--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Authors write books for one, and only…" description: "\"“Authors write books for one, and only one, reason: because we like to torture people.”\" — Brandon Sanderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/brandon-sanderson-112_authors_authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one_2283865.jpg" --- # Authors write books for one, and only one, reason: because… ![“Authors write books for one, and only one, reason: because we like to torture people.” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/brandon-sanderson-112_authors_authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one_2283865.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/brandon-sanderson-112_authors_authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one_2283865.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/brandon-sanderson-112_authors_authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one_2283865.jpg) > ““Authors write books for one, and only one, reason: because we like to torture people.”” [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authors write to provoke and challenge readers, not just to entertain. **In simple terms:** Writing can be a form of playful cruelty. Key Takeaway Embrace bold, thought‑provoking storytelling. Themes creativity provocation authorial intent Mood playful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - crafting controversial narratives - engaging readers - testing boundaries Key Concepts literary theory psychology of reading Questions to Reflect On - How far will you push readers? - When is provocation counterproductive? A Different Perspective Not all readers appreciate discomfort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authors/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Books are reason to get up in the morning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-sankovitch/books-are-reason-to-get-up-in-the-morning/) [Nina Sankovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-sankovitch/) > [But authors before they write should read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-burney/but-authors-before-they-write-should-read/) [Fanny Burney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-burney/) > [“When authors write from personal experiences,straight from the heart,it touches the readers. Their work speaks out to all who read it,and most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jean-slack/when-authors-write-from-personal-experiences-straight-from-the-heart/) [Nina Jean Slack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jean-slack/) > [“Artist paint images unseen, musicians create sounds that emerge from silence, and authors write from a synthetic point of view about a world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-henegan/artist-paint-images-unseen-musicians-create-sounds-that-emerge-from/) [Carl Henegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-henegan/) > [ “\[One of the biggest differences between him and his rivals for the Republican nomination was\] "every one of them wants to torture people. It's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/one-of-the-biggest-differences-between-him-and-his-rivals-for-the/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Torture gives you reliable and unreliable information. That's the reason why most people in the world don't do it. So this idea that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/torture-gives-you-reliable-and-unreliable-information-that-s-the/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“Yeah, all right, but everyone knows they torture people," mumbled Sam. "Do they?" said Vimes. "Then why doesn't anyone do anything about it?" "'cos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/yeah-all-right-but-everyone-knows-they-torture-people-mumbled-sam-do/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Being on a film set, it's mind-numbing. It's like torture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/being-on-a-film-set-it-s-mind-numbing-it-s-like-torture/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [I think there is a part of me that's always a little bit like, "Why would I torture myself? Just in case you forgot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlize-theron/i-think-there-is-a-part-of-me-that-s-always-a-little-bit-like-why-2/) [Charlize Theron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlize-theron/) > [I'm down for indefinitely chilling as long as I'm not self-aware during it. That seems like it could be torture on some level but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oneohtrix-point-never/i-m-down-for-indefinitely-chilling-as-long-as-i-m-not-self-aware/) [Oneohtrix Point Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oneohtrix-point-never/) > [“When they tear a workingman's hand in a machine or kill him, you can understand-- the workingman himself is at fault. But in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxim-gorky/when-they-tear-a-workingman-s-hand-in-a-machine-or-kill-him-you-can/) [Maxim Gorky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxim-gorky/) > [The United States military is now using the music of Metallica and other heavy metal bands to break the will of Saddam Hussein supporters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-united-states-military-is-now-using-the-music-of-metallica-and/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [It's not acceptable to torture people for being themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-acceptable-to-torture-people-for-being-themselves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A day will come when a cannon will be exhibited in museums, just as instruments of torture are now, and the people will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/a-day-will-come-when-a-cannon-will-be-exhibited-in-museums-just-as/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [How great the lie right to the top: We don't torture people in America and people who say we do simply know nothing about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/how-great-the-lie-right-to-the-top-we-don-t-torture-people-in-america/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More by Brandon Sanderson > [“I’ll admit, Jasnah, that I empathize with your skepticism, but I don’t agree with it. I just think you've been looking for God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-ll-admit-jasnah-that-i-empathize-with-your-skepticism-but-i-don-t/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [They say a man doesn't know himself until he faces death for the first time. . . I don't know about that. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/they-say-a-man-doesn-t-know-himself-until-he-faces-death-for-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Why, Elend! That’s almost romantic—in a twisted ‘I’m going to make my wife want to kill me’ sort of way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/why-elend-that-s-almost-romantic-in-a-twisted-i-m-going-to-make-my/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“And...how much are we getting paid for achieving the impossible?