--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You write not for children but for…" description: "\"You write not for children but for yourself. And if by good fortune children enjoy what you enjoy, why then you are a writer of children's books.\" — Ar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/arthur-ransome-23652_book_you-write-not-for-children-but-for-yours_140546.jpg" --- # You write not for children but for yourself. And if by… ![“You write not for children but for yourself. And if by good fortune children enjoy what you enjoy, why then you are a writer of children's books.” quote by Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/arthur-ransome-23652_book_you-write-not-for-children-but-for-yours_140546.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/arthur-ransome-23652_book_you-write-not-for-children-but-for-yours_140546.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/arthur-ransome-23652_book_you-write-not-for-children-but-for-yours_140546.jpg) > “You write not for children but for yourself. And if by good fortune children enjoy what you enjoy, why then you are a writer of children's books.” [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing primarily for oneself can still benefit children, blurring the line between adult and children’s literature. **In simple terms:** If you write for yourself, kids may enjoy it too, making you a children's author. Key Takeaway Write authentically; audience will follow. Themes authorship self‑expression children’s literature intentionality Mood thoughtful inspirational pragmatic Type essay reflective When to use this quote - school projects - family bedtime stories - creative workshops - publishing decisions Key Concepts creative freedom cross‑age appeal literary classification Questions to Reflect On - Do you write for yourself or for an audience? - How does intent shape genre? A Different Perspective Not all self‑focused writing suits children. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children 's books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-s-books/) [Children'S Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-s-books-2/) [Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune/) [Good fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-fortune/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [You may be surprised to know that growing up, I wanted to be a writer of children's books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/you-may-be-surprised-to-know-that-growing-up-i-wanted-to-be-a-writer/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I was inspired to write children's books, but without blood and gore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-williams/i-was-inspired-to-write-children-s-books-but-without-blood-and-gore/) Stanley Williams > [I would love to write more children's books. 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Liking what the person has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-morris/i-just-have-to-be-able-to-follow-and-enjoy-the-writer-s-voice-and-the/) [Wesley Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-morris/) > [“When people starts to enjoy a writer's pen, he becomes a legend even if his stories are neither long nor publicly surrounded by expectations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-saleh/when-people-starts-to-enjoy-a-writer-s-pen-he-becomes-a-legend-even/) A. Saleh > [You can't write a children's book that takes more than five or six minutes to read, because it will drive the parents batty. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/you-can-t-write-a-children-s-book-that-takes-more-than-five-or-six/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [“People think, Hey, I love kids, I want to write children’s books. But they think children are happy. That’s their first mistake. \[Messinger, Jonathan.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-willems/people-think-hey-i-love-kids-i-want-to-write-children-s-books-but/) [Mo Willems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-willems/) > [“For some reason, when people meet me and find out I'm a writer they always ask if I write children's books. Um... please don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-m-pillow/for-some-reason-when-people-meet-me-and-find-out-i-m-a-writer-they/) [Michelle M. Pillow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-m-pillow/) > [I wanted to write children's books. 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I find myself with little to do over a stretch of time and I say, "I should write children's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/my-process-is-surprisingly-straightforward-i-find-myself-with-little/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [ I still retain a bit of a child's focus on things, so we \[with my sister\] figure if we're going to write books, our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-weir/i-still-retain-a-bit-of-a-child-s-focus-on-things-so-we-with-my/) [Bob Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-weir/) > [There are all kinds of writers. The best writers write children's books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-scarry/there-are-all-kinds-of-writers-the-best-writers-write-children-s-books/) [Richard Scarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-scarry/) ## More by Arthur Ransome > [Fishing is not like billiards, in which it is possible to attain a disgusting perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ransome/fishing-is-not-like-billiards-in-which-it-is-possible-to-attain-a/) [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) > [“Only, the beastly Arctic won't freeze,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ransome/only-the-beastly-arctic-won-t-freeze/) [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) > [When a thing's done, it's done, and if it's not done right, do it differently next time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ransome/when-a-thing-s-done-it-s-done-and-if-it-s-not-done-right-do-it/) [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) > [Fishing books , lit by emotion recollected in tranquility, are like poetry. .. . 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It should be noted that Izaak Walton whose book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ransome/for-at-least-the-last-275-years-the-honesty-of-fishermen-has-been/) [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) > [“Who would wave a flag to be rescued if they had a desert island of their own? That was the thing that spoilt Robinson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ransome/who-would-wave-a-flag-to-be-rescued-if-they-had-a-desert-island-of/) [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) > [Grab a chance and you won't be sorry for what might have been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ransome/grab-a-chance-and-you-won-t-be-sorry-for-what-might-have-been/) [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) > [“The storm came pretty soon," said John. "They won't have got much further before it caught them. We may find them any minute. They'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ransome/the-storm-came-pretty-soon-said-john-they-won-t-have-got-much-further/) [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) > [“P...U...D...D...I...N...G" "Pudding," said Roger. "They've kept some for us." "She hasn't finished the word," said Dick. Titty was reading steadily on. "H...E...A...D...S...End of word”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ransome/p-u-d-d-i-n-g-pudding-said-roger-they-ve-kept-some-for-us-she-hasn-t/) [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) > [Swallows and Amazons for-ever!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ransome/swallows-and-amazons-for-ever/) [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) > [There are two distinct visits to tackle-shops, the visit to buy tackle and the visit which may be described as Platonic when, being for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ransome/there-are-two-distinct-visits-to-tackle-shops-the-visit-to-buy-tackle/) [Arthur Ransome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) [Explore all 25 Arthur Ransome quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ransome/) ## More Book 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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You write not for children but for yourself. 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