--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For a writer, published works are like…" description: "\"For a writer, published works are like fallen flowers, but the expected new work is like a calyx waiting to blossom.\" — Cao Yu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/cao-yu-74970_blossom_for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fa_829972.jpg" --- # For a writer, published works are like fallen flowers, but… ![“For a writer, published works are like fallen flowers, but the expected new work is like a calyx waiting to blossom.” quote by Cao Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/cao-yu-74970_blossom_for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fa_829972.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/cao-yu-74970_blossom_for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fa_829972.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/cao-yu-74970_blossom_for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fa_829972.jpg) > “For a writer, published works are like fallen flowers, but the expected new work is like a calyx waiting to blossom.” [Cao Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cao-yu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work is seen as a fragile bloom, while future projects hold the promise of growth and renewal. **In simple terms:** Published work is fragile; new work holds potential. Key Takeaway Nurture ideas and let them develop. Themes creativity anticipation growth Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - writing - project planning - career development - artistic inspiration Key Concepts potential impermanence hope Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to cultivate your next project? - How do you balance current success with future aspirations? A Different Perspective New ideas may never materialize without effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blossom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blossom/) [Expected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expected/) [Fallen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallen/) [Fallen Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallen-flowers-550306/) [Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flowers/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [New work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-work/) [Published](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/published/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Waiting Blossom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting-blossom-550305/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Published](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-published-550304/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The idea that you're not a writer until you're published is a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-vachss/the-idea-that-you-re-not-a-writer-until-you-re-published-is-a-lie/) [Andrew Vachss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-vachss/) > [Cory Doctorow should be too busy for lunch. He's co-editor of, and a prolific contributor to, one of the most influential blogs in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/cory-doctorow-should-be-too-busy-for-lunch-he-s-co-editor-of-and-a/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [Stand above the fallen flowers Torn and nameless final hours Flightless birds and dead winds rising Call to god in all their writhing Broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guren-no-yamiga/stand-above-the-fallen-flowers-torn-and-nameless-final-hours/) [Guren No Yamiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guren-no-yamiga/) > [A writer who has published as many books as I have has developed, of necessity, a hide like a rhino's, while inside there dwells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-who-has-published-as-many-books-as-i-have-has-developed-of/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Book reviewer: Very often a writer who has never been published taking out their frustrations on a writer who has.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-ramos-y-sanchez/book-reviewer-very-often-a-writer-who-has-never-been-published-taking/) [Raul Ramos y Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-ramos-y-sanchez/) > [I will ignore all ideas for new works and engines of war, the invention of which has reached its limits and for whose improvement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frontinus/i-will-ignore-all-ideas-for-new-works-and-engines-of-war-the/) [Frontinus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frontinus/) > [I'm just in the business of creating; creating new work inspires you to create new work. It's kind of funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-walker/i-m-just-in-the-business-of-creating-creating-new-work-inspires-you/) [Karen Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-walker/) > [A lot of the stuff I've done is inspired by the location. Usually my works are pretty site-specific. There are a lot of shows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ragnar-kjartansson/a-lot-of-the-stuff-i-ve-done-is-inspired-by-the-location-usually-my/) [Ragnar Kjartansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ragnar-kjartansson/) > [I still do not know where the notes will come from when I accept a commission for a new work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lukas-foss/i-still-do-not-know-where-the-notes-will-come-from-when-i-accept-a/) [Lukas Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lukas-foss/) > [Because of the gospel, God is doing a new work, and he invites us to participate in this innovative work that affects the entirety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kim/because-of-the-gospel-god-is-doing-a-new-work-and-he-invites-us-to/) [David Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kim/) > [It's always really scary to release new work;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-prager/it-s-always-really-scary-to-release-new-work/) [Alex Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-prager/) > [Any genuine work of art generates new work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/any-genuine-work-of-art-generates-new-work/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [In