--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I really had to decide why I was writing…" description: "\"I really had to decide why I was writing. I had no interest in going back to law; I very briefly - for about six hours - considered going to get my MBA..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/ben-fountain-3198_ends_i-really-had-to-decide-why-i-was-writing_2220820.jpg" --- # I really had to decide why I was writing. I had no… ![“I really had to decide why I was writing. I had no interest in going back to law; I very briefly - for about six hours - considered going to get my MBA, but in the end, I realized that the only work I really wanted to do was write.” quote by Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/ben-fountain-3198_ends_i-really-had-to-decide-why-i-was-writing_2220820.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/ben-fountain-3198_ends_i-really-had-to-decide-why-i-was-writing_2220820.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/ben-fountain-3198_ends_i-really-had-to-decide-why-i-was-writing_2220820.jpg) > “I really had to decide why I was writing. I had no interest in going back to law; I very briefly - for about six hours - considered going to get my MBA, but in the end, I realized that the only work I really wanted to do was write.” [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer realized his true calling was writing, not law or business, after exploring other careers. **In simple terms:** Writing is his true passion. Key Takeaway Pursue writing as your calling. Themes career purpose writing decision passion Mood reflective determined Type career creative When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - personal fulfillment Key Concepts Vocational calling creative identity career change Questions to Reflect On - What drives your creative work? - How do you balance passion with livelihood? A Different Perspective May overlook practical constraints of a writing career. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Mba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mba/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Usually I decide on what it is I'm writing next by the books I'm reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mosse/usually-i-decide-on-what-it-is-i-m-writing-next-by-the-books-i-m/) [Kate Mosse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mosse/) > [The last thing we decide in writing a book is what to put first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-last-thing-we-decide-in-writing-a-book-is-what-to-put-first/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [I try to work every day because you have no refuge but writing. 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I don't shower, I don't take phone calls, I hardly respond to text messages, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/when-the-writing-is-going-well-i-m-obsessive-i-don-t-shower-i-don-t/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I love to write just about more than anything, but there are times I have to force myself to sit down and work. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-cain/i-love-to-write-just-about-more-than-anything-but-there-are-times-i/) [Chelsea Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-cain/) > [I'm not a believer that you have to write every day. If I felt industrious, I'd spend ten hours a week writing. The writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/i-m-not-a-believer-that-you-have-to-write-every-day-if-i-felt/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [You don't think when you play music, you just try to play and be in it. It is the same for me when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-ove-knausgard/you-don-t-think-when-you-play-music-you-just-try-to-play-and-be-in-it/) [Karl Ove Knausgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-ove-knausgard/) > [A lot of writing's going down dead ends that don't go anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/a-lot-of-writing-s-going-down-dead-ends-that-don-t-go-anywhere/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [“I’m feeling a low regarding writing. I sometimes think I should finish working on my book of stripper poetry that I started, but other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-hageman/i-m-feeling-a-low-regarding-writing-i-sometimes-think-i-should-finish/) Sheila Hageman > [My assumption when I began writing was that you were never going to make any money. And you were never going to reach everyone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/my-assumption-when-i-began-writing-was-that-you-were-never-going-to/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“When his writing is going well, Gordon Strangle Mars likes to wake up at 6 a.m. and go out driving. He works out new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/when-his-writing-is-going-well-gordon-strangle-mars-likes-to-wake-up/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [“once computers gain good language understanding and we can speak to them, then reading and writing are going to seem cumbersome’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-humphrys/once-computers-gain-good-language-understanding-and-we-can-speak-to/) [John Humphrys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-humphrys/) > [Whatever's going on with me at the time of writing is going to find its way into the piece. If that doesn't happen, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/whatever-s-going-on-with-me-at-the-time-of-writing-is-going-to-find/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) ## More by Ben Fountain > [“The singing triggers a soft detonation at his core, molten parts of him are flying everywhere and his ears ring to the tune of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/the-singing-triggers-a-soft-detonation-at-his-core-molten-parts-of/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“Even harder was describing his sense that Shroom’s death might have ruined him for anything else, because when he died? when I felt his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/even-harder-was-describing-his-sense-that-shroom-s-death-might-have/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is standard trajectory. Something new appears in the world—a baby,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/without-ever-exactly-putting-his-mind-to-it-he-s-come-to-believe-that/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“But I am scared. Everybody's scared." "You know what I mean, like scared scared. 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I mean, I’d rather have nothing than let this guy use me like his bitch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/i-think-sometimes-nothing-is-better-than-something-i-mean-i-d-rather/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“No it was my choice. It's what I wanted to do. And I knew they'd probably send me to Iraq. It's not like anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/no-it-was-my-choice-it-s-what-i-wanted-to-do-and-i-knew-they-d/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [It's amazing what happens when you stick yourself in a place and let things take their more or less natural course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/it-s-amazing-what-happens-when-you-stick-yourself-in-a-place-and-let/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“As if sorrow is the true reality? Without ever putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is the standard trajectory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/as-if-sorrow-is-the-true-reality-without-ever-putting-his-mind-to-it/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [If you want to see a bunch of happy Americans, go out to opening day at any baseball stadium in the land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/if-you-want-to-see-a-bunch-of-happy-americans-go-out-to-opening-day/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [There was no such thing as perfection in this world, only moments of such extreme transparency that you forgot yourself, a holy mercy if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/there-was-no-such-thing-as-perfection-in-this-world-only-moments-of/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“He decides he wants both more and less. He’d like to hang out with Beyonce in a nice way, get to know her by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/he-decides-he-wants-both-more-and-less-he-d-like-to-hang-out-with/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) [Explore all 127 Ben Fountain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) ## More Ends quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The end is nothing; the road is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-end-is-nothing-the-road-is-all/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/dating-someone-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-happy-spectrum-teaches-you/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [At the end of night, before you close your eyes, be content with what you've done and be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/at-the-end-of-night-before-you-close-your-eyes-be-content-with-what/) [Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/) > [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. 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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/) > [The beginning of love is all about the butterflies, but the end of it is when you can't get out of bed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/the-beginning-of-love-is-all-about-the-butterflies-but-the-end-of-it/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) Browse all 20,790 Ends quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I really had to decide why I was writing. 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