---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I often get asked the question, 'If you…"
description: "\"“I often get asked the question, 'If you had to compare your writing to an author who would it be?' My answer is always the same; the author I compare ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/ashley-tia-long-156258_author_i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-ha_578640.jpg"
---

#  I often get asked the question, 'If you had to compare…

![“I often get asked the question, 'If you had to compare your writing to an author who would it be?' My answer is always the same; the author I compare myself to is me. Every writer has a unique style relevant to only themselves. I am nothing like other authors; some aspects of my writing may have…” quote by Ashley Tia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/ashley-tia-long-156258_author_i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-ha_578640.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/ashley-tia-long-156258_author_i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-ha_578640.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/ashley-tia-long-156258_author_i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-ha_578640.jpg)

> ““I often get asked the question, 'If you had to compare your writing to an author who would it be?' My answer is always the same; the author I compare myself to is me. Every writer has a unique style relevant to only themselves. I am nothing like other authors; some aspects of my writing may have similarities to another, but in the end, each and every one of us is different.””

Ashley Tia Long

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Each writer is uniquely themselves; comparing to others is futile.

**In simple terms:** Writers are unique; compare to self.

Key Takeaway

Embrace your distinct voice.

Themes

individuality creativity self‑comparison

Mood

confident reflective

Type

author:1 author-quotes:1 books:0 opinions:0 question:0 quote:0 unique style:1 writing:1 like authors:0 compare writer:0 author compare:0 writing similarities:0 compare writing:0

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- personal branding
- creative coaching

Key Concepts

literature identity self‑actualization

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes your voice unique?
- How do you avoid imitation?

A Different Perspective

Comparison can inspire growth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/author/) [Author-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/author-quotes/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinions/) [Unique style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique-style/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [If my public existence does anything worthwhile, hopefully it at least demystifies the author a bit, because I know when I was younger I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/if-my-public-existence-does-anything-worthwhile-hopefully-it-at-least/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“I hate to be a nag, but you have got to read. Like most authors, I run creative writing workshops from time to time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-harrison/i-hate-to-be-a-nag-but-you-have-got-to-read-like-most-authors-i-run/)

[Sarah Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-harrison/)

> [Publishers like their authors to take advantage of publicity opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/publishers-like-their-authors-to-take-advantage-of-publicity/)

[Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/)

> [Composers, like authors, have a lot in common. Our main goal is to connect with the listener emotionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hill/composers-like-authors-have-a-lot-in-common-our-main-goal-is-to/)

[Ken Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hill/)

> [And I like those authors best whose scenes describe my own situation in life-- and the friends who are about me whose stories touch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/and-i-like-those-authors-best-whose-scenes-describe-my-own-situation/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Like most authors, I also love to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/like-most-authors-i-also-love-to-read/)

[Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/)

> [Most books, like their authors, are born to die; of only a few books can it be said that death has no dominion over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-styron/most-books-like-their-authors-are-born-to-die-of-only-a-few-books-can/)

[William Styron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-styron/)

> [Authors like cats because they are such quiet, lovable, wise creatures, and cats like authors for the same reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/authors-like-cats-because-they-are-such-quiet-lovable-wise-creatures/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [I find that most books that I don't like are those in which the authors have indulged themselves. I can almost sense when they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/i-find-that-most-books-that-i-don-t-like-are-those-in-which-the/)

[Robert Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cormier/)

> [I would not be like those Authors, who forgive themselves some particular lines for the sake of a whole Poem, and vice versa a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/i-would-not-be-like-those-authors-who-forgive-themselves-some/)

[Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/)

> [Like most authors, I'm a raging egomaniac. I know that about myself. And I know that, if I had internet access, I would waste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/like-most-authors-i-m-a-raging-egomaniac-i-know-that-about-myself-and/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [“I like authors who experiment with narrative and delve into very specific conditions within their characters in order to expose universal truths about humanity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-knox/i-like-authors-who-experiment-with-narrative-and-delve-into-very/)

[Amanda Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-knox/)

> [Before I went into parliament I used to write business publications, and like many authors wrote under a business name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to-write-business-publications/)

[Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/)

