--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Your whole duty as a writer is to please…" description: "\"“Your whole duty as a writer is to please and satisfy yourself, and the true writer always plays to an audience of one.”\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/anonymous-1_satisfy_your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please_2293282.jpg" --- # Your whole duty as a writer is to please and satisfy… ![“Your whole duty as a writer is to please and satisfy yourself, and the true writer always plays to an audience of one.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/anonymous-1_satisfy_your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please_2293282.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/anonymous-1_satisfy_your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please_2293282.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/anonymous-1_satisfy_your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please_2293282.jpg) > ““Your whole duty as a writer is to please and satisfy yourself, and the true writer always plays to an audience of one.”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer must first satisfy personal standards, then aim to engage a single, ideal reader. **In simple terms:** Writers should please themselves first. Key Takeaway Write for your own truth. Themes authorship self‑validation audience integrity Mood introspective motivational Type philosophical creative When to use this quote - novel writing - blogging - scriptwriting Key Concepts inner audience creative honesty Questions to Reflect On - Who is your “audience of one”? - How do you balance self‑satisfaction with reader appeal? A Different Perspective Audience expectations can clash with personal vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Your whole duty as a writer is to please and satisfy yourself, and the true writer always plays to an audience of one. Start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white-2/your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please-and-satisfy-yourself-and-the/) [E.B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white-2/) > [The whole duty of a writer is to please and satisfy himself, and the true writer always plays to an audience of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/the-whole-duty-of-a-writer-is-to-please-and-satisfy-himself-and-the/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [“My most important goal as a romance writer is to satisfy readers by creating memorable characters, offering insights on life, and, most of all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-abbot/my-most-important-goal-as-a-romance-writer-is-to-satisfy-readers-by/) Laura Abbot > [Authority is the unmistakeable tone in the voice of a true writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/authority-is-the-unmistakeable-tone-in-the-voice-of-a-true-writer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The true writer has nothing to say. What counts is the way he says it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-true-writer-has-nothing-to-say-what-counts-is-the-way-he-says-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't know if I'm a writer who plays poker or a poker player who writes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/i-don-t-know-if-i-m-a-writer-who-plays-poker-or-a-poker-player-who/) [Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/) > [From being a writer of plays, it was not that surprising that somebody thought of giving me a job as an actor. After I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/from-being-a-writer-of-plays-it-was-not-that-surprising-that-somebody/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [Never dissatisfy yourself to satisfy others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-dissatisfy-yourself-to-satisfy-others/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can't please yourself some of the time, how do you expect to please people all the time? Not everyone is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-can-t-please-yourself-some-of-the-time-how-do-you-expect-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's a smile on my face but I don't know why it's there... I put it on to satisfy all the people that don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-a-smile-on-my-face-but-i-don-t-know-why-it-s-there-i-put-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What does not satisfy when we find it, was not the thing we were desiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-does-not-satisfy-when-we-find-it-was-not-the-thing-we-were/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That man didnt satisfy her and theres nothing wrong with looking for a woman to love her](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-man-didnt-satisfy-her-and-theres-nothing-wrong-with-looking-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Figure out for yourself what you want to be really good at, know that you'll never really satisfy yourself that you've made it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/figure-out-for-yourself-what-you-want-to-be-really-good-at-know-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I find in myself desires in which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-find-in-myself-desires-in-which-nothing-in-this-world-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing will ever satisfy me better than loving you. I'm never happy without you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-will-ever-satisfy-me-better-than-loving-you-i-m-never-happy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Satisfy quotes > [A draft doesn't produce the people we need to satisfy our real manpower shortage. We need specialists to keep our jets flying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/a-draft-doesn-t-produce-the-people-we-need-to-satisfy-our-real/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [“Nothing will ever be enough to satisfy the black hole in our hearts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soman-chainani/nothing-will-ever-be-enough-to-satisfy-the-black-hole-in-our-hearts/) [Soman Chainani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soman-chainani/) > [That human life must be some kind of mistake is sufficiently proved by the simple observation that man is a compound of needs which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/that-human-life-must-be-some-kind-of-mistake-is-sufficiently-proved/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Every song that I compose has to satisfy the music director in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gopi-sundar/every-song-that-i-compose-has-to-satisfy-the-music-director-in-me/) [Gopi Sundar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gopi-sundar/) > [“Sex doesn't satisfy for a lifetime, the more you have it, the more you want it. And the more you have it, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/sex-doesn-t-satisfy-for-a-lifetime-the-more-you-have-it-the-more-you/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [A reality that is electronic... Once everybody's got a computer terminal in their home, to satisfy all their needs, all the domestic needs, there'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/a-reality-that-is-electronic-once-everybody-s-got-a-computer-terminal/) [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [And I wana 'pologize for bein just a little freaky, I cant help it, its just in me. but a problem, it is not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/and-i-wana-pologize-for-bein-just-a-little-freaky-i-cant-help-it-its/) [Ne-yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [So what can satisfy me, A trailer load of money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vybz-kartel/so-what-can-satisfy-me-a-trailer-load-of-money/) [Vybz Kartel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vybz-kartel/) > [Black audiences are hard. They always think they're better than you. So you got to come with a little extra to satisfy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/black-audiences-are-hard-they-always-think-they-re-better-than-you-so/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [How much is enough to satisfy you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mazher/how-much-is-enough-to-satisfy-you/) [Mazher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mazher/) > [“Only living water satisfy the thirsty soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/only-living-water-satisfy-the-thirsty-soul/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [A lot of people who curate in the business, and curate the art, don't really have good artistic sense. They may know commerce, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-tip/a-lot-of-people-who-curate-in-the-business-and-curate-the-art-don-t/) [Q-Tip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-tip/) > [I don't write for a particular audience. I work as an artist, and I think the audience of one, which is the self, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-don-t-write-for-a-particular-audience-i-work-as-an-artist-and-i/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [There is nothing in this world that can compare with the Christian fellowship; nothing that can satisfy but Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/there-is-nothing-in-this-world-that-can-compare-with-the-christian/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [Being Unliked Is Part Of Life , You Can Never Satisfy !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deezy-da-dreadhead/being-unliked-is-part-of-life-you-can-never-satisfy/) [Deezy Da Dreadhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deezy-da-dreadhead/) Browse all 200 Satisfy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Your whole duty as a writer is to please and satisfy yourself, and the true writer always plays to an audience of one.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please-and-satisfy-yourself-and-the-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Satisfy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please-and-satisfy-yourself-and-the-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/anonymous-1_satisfy_your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please_2293282.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/anonymous-1_satisfy_your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please_2293282.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/anonymous-1_satisfy_your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please_2293282.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Your whole duty as a writer is to please and satisfy yourself, and the true writer always plays to an…” — Anonymous", "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": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Your whole duty as a writer...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please-and-satisfy-yourself-and-the-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-whole-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-please-and-satisfy-yourself-and-the-2/#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 } } ] } ```