like-making-a/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“Writing a novel is like traveling the universe on foot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/writing-a-novel-is-like-traveling-the-universe-on-foot/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [“Focus on writing first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyra-parish/focus-on-writing-first/) [Lyra Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyra-parish/) > [What keeps me writing is that I can only know through writing. My major sense organ is apparently a pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-ryan/what-keeps-me-writing-is-that-i-can-only-know-through-writing-my/) [Kay Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-ryan/) > [I don't know about writing. It's quite lonely. You have to have a lot of patience with yourself. I don't know if I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-wilson/i-don-t-know-about-writing-it-s-quite-lonely-you-have-to-have-a-lot/) [Ruth Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-wilson/) > [If I don't know who I'm writing for, I make it up and pick somebody I'm writing for. 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The hidden shows up in too-plain sight. It lives captive on the face of the obvious - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/we-live-in-all-we-seek-the-hidden-shows-up-in-too-plain-sight-it/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“...The mockingbird took a single step into the air and dropped. His wings were still folded against his sides as though he were singing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/the-mockingbird-took-a-single-step-into-the-air-and-dropped-his-wings/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“Father had stretched out his long legs and was tilting back in his chair. Mother sat with her knees crossed, in blue slacks, smoking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/father-had-stretched-out-his-long-legs-and-was-tilting-back-in-his/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [I am a frayed and nibbled survivor in a fallen world, and I am getting along. I am aging and eaten and have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/i-am-a-frayed-and-nibbled-survivor-in-a-fallen-world-and-i-am-getting/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [It should surprise no one that the life of the writer - such as it is - is colorless to the point of sensory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/it-should-surprise-no-one-that-the-life-of-the-writer-such-as-it-is/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/it-is-madness-to-wear-ladies-straw-hats-and-velvet-hats-to-church-we/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [The sense impressions of one-celled animals are not edited for the brain. 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In nature, improbabilities are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/if-we-were-to-judge-nature-by-its-common-sense-or-likelihood-we/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [For writing a first draft requires from the writer a peculiar internal state which ordinary life does not induce. ... how to set yourself spinning?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/for-writing-a-first-draft-requires-from-the-writer-a-peculiar/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [I am a fugitive and a vagabond, a sojourner seeking signs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/i-am-a-fugitive-and-a-vagabond-a-sojourner-seeking-signs/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) [Explore all 509 Annie Dillard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) ## More Better place quotes > [Angela Merkel has been focused on the right things. 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When I was at home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/rosalind-well-this-is-the-forest-of-arden-touchstone-ay-now-am-i-in/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“The gifts and the lessons my father left me will last forever: Never take yourself too seriously, never miss a chance to laugh long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-serling/the-gifts-and-the-lessons-my-father-left-me-will-last-forever-never/) Anne Serling > [It is our job to make a difference and leave the world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karol-g/it-is-our-job-to-make-a-difference-and-leave-the-world-a-better-place/) [Karol G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karol-g/) > [“The world is indeed a better place when there is love, friendship, acceptance and hope. Powered by these you can indeed overcome anything including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preeti-shenoy/the-world-is-indeed-a-better-place-when-there-is-love-friendship/) [Preeti Shenoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preeti-shenoy/) > [I think I just want to leave my mark in some way. I hope I leave the world a better place than it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/i-think-i-just-want-to-leave-my-mark-in-some-way-i-hope-i-leave-the/) [Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/) > [Art is not necessary at all. All that is necessary to make this world a better place to live in is to love -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isadora-duncan/art-is-not-necessary-at-all-all-that-is-necessary-to-make-this-world/) [Isadora Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isadora-duncan/) > [We will strive to make Taiwan a better place and enable our people to live better lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-will-strive-to-make-taiwan-a-better-place-and-enable-our-people-to/) [Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/) > [It gives me such hope that each one of us can contribute to make this world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agapi-stassinopoulos/it-gives-me-such-hope-that-each-one-of-us-can-contribute-to-make-this/) [Agapi Stassinopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agapi-stassinopoulos/) > [I want MIT to be the dream of every child who wants to grow up to make the world a better place. We need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-hockfield/i-want-mit-to-be-the-dream-of-every-child-who-wants-to-grow-up-to/) [Susan Hockfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-hockfield/) > [“Pets make the world a better place to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-lyons/pets-make-the-world-a-better-place-to-live/) Susan Lyons > [I've made this conscious decision to tell people on the street when I think they're wearing something great. 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