--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing a novel is not method acting and…" description: "\"Writing a novel is not method acting and I find it easy to step out of it at cocktail hour.\" — Bret Easton Ellis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/bret-easton-ellis-1028_acting_writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and_2186137.jpg" --- # Writing a novel is not method acting and I find it easy to… ![“Writing a novel is not method acting and I find it easy to step out of it at cocktail hour.” quote by Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/bret-easton-ellis-1028_acting_writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and_2186137.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/bret-easton-ellis-1028_acting_writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and_2186137.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/bret-easton-ellis-1028_acting_writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and_2186137.jpg) > “Writing a novel is not method acting and I find it easy to step out of it at cocktail hour.” [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing fiction differs from acting; stepping out is easy in social settings. **In simple terms:** Writing is not performance. Key Takeaway Separate craft from persona. Themes creativity identity performance social life Mood reflective casual Type literary personal When to use this quote - author events - writing workshops - social gatherings Key Concepts literature method acting psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain voice? - When does socializing aid writing? A Different Perspective Risk of losing authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cocktails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cocktails/) [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Method acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/method-acting/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [When evening quickens in the street, comes a pause in the day's occupation that is known as the cocktail hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-devoto/when-evening-quickens-in-the-street-comes-a-pause-in-the-day-s-2/) [Bernard DeVoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-devoto/) > [When evening quickens in the street, comes a pause in the day's occupation that is known as the cocktail hour. It marks the lifeward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-devoto/when-evening-quickens-in-the-street-comes-a-pause-in-the-day-s/) [Bernard DeVoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-devoto/) > [In an age when all that was old seems new again, Bernard DeVoto's The Hour couldn't have made a more timely reappearance. This book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/in-an-age-when-all-that-was-old-seems-new-again-bernard-devoto-s-the/) [Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/) > [“In the Macomb household, cocktail hour was religion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/in-the-macomb-household-cocktail-hour-was-religion/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [“Ah yes, she has forgotten that success should come effortlessly or not at all. It’s always got to be playtime. Cocktail hour. As if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wood/ah-yes-she-has-forgotten-that-success-should-come-effortlessly-or-not/) Naomi Wood > [“This is fun, Matty, isn't it? Cocktail hour is intoxicating." "It is." "I made a little joke there." - Celeste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-park/this-is-fun-matty-isn-t-it-cocktail-hour-is-intoxicating-it-is-i-made/) [Jessica Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-park/) > [Writing a novel that works is an extremely difficult thing to do. It requires a level of skill and dedication that always surprises me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/writing-a-novel-that-works-is-an-extremely-difficult-thing-to-do-it/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Acting is easy and fun. You earn a lot of money, and you bang out with girls. The profession is given tremendous significance within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/acting-is-easy-and-fun-you-earn-a-lot-of-money-and-you-bang-out-with/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [You're in this constant state of flux and transition, as if you had jet lag all the time. The acting part of it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-johnson/you-re-in-this-constant-state-of-flux-and-transition-as-if-you-had/) [Don Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-johnson/) > [I mean, acting is so easy! I love it and I'm good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-bean/i-mean-acting-is-so-easy-i-love-it-and-i-m-good-at-it/) [Orson Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-bean/) > [You have to believe what you say, and if you believe what you are saying, then acting is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-van-damme/you-have-to-believe-what-you-say-and-if-you-believe-what-you-are/) [Jean-Claude Van Damme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-van-damme/) > [ \[Voice acting\] is such an easy job. It's like stealing money, really. Which I'm always happy to do. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/voice-acting-is-such-an-easy-job-it-s-like-stealing-money-really/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [If all the circumstances of acting are made to easy, then there's no grain of sand to make the pearl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/if-all-the-circumstances-of-acting-are-made-to-easy-then-there-s-no/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [Acting is something where you have to completely remove yourself. So, do I find acting easy? Absolutely no! Do I want to do more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcgrath/acting-is-something-where-you-have-to-completely-remove-yourself-so/) [Mark McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcgrath/) > [The acting part is easy; it's the preparing - lifting weights and getting your body in tip-top shape - that's the hard part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaske-spencer/the-acting-part-is-easy-it-s-the-preparing-lifting-weights-and/) [Chaske Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaske-spencer/) ## More by Bret Easton Ellis > [“he looked at me with such vehemence that I felt like a blip, a fart, in the course of his life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/he-looked-at-me-with-such-vehemence-that-i-felt-like-a-blip-a-fart-in/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“This isn't a script," Julian says. "It's not going to add up. Not everything's going to come together in the third act.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/this-isn-t-a-script-julian-says-it-s-not-going-to-add-up-not/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“I want to watch it again tonight even though I know I won't have enough time to masturbate over the scene where the woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-want-to-watch-it-again-tonight-even-though-i-know-i-won-t-have/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“On my way over to Park Avenue to find a cab I pass an ugly, homeless bum-- a member of the genetic underclass-- and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/on-my-way-over-to-park-avenue-to-find-a-cab-i-pass-an-ugly-homeless/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [I've forgotten who I had lunch with earlier, and even more important, where.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-ve-forgotten-who-i-had-lunch-with-earlier-and-even-more-important/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Every book for me is an exorcism in some way or another, working through my feelings at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/every-book-for-me-is-an-exorcism-in-some-way-or-another-working/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Why was I holding on to something that would never be mine? But isn't that what people do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/why-was-i-holding-on-to-something-that-would-never-be-mine-but-isn-t/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [The seeds of love have taken hold and if we won't burn together, I'll burn alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/the-seeds-of-love-have-taken-hold-and-if-we-won-t-burn-together-i-ll/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“It wasn't until the show was almost over that I figured out what it was: the crack above my David Onica that I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/it-wasn-t-until-the-show-was-almost-over-that-i-figured-out-what-it/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [What do you do?' she asks, holding out the vest. 'What do you do?' 'What do you do?' she asks, her voice shaking. 'Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/what-do-you-do-she-asks-holding-out-the-vest-what-do-you-do-what-do/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“Sometimes when you’re standing in a crowd I feel those sultry dark eyes of yours stop on me. Are you too afraid to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/sometimes-when-you-re-standing-in-a-crowd-i-feel-those-sultry-dark/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“Scientists peered into data and concluded that we should all be worried. -Lunar planet”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/scientists-peered-into-data-and-concluded-that-we-should-all-be/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“You can't get dyslexia from pussy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/you-can-t-get-dyslexia-from-pussy/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Open the hood of a car and it will tell you something about the people who designed it, is just one of many phrases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/open-the-hood-of-a-car-and-it-will-tell-you-something-about-the/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [I kept staring into the blackness of the woods, drawn into the darkness as I always had been. I suddenly realized how alone I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-kept-staring-into-the-blackness-of-the-woods-drawn-into-the/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) [Explore all 286 Bret Easton Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) ## More Acting quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing a novel is not method acting and I find it easy to step out of it at cocktail hour.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bret Easton Ellis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and-i-find-it-easy-to-step-out/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and-i-find-it-easy-to-step-out/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/bret-easton-ellis-1028_acting_writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and_2186137.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/bret-easton-ellis-1028_acting_writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and_2186137.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/bret-easton-ellis-1028_acting_writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and_2186137.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing a novel is not method acting and I find it easy to step out of it at cocktail hour.” — Bret Easton Ellis", "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": "Bret Easton Ellis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Writing a novel is not method...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and-i-find-it-easy-to-step-out/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/writing-a-novel-is-not-method-acting-and-i-find-it-easy-to-step-out/#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 } } ] } ```