> [Before you can become a writer, you have to be a reader, and a reader of everything, at that. To the best of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/before-you-can-become-a-writer-you-have-to-be-a-reader-and-a-reader/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [I don't want to be like other authors and say that there are only a few story lines in literature. A story is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/i-don-t-want-to-be-like-other-authors-and-say-that-there-are-only-a/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

## More Author quotes

> [An author departs; he does not die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-author-departs-he-does-not-die/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Writers whose thoughts are expressed with clarity and precision are assumed by readers to be superficial. Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/writers-whose-thoughts-are-expressed-with-clarity-and-precision-are/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [“There's a word for an author who doesn't give up... published.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-a-word-for-an-author-who-doesn-t-give-up-published/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A children's author on a soapbox is not a pleasant sight but I have become drawn into issues, slightly unwillingly, relating to young people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/a-children-s-author-on-a-soapbox-is-not-a-pleasant-sight-but-i-have/)

[Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/)

> [“Grayson: Fiction is just a lie anyway. Brianna: But it's not - it's a different kind of truth - it would be your truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/grayson-fiction-is-just-a-lie-anyway-brianna-but-it-s-not-it-s-a/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“Religion is like wax. How anyone deals with it is decisive for how it will look like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-midland/religion-is-like-wax-how-anyone-deals-with-it-is-decisive-for-how-it/)

[Ben Midland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-midland/)

> [“Expression is a function of intention and intention emanates from your thought faculty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/expression-is-a-function-of-intention-and-intention-emanates-from/)

[Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/)

> [“There is no shortcut for hard work that leads to effectiveness. You must stay disciplined because most of the work is behind the scenes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/there-is-no-shortcut-for-hard-work-that-leads-to-effectiveness-you/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [I come from a working-class family. They're the people I know and the people I love, I guess. I do not write about them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-come-from-a-working-class-family-they-re-the-people-i-know-and-the/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [I am a completely horizontal author. I can't think unless I'm lying down, either in bed or stretched on a couch and with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/i-am-a-completely-horizontal-author-i-can-t-think-unless-i-m-lying/)

[Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/)

> [The author I wish I was reading right now and always is Nora Ephron. I love the humor, the awareness, the sense of self-deprecation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garance-dore/the-author-i-wish-i-was-reading-right-now-and-always-is-nora-ephron-i/)

[Garance Dore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garance-dore/)

> [“Betsy was so full of joy that she had to be alone. She went upstairs to her bedroom and sat down on Uncle Keith's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maud-hart-lovelace/betsy-was-so-full-of-joy-that-she-had-to-be-alone-she-went-upstairs/)

[Maud Hart Lovelace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maud-hart-lovelace/)

> [Writing is a intensely personal activity. I can pen down my best thoughts when I'm alone. But when one is elevated into the stature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/writing-is-a-intensely-personal-activity-i-can-pen-down-my-best/)

[Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/)

> [Meg Cabot is the best author ever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/meg-cabot-is-the-best-author-ever/)

[Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/)

> [“WHEN THE ALMIGHTY HAS PREDESTINED YOU, THERE IS NOONE IN THIS PHYSICAL LIFE THAT CAN BLOCK YOUR BLESSINGS…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muffin/when-the-almighty-has-predestined-you-there-is-noone-in-this-physical/)

Muffin

[Browse all 1,048 Author quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/author/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I often get asked the question, 'If you had to compare your writing to an author who would it be?' My answer is always the same; the author I compare myself to is me. Every writer has a unique style relevant to only themselves. I am nothing like other authors; some aspects of my writing may have similarities to another, but in the end, each and every one of us is different.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ashley Tia Long"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tia-long/i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-had-to-compare-your-writing-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Author"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tia-long/i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-had-to-compare-your-writing-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/ashley-tia-long-156258_author_i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-ha_578640.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/ashley-tia-long-156258_author_i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-ha_578640.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/ashley-tia-long-156258_author_i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-ha_578640.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I often get asked the question, 'If you had to compare your writing to an author who would it be?' My answer…” — Ashley Tia Long",
                "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": "Ashley Tia Long",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-tia-long/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I often get asked the question,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tia-long/i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-had-to-compare-your-writing-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tia-long/i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-had-to-compare-your-writing-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
