--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best advice is not to write what you…" description: "\"The best advice is not to write what you know, it’s to write what you like. Write the kind of story you like best—write the story you want to read. The..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/austin-kleon-1835_advice_the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you_1255709.jpg" --- # The best advice is not to write what you know, it’s to… ![“The best advice is not to write what you know, it’s to write what you like. Write the kind of story you like best—write the story you want to read. The same principle applies to your life and your career:” quote by Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/austin-kleon-1835_advice_the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you_1255709.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/austin-kleon-1835_advice_the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you_1255709.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/austin-kleon-1835_advice_the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you_1255709.jpg) > “The best advice is not to write what you know, it’s to write what you like. Write the kind of story you like best—write the story you want to read. The same principle applies to your life and your career:” [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work thrives when driven by personal passion rather than mere expertise, encouraging authenticity in both art and life. **In simple terms:** Write what you love, not just what you know. Key Takeaway Follow your passion. Themes creativity authenticity career life writing Mood inspirational reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - writing projects - career decisions - personal hobbies - life planning Key Concepts passion authentic expression personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What passion could you turn into a project? - How do you balance skill development with personal interest? A Different Perspective May lack of expertise hinder execution; passion alone may not guarantee success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Best advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-advice/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“The best advice is not to write what you know, it’s to write what you like. Write the kind of story you like best—write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you-know-it-s-to-write-what-you-4/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“The best advice is not to write what you know, it's to write what you like. Write the kind of story you like best-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you-know-it-s-to-write-what-you/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [The best advice is not to write what you know, it's to write what you like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you-know-it-s-to-write-what-you-2/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [I disagree with the advice of 'write about what you know.' Write about what you need to know, in an effort to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-windham/i-disagree-with-the-advice-of-write-about-what-you-know-write-about/) Donald Windham > [“My best advice is to first write for yourself and stay in your story and just pour all of your good stuff and bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-han/my-best-advice-is-to-first-write-for-yourself-and-stay-in-your-story/) [Jenny Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-han/) > [The best advice on writing was given to me by my first editor, Michael Korda, of Simon and Schuster, while writing my first book.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominick-dunne/the-best-advice-on-writing-was-given-to-me-by-my-first-editor-michael/) [Dominick Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-dunne/) > [In the future, when something comes up, you tell exactly how it happened but write down for yourself the way you think it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/in-the-future-when-something-comes-up-you-tell-exactly-how-it/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [Doctor Who' is the best show to write for, because of the actors and the scale of imagination that it demands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/doctor-who-is-the-best-show-to-write-for-because-of-the-actors-and/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [Nothing goes by luck in composition. It allows of no tricks. The best you can write will be the best you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/nothing-goes-by-luck-in-composition-it-allows-of-no-tricks-the-best/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I just do the best I can and write something interesting, to tell stories in an interesting way and move forward from there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/i-just-do-the-best-i-can-and-write-something-interesting-to-tell/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [To memorize something,it's best to write it down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koushun-takami/to-memorize-something-it-s-best-to-write-it-down/) [Koushun Takami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koushun-takami/) > [Discover the time of day when you write best, and write then. For me it's about 7 am to noon. For other people it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/discover-the-time-of-day-when-you-write-best-and-write-then-for-me-it/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [I do my best to write my way through it. It helps the laughing, reflective part come quicker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madi-diaz/i-do-my-best-to-write-my-way-through-it-it-helps-the-laughing/) [Madi Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madi-diaz/) > [“When you are writing, you must treat it as the most important thing in the world, even when you know it is not. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/when-you-are-writing-you-must-treat-it-as-the-most-important-thing-in/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I think the book you always like best is the one you're about to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-think-the-book-you-always-like-best-is-the-one-you-re-about-to-write/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) ## More by Austin Kleon > [“The thing is, you can cut off a couple passions and only focus on one, but after a while, you’ll start to feel phantom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-thing-is-you-can-cut-off-a-couple-passions-and-only-focus-on-one/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Don't think of your website as a self-promotion machine, think of it as a self-invention machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/don-t-think-of-your-website-as-a-self-promotion-machine-think-of-it/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“We want you to take from us. We want you, at first, to steal from us, because you can’t steal. You will take what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/we-want-you-to-take-from-us-we-want-you-at-first-to-steal-from-us/) [austin kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Validation is for parking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/validation-is-for-parking/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“If you want fans, you have to be a fan first. If you want to be accepted by a community, you have to first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/if-you-want-fans-you-have-to-be-a-fan-first-if-you-want-to-be/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Social media sites are the perfect place to share daily updates. 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(It’s the only way to get work done.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/be-boring-it-s-the-only-way-to-get-work-done/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn't online, it doesn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/it-sounds-a-little-extreme-but-in-this-day-and-age-if-your-work-isn-t/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Don't wait until you know who you are to get started. If I'd waited to know who I was or what I was about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/don-t-wait-until-you-know-who-you-are-to-get-started-if-i-d-waited-to/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Your brain gets too comfortable in your everyday surroundings. You need to make it uncomfortable. 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It’s the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/stock-and-flow-is-an-economic-concept-that-writer-robin-sloan-has/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) [Explore all 204 Austin Kleon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) Mak\_786 > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A low-minded person should not be given good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-low-minded-person-should-not-be-given-good-advice/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' 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And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/if-your-clothes-are-enough-to-drive-would-be-friends-away-they-re-not/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. 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