--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't call myself a writer." description: "\"I don't call myself a writer.\" — Bruce Boxleitner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/bruce-boxleitner-19550_writer_i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer-2962245_2962245.jpg" --- # I don't call myself a writer. ![“I don't call myself a writer.” quote by Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/bruce-boxleitner-19550_writer_i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer-2962245_2962245.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/bruce-boxleitner-19550_writer_i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer-2962245_2962245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/bruce-boxleitner-19550_writer_i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer-2962245_2962245.jpg) > “I don't call myself a writer.” [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Denies being a writer, emphasizing humility. **In simple terms:** He does not identify as a writer. Key Takeaway Embrace humility in self‑labeling. Themes identity humility self‑perception career Mood humorous introspective Type personal quote When to use this quote - acting - writing - public image Key Concepts personal branding role definition Questions to Reflect On - Why avoid the writer label? - How does identity affect work? A Different Perspective Denial may obscure contributions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Don't be 'a writer'. Be writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/don-t-be-a-writer-be-writing/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Don't be a writer; it's a terrible way to live your life. There's nothing to be gained from it but poverty and obscurity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/don-t-be-a-writer-it-s-a-terrible-way-to-live-your-life-there-s/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [“I believe in magic. As a writer, I create them on blank paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonnia-kemmer/i-believe-in-magic-as-a-writer-i-create-them-on-blank-paper/) [Sonnia Kemmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonnia-kemmer/) > [No Time For Goodbye is a deliciously smart thriller, full of surprises and perfect pacing. I'm jealous I didn't write it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/no-time-for-goodbye-is-a-deliciously-smart-thriller-full-of-surprises/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [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/) > [Writing thats not working for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-asprin/writing-thats-not-working-for-a-living/) [Robert Asprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-asprin/) > [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/) > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/to-refer-even-in-passing-to-unpublished-or-struggling-authors-and/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [If I don't know who I'm writing for, I make it up and pick somebody I'm writing for. That's really the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/if-i-don-t-know-who-i-m-writing-for-i-make-it-up-and-pick-somebody-i/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) ## More by Bruce Boxleitner > [In television, the audience has to be comfortable with you, and I've managed to prove that I can be in American homes to some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/in-television-the-audience-has-to-be-comfortable-with-you-and-i-ve/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [A show needs time to find an audience, and they're very quick to pull them off the air now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/a-show-needs-time-to-find-an-audience-and-they-re-very-quick-to-pull/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [I enjoy working with Melissa a great deal. We're always looking for projects to do together. I was happy to have her do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-enjoy-working-with-melissa-a-great-deal-we-re-always-looking-for/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [I started acting professionally at age 19.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-started-acting-professionally-at-age-19/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [I would love to do a Western again if Westerns came back into fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-would-love-to-do-a-western-again-if-westerns-came-back-into-fashion/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [Basically I started to jot notes, lots of faxes back and forth to my writer, we faxed ideas throughout the whole first draft, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/basically-i-started-to-jot-notes-lots-of-faxes-back-and-forth-to-my/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [Certainly, because the computer and computer language was still not as common as it is today. That's one of the reasons I believe Tron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/certainly-because-the-computer-and-computer-language-was-still-not-as/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [I just always had a love for television and movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-just-always-had-a-love-for-television-and-movies/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [Thats the great thing about being an actor, you get to try out lots of things for your roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/thats-the-great-thing-about-being-an-actor-you-get-to-try-out-lots-of/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [Will Shatner, Jonathan Frakes of Star Trek have already put novels out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/will-shatner-jonathan-frakes-of-star-trek-have-already-put-novels-out/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [I think every leading man wants to be a character actor, and every character actor wants to be a leading man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-think-every-leading-man-wants-to-be-a-character-actor-and-every/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [The making of television has changed quite a bit. Now you have to do them n cheaper budgets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/the-making-of-television-has-changed-quite-a-bit-now-you-have-to-do/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [I've had quarter horses for the last 18 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-ve-had-quarter-horses-for-the-last-18-years/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [I can't believe we're in the middle of the fifth season, and if this is all there is, my God, it went fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-can-t-believe-we-re-in-the-middle-of-the-fifth-season-and-if-this/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [They've also asked me now to start on another series that we're gonna do after this Frontier Earth. But it's not science fiction, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/they-ve-also-asked-me-now-to-start-on-another-series-that-we-re-gonna/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) [Explore all 32 Bruce Boxleitner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) ## More Writer quotes > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“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/) > [If I don't know who I'm writing for, I make it up and pick somebody I'm writing for. That's really the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/if-i-don-t-know-who-i-m-writing-for-i-make-it-up-and-pick-somebody-i/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [“Note found in the patron suggestion box: "You have SIGNS up near the computers that say BE QUIET, but people don't be quiet. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-sheridan/note-found-in-the-patron-suggestion-box-you-have-signs-up-near-the/) [Gina Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-sheridan/) [Browse all 43,858 Writer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't call myself a writer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce Boxleitner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Writer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/bruce-boxleitner-19550_writer_i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer-2962245_2962245.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/bruce-boxleitner-19550_writer_i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer-2962245_2962245.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/bruce-boxleitner-19550_writer_i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer-2962245_2962245.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't call myself a writer.” — Bruce Boxleitner", "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": "Bruce Boxleitner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't call myself a writer.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-don-t-call-myself-a-writer/#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 } } ] } ```