---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What do I love most? Working with words…"
description: "\"“What do I love most? Working with words. Words in a sentence are like pieces of a puzzle; you try out a whole bunch, then turn them this way and that ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/barbara-delinsky-12693_language_what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-w_1481983.jpg"
---

#  What do I love most? Working with words. Words in a…

![“What do I love most? Working with words. Words in a sentence are like pieces of a puzzle; you try out a whole bunch, then turn them this way and that until they fit into the whole. Creating flow is crucial. There's nothing like the moment when, after working and reworking a sentence, everything…” quote by Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/barbara-delinsky-12693_language_what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-w_1481983.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/barbara-delinsky-12693_language_what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-w_1481983.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/barbara-delinsky-12693_language_what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-w_1481983.jpg)

> ““What do I love most? Working with words. Words in a sentence are like pieces of a puzzle; you try out a whole bunch, then turn them this way and that until they fit into the whole. Creating flow is crucial. There's nothing like the moment when, after working and reworking a sentence, everything falls into place, and you know that it's right. What I do love least? Touring. It's grueling, time-consuming, and lonely.””

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

## About This Quote

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

The author describes the joy of crafting sentences like a puzzle, emphasizing the satisfaction of achieving a perfect flow after revision.

**In simple terms:** Writing is like solving a puzzle; the reward is when it all fits together.

Key Takeaway

Enjoy the process of refining words.

Themes

creativity craftsmanship solitude

Mood

reflective passionate

Type

personal professional

When to use this quote

- novel writing
- editing sessions
- creative blocks
- touring fatigue

Key Concepts

writing editing flow puzzle metaphor

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance solitary writing with the demands of touring?
- What strategies help maintain flow during revisions?

A Different Perspective

Touring can be isolating and exhausting, limiting creative energy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Creating Flow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating-flow-5402725/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Words Sentence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-sentence-1496429/) [Words Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-words/) [Working Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-words-1748231/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [Poets are seen as the caretakers of language, so working with words no matter what the form is what we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusef-komunyakaa/poets-are-seen-as-the-caretakers-of-language-so-working-with-words-no/)

[Yusef Komunyakaa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusef-komunyakaa/)

> [I've spent hundreds of hours working over words, and part of me, a large part of me, has a desire to do something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-stern/i-ve-spent-hundreds-of-hours-working-over-words-and-part-of-me-a/)

[Gerald Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-stern/)

> [Sometimes words put into a sentence come out differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-di-canio/sometimes-words-put-into-a-sentence-come-out-differently/)

[Paolo di Canio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-di-canio/)

> [Words get used up like people, they loose their power and then they mean noting their just words in a sentence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-get-used-up-like-people-they-loose-their-power-and-then-they/)

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

> [“A picture can say a thousand words, but a sentence can paint a thousand pictures...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-buchanan/a-picture-can-say-a-thousand-words-but-a-sentence-can-paint-a/)

[J. Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-buchanan/)

> [I know all those words, but that sentence makes no sense to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/i-know-all-those-words-but-that-sentence-makes-no-sense-to-me/)

[Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/)

> [Words or sentence have there reactions or ways of being in a thought, as a sentence or statement that brings out a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dena/words-or-sentence-have-there-reactions-or-ways-of-being-in-a-thought/)

[Dena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dena/)

> [You call them swear words, I call them sentence enchanters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-call-them-swear-words-i-call-them-sentence-enchanters/)

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

> [I have the words already. What I am seeking is the perfect order of words in the sentence. You can see for yourself how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/i-have-the-words-already-what-i-am-seeking-is-the-perfect-order-of/)

[James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/)

> [“not just words, but words that carry the force of the state.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-p-trachtman/not-just-words-but-words-that-carry-the-force-of-the-state/)

[Joel P. Trachtman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-p-trachtman/)

> [I find my voice and manage to say those three one-syllable words back to him. Words I haven't uttered in a very, very long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-find-my-voice-and-manage-to-say-those-three-one-syllable-words-back/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [It's funny because I've made a living off of words, but words get in the way of what you really want to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/it-s-funny-because-i-ve-made-a-living-off-of-words-but-words-get-in/)

[Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/)