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/and-how-much-are-we-getting-paid-for-achieving-the-impossible/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elantris was the one place where she could remember feeling unconditional acceptance. She had not been a princess, she had been something far better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elantris-was-the-one-place-where-she-could-remember-feeling/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elend-smiled-oh-come-on-you-have-to-admit-that-you-re-unusual-vin-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“That is always how it is, though, isn't it?” Shuden asked. “Those who can least afford extravagance seem to be the ones most determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/that-is-always-how-it-is-though-isn-t-it-shuden-asked-those-who-can/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“He says he’s letting the Stormfather judge you,” Moash added. “Jezerezeh, king of Heralds. He says that if you deserve to live, you will….”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/he-says-he-s-letting-the-stormfather-judge-you-moash-added-jezerezeh/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“The stories say the Nightwatcher might be capable of that. . . . Powerful spren. Vast spren.’ ‘Is he calling me vast?’ Syl said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-stories-say-the-nightwatcher-might-be-capable-of-that-powerful/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“But the mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/but-the-mark-of-a-great-man-is-one-who-knows-when-to-set-aside-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My life to yours. My breath beecome yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-beecome-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-you-re-always-on-time-it-implies-that-you-never-have-anything/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [You are inexperienced. So was I, once. So is every man. The measure of a person is not how much they have lived. .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-are-inexperienced-so-was-i-once-so-is-every-man-the-measure-of-a/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“So I should not hate Adolin Kholin for wielding a corpse!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/so-i-should-not-hate-adolin-kholin-for-wielding-a-corpse/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) [Explore all 1,238 Brandon Sanderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## More Authors quotes > [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [“Today if anything is trying to hold you back, give no attention to it. Get your hopes up, get your faith up, look up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/today-if-anything-is-trying-to-hold-you-back-give-no-attention-to-it/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“By their very nature, idiots do not have the intellectual capacity to identify genius. All that idiots are mentally equipped to recognize are other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dermot-davis/by-their-very-nature-idiots-do-not-have-the-intellectual-capacity-to/) [Dermot Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dermot-davis/) > [“Authors go on writing books, and so we go on reading them. It is a sad state of affairs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-aston/authors-go-on-writing-books-and-so-we-go-on-reading-them-it-is-a-sad/) [Elizabeth Aston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-aston/) > [“Intercourse is one thing, Intimacy is everything. Be encouraged”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-e-wagner/intercourse-is-one-thing-intimacy-is-everything-be-encouraged/) [Kerry E. Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-e-wagner/) > [Most of the more celebrated names among African-American authors, poets, and artists are known to the world because of their association with specific cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/most-of-the-more-celebrated-names-among-african-american-authors/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [“Do you read them? Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald?" "Only if I have to. I try to avoid old dead white men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/do-you-read-them-faulkner-hemingway-fitzgerald-only-if-i-have-to-i/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“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/) > [“How long has it been since you and me? Hugs and kisses. Blankets and snuggles. Our sparks smoldering without a fireplace. Losing time is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2019-fidelis-o-mkparu/how-long-has-it-been-since-you-and-me-hugs-and-kisses-blankets-and/) 2019 Fidelis O Mkparu > [“Authors: The only people you thank for leaving you emotionally devastated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-the-stacks-bookstore/authors-the-only-people-you-thank-for-leaving-you-emotionally/) Love The Stacks Bookstore > [“Authors, reviews are not for you. They are not for you. Authors, reviews are not for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/authors-reviews-are-not-for-you-they-are-not-for-you-authors-reviews/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [“I like to read as much as I can from every genre. That way, I can express my love for all writers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-selinsky/i-like-to-read-as-much-as-i-can-from-every-genre-that-way-i-can/) [Jen Selinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-selinsky/) > [“He's a liar for a living, all authors are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-halle/he-s-a-liar-for-a-living-all-authors-are/) [Karina Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-halle/) > [“A writer writes regardless... even though... notwithstanding... despite... at any rate... anyhow... nevertheless... in the face of... undeterred by... heedless of... and because. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-writer-writes-regardless-even-though-notwithstanding-despite-at-any/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“Crazy people love their Kindles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dermot-davis/crazy-people-love-their-kindles/) [Dermot Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dermot-davis/) [Browse all 529 Authors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Authors write books for one, and only one, reason: because we like to torture people.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brandon Sanderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one-reason-because-we-like-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one-reason-because-we-like-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/brandon-sanderson-112_authors_authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one_2283865.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/brandon-sanderson-112_authors_authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one_2283865.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/brandon-sanderson-112_authors_authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one_2283865.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Authors write books for one, and only one, reason: because we like to torture people.” — Brandon Sanderson", "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": "Brandon Sanderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Authors write books for one, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one-reason-because-we-like-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/authors-write-books-for-one-and-only-one-reason-because-we-like-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 } } ] } ```