---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: writing is serious business and not for…"
description: "\"“writing is serious business and not for any stray bastard that wants to try it.”\" — Ayn Rand"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ayn-rand-59_business_writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for_176360.jpg"
---

#  writing is serious business and not for any stray bastard…

![“writing is serious business and not for any stray bastard that wants to try it.” quote by Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ayn-rand-59_business_writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for_176360.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ayn-rand-59_business_writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for_176360.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ayn-rand-59_business_writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for_176360.jpg)

> ““writing is serious business and not for any stray bastard that wants to try it.””

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

## About This Quote

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

Writing demands seriousness and commitment; it is not for casual or uncommitted attempts.

**In simple terms:** Writing is serious work, not a hobby.

Key Takeaway

Approach writing with dedication.

Themes

creativity discipline craftsmanship

Mood

determined introspective

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- authoring a novel
- academic paper
- blog development

Key Concepts

seriousness professionalism

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes writing serious for you?
- Can casual writing lead to mastery?

A Different Perspective

Casual writing can still be valuable for practice.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Serious business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious-business/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [“Writing is not a serious business. It’s a joy and a celebration. You should be having fun with it. Ignore the authors who say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/writing-is-not-a-serious-business-it-s-a-joy-and-a-celebration-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [Writing is not a serious business. It’s a joy and a celebration. You should be having fun with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/writing-is-not-a-serious-business-it-s-a-joy-and-a-celebration-you-2/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“Any Iron bastard that wants you will have to get past me, first.' He rolled his eyes. 'And of course, the dark knight over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/any-iron-bastard-that-wants-you-will-have-to-get-past-me-first-he/)

[Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/)

> [“I love you, more than I’ll ever find adequate words to describe. Every breath I take starts and ends with you. For as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zara-cox/i-love-you-more-than-i-ll-ever-find-adequate-words-to-describe-every/)

[Zara Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zara-cox/)

> [Essentials of how to do a startup do not include writing a business plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-blank/essentials-of-how-to-do-a-startup-do-not-include-writing-a-business/)

[Steve Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-blank/)

> [The worst thing that ever happened to writing is that it became a business, The purpose of business is to make money, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dagobert-d-runes/the-worst-thing-that-ever-happened-to-writing-is-that-it-became-a/)

[Dagobert D. Runes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dagobert-d-runes/)

> [When a writer has done the best that he can do, he should then withdraw from the book-writing business and take up an honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/when-a-writer-has-done-the-best-that-he-can-do-he-should-then/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [It’s very important for entrepreneurs to be realistic. So if you believe on that first day while you’re writing the business plan that there’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/it-s-very-important-for-entrepreneurs-to-be-realistic-so-if-you/)

[Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/)

> [“Smart writers understand that writing is also a business. Really smart writers see themselves also as entrepreneurs. Barry Eisler”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/smart-writers-understand-that-writing-is-also-a-business-really-smart/)

[Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/)

> [When I started writing a business column 15 years ago, I knew I'd found the perfect job for myself. As a columnist I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-sloan/when-i-started-writing-a-business-column-15-years-ago-i-knew-i-d/)

[Allan Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-sloan/)

> [I do not put myself in a box and say, for instance, I'm writing post-colonial literature. I don't know what I'm writing. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-do-not-put-myself-in-a-box-and-say-for-instance-i-m-writing-post/)

[Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/)

> [“I think this story-writing business is the foolishest yet," scoffed Marilla. "You'll get a pack of nonsense into your heads and waste time that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery-2/i-think-this-story-writing-business-is-the-foolishest-yet-scoffed/)

[L. M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery-2/)

> [“Writing is show business for shy people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/writing-is-show-business-for-shy-people/)

[Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/)

> [This writing business. Pencils and what-not. Over-rated, if you ask me. Silly stuff. Nothing in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-milne/this-writing-business-pencils-and-what-not-over-rated-if-you-ask-me-2/)

[A. A. Milne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-milne/)

> [I gave up lots of things I love doing: writing, and business, and playing the piano and so on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/i-gave-up-lots-of-things-i-love-doing-writing-and-business-and/)

[William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/)

## More by Ayn Rand

> [There are no white lies, there is only the blackest of destruction, and a white lie is the blackest of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/there-are-no-white-lies-there-is-only-the-blackest-of-destruction-and/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [She watched the prairies the rivers, the towns slipping past at an untouchable distance below - and she noted that the sense of detachment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-watched-the-prairies-the-rivers-the-towns-slipping-past-at-an/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [“This was reality, she thought, this sense of clear outlines, of purpose, of lightness, of hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/this-was-reality-she-thought-this-sense-of-clear-outlines-of-purpose/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [A “collective” mind does not exist. It is merely the sum of endless numbers of individual minds. If we have an endless number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/a-collective-mind-does-not-exist-it-is-merely-the-sum-of-endless/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Lobbying' is the activity of attempting to influence legislation by privately influencing the legislators. It is the result and creation of a mixed economy-of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/lobbying-is-the-activity-of-attempting-to-influence-legislation-by/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [“She moved her hand and let it rest against his. He did not withdraw his fingers and he did not pretend indifference. She bent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-moved-her-hand-and-let-it-rest-against-his-he-did-not-withdraw/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [This miracle of me is mine to own and keep, and mine to guard, and mine to use, and mine to kneel before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/this-miracle-of-me-is-mine-to-own-and-keep-and-mine-to-guard-and-mine/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [“There was still one response, the greatest, that she had missed. She thought: To find a feeling that would hold, as their sum, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/there-was-still-one-response-the-greatest-that-she-had-missed-she/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Inflation is not caused by the actions of private citizens, but by the government: by an artificial expansion of the money supply required to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/inflation-is-not-caused-by-the-actions-of-private-citizens-but-by-the/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [“We are fornicating in the sight of six billion people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/we-are-fornicating-in-the-sight-of-six-billion-people/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [“She was fifteen when it occurred to her for the first time that women did not run railroads and that people might object. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-was-fifteen-when-it-occurred-to-her-for-the-first-time-that-women/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Fransisco, you're some kind of very high nobility, aren't you?" He answered, "Not yet. The reason my family has lasted for such a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/fransisco-you-re-some-kind-of-very-high-nobility-aren-t-you-he/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Have you felt it too? Have you seen how your best friends love everything about you- except the things that count? And your most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/have-you-felt-it-too-have-you-seen-how-your-best-friends-love/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Every coercive monopoly was created by government intervention into the economy: by special privileges, such as franchises or subsidies, which closed the entry of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/every-coercive-monopoly-was-created-by-government-intervention-into/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [We are all brothers under the skin - and I, for one, would be willing to skin humanity to prove it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/we-are-all-brothers-under-the-skin-and-i-for-one-would-be-willing-to/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

[Explore all 1,777 Ayn Rand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

## More Business quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

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

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“writing is serious business and not for any stray bastard that wants to try it.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ayn Rand"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for-any-stray-bastard-that-wants/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for-any-stray-bastard-that-wants/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ayn-rand-59_business_writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for_176360.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ayn-rand-59_business_writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for_176360.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ayn-rand-59_business_writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for_176360.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“writing is serious business and not for any stray bastard that wants to try it.” — Ayn Rand",
                "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": "Ayn Rand",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“writing is serious business and not...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for-any-stray-bastard-that-wants/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/writing-is-serious-business-and-not-for-any-stray-bastard-that-wants/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