> [“As far as I can see there is no conquering or exorcising the past with words - words born either of imagination or forthrightness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/as-far-as-i-can-see-there-is-no-conquering-or-exorcising-the-past/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [“Put emotions to thoughts. Thoughts to words. Words to paragraphs. Paragraphs to pictures. Let your mind be known, heard and seen. Your thoughts are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/happy-positivity/put-emotions-to-thoughts-thoughts-to-words-words-to-paragraphs/)

[Happy Positivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/happy-positivity/)

> [Where can I find a man who has forgotten words, so I can have a few words with him?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/where-can-i-find-a-man-who-has-forgotten-words-so-i-can-have-a-few/)

[Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/)

## More by Barbara Delinsky

> [“Life is like a game of cards. It deals you different hands at different times. You don’t have that old hand anymore, Leo. Look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/life-is-like-a-game-of-cards-it-deals-you-different-hands-at/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Waking up Thursday morning to another dreary day and the sense of being physically stuffed, they focused on FISH. While Charlotte interviewed the postmaster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/waking-up-thursday-morning-to-another-dreary-day-and-the-sense-of/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“OLIVIA DIDN’T WANT TO SEE SIMON. She didn’t know how to deal with what she felt. It was raw physical attraction with no emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/olivia-didn-t-want-to-see-simon-she-didn-t-know-how-to-deal-with-what/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Pain is pain. You have a right to feel it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/pain-is-pain-you-have-a-right-to-feel-it/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Não existe vantagem alguma em fazer as coisas do dia para a noite, porque para fazer direito precisamos de planejamento.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/n-o-existe-vantagem-alguma-em-fazer-as-coisas-do-dia-para-a-noite/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Concentrating when it's the hardest is what builds character”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/concentrating-when-it-s-the-hardest-is-what-builds-character/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“My writing style has changed dramatically over the years, growing increasingly clean and exact. I like to think that I'm still improving -- that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/my-writing-style-has-changed-dramatically-over-the-years-growing/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [You kids were all in college, and I suddenly saw that I was stuck alone with a man who, all those years later, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/you-kids-were-all-in-college-and-i-suddenly-saw-that-i-was-stuck/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“The question was whether James would love me if I was someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/the-question-was-whether-james-would-love-me-if-i-was-someone-else/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“There is no point in doing something unless you do it well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/there-is-no-point-in-doing-something-unless-you-do-it-well/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Aim high, hit high.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/aim-high-hit-high/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“You’ll be taking the last a’ those,” Dorey confided. “I had a vendor try to convince me to shrink-wrap and freeze, but they’re never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/you-ll-be-taking-the-last-a-those-dorey-confided-i-had-a-vendor-try/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Her ticket to freedom lay in her lap. Ever an avid reader, Annie had escaped into books in recent months, when all else failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/her-ticket-to-freedom-lay-in-her-lap-ever-an-avid-reader-annie-had/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [Wolves go after a wounded deer, it is the nature of the beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/wolves-go-after-a-wounded-deer-it-is-the-nature-of-the-beast/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Remember the first time you ever came? Tell the truth. You were dreading it." His brown eyes laughed warmly. "What wasn't to dread? A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-tell-the-truth-you-were/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

[Explore all 51 Barbara Delinsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

## More Language quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

[Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/)

> [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/)

[Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/)

> [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/)

[TimBur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timbur/)

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/)

[Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/)

> [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/)

[Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/)

> [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/)

[Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/)

> [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/)

[Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/)

> [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/)

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

> [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

> [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/)

[Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/)

[Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“What do I love most? Working with words. Words in a sentence are like pieces of a puzzle; you try out a whole bunch, then turn them this way and that until they fit into the whole. Creating flow is crucial. There's nothing like the moment when, after working and reworking a sentence, everything falls into place, and you know that it's right. What I do love least? Touring. It's grueling, time-consuming, and lonely.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barbara Delinsky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-words-in-a-sentence-are-like/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Language"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-words-in-a-sentence-are-like/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/barbara-delinsky-12693_language_what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-w_1481983.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/barbara-delinsky-12693_language_what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-w_1481983.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/barbara-delinsky-12693_language_what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-w_1481983.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What do I love most? Working with words. Words in a sentence are like pieces of a puzzle; you try out a…” — Barbara Delinsky",
                "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": "Barbara Delinsky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“What do I love most? Working...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-words-in-a-sentence-are-like/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/what-do-i-love-most-working-with-words-words-in-a-sentence-are-like/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