new work, we need to see the shadow, however faint, of previous literary effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-lopate/in-new-work-we-need-to-see-the-shadow-however-faint-of-previous/) [Phillip Lopate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-lopate/) > [I always crave to see more stories about and by people of color, particularly new work by young black writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katori-hall/i-always-crave-to-see-more-stories-about-and-by-people-of-color/) [Katori Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katori-hall/) > [Each match I approach like a new one. The work is so immense that you don't have time to sit and ponder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viswanathan-anand/each-match-i-approach-like-a-new-one-the-work-is-so-immense-that-you/) [Viswanathan Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viswanathan-anand/) ## More by Cao Yu > [For a writer, life is always too short to write. I will just try my best during what remains of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cao-yu/for-a-writer-life-is-always-too-short-to-write-i-will-just-try-my/) [Cao Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cao-yu/) > [As society diversifies, the number of people who read literature is decreasing. It will be difficult for readers to digest my ideas through literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cao-yu/as-society-diversifies-the-number-of-people-who-read-literature-is/) [Cao Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cao-yu/) [Explore all 3 Cao Yu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cao-yu/) ## More Blossom quotes > [My first concert ever was my freshman year of high school, at Blossom, and it was Lil Wayne and Young Money. It was wild.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-nance-jr/my-first-concert-ever-was-my-freshman-year-of-high-school-at-blossom/) [Larry Nance, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-nance-jr/) > [I'm sure there was some part of his soul was intrinsically happy, but he probably had to go through some permutations to really get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/i-m-sure-there-was-some-part-of-his-soul-was-intrinsically-happy-but/) [Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/) > [Am I accurately reporting what I see in such a blossom? The answer is no ... and yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-lacy/am-i-accurately-reporting-what-i-see-in-such-a-blossom-the-answer-is/) [Allen Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-lacy/) > [“Autumn had arrived— the last blossom whispered, let me stay awhile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meeta-ahluwalia/autumn-had-arrived-the-last-blossom-whispered-let-me-stay-awhile/) [Meeta Ahluwalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meeta-ahluwalia/) > [I love Serge Lutens orange blossom perfume; my mom got it for me. It's my favorite. It just smells clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gia-coppola/i-love-serge-lutens-orange-blossom-perfume-my-mom-got-it-for-me-it-s/) [Gia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gia-coppola/) > [“Like wind and fire, water and soil, we used one another, to grow and blossom. Love was a dream, elusive as were we.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iva-hotko/like-wind-and-fire-water-and-soil-we-used-one-another-to-grow-and/) [Iva Hotko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iva-hotko/) > [Fruits that blossom first will first be ripe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/fruits-that-blossom-first-will-first-be-ripe/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“This is BLOSSOM!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-brickley/this-is-blossom/) [Katherine Brickley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-brickley/) > [Labor is blossoming or dancing where The body is not bruised to pleasure soul, Nor beauty born out of its own despair, Nor blear-eyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/labor-is-blossoming-or-dancing-where-the-body-is-not-bruised-to/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [Poetry is the silence and speech between a wet struggling root of a flower and a sunlit blossom of that flower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/poetry-is-the-silence-and-speech-between-a-wet-struggling-root-of-a/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [“ A Blessing Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota, Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass. And the eyes of those two Indian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wright/a-blessing-just-off-the-highway-to-rochester-minnesota-twilight/) [James Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wright/) > [Part of my personality is I like to have a good time and I'm an extrovert, and extroverts, they blossom as meathead frat boys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-kreischer/part-of-my-personality-is-i-like-to-have-a-good-time-and-i-m-an/) [Bert Kreischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-kreischer/) > [I would've preferred to blossom earlier in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-dean-stanton/i-would-ve-preferred-to-blossom-earlier-in-life/) [Harry Dean Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-dean-stanton/) > [“it takes a village to build success in publishing a book - it takes friends that are willing to help - it takes hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-okun/it-takes-a-village-to-build-success-in-publishing-a-book-it-takes/) [Rich Okun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-okun/) > [I'll have an awesome blossom, EXTRA awesome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/i-ll-have-an-awesome-blossom-extra-awesome/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) [Browse all 185 Blossom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blossom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For a writer, published works are like fallen flowers, but the expected new work is like a calyx waiting to blossom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cao Yu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cao-yu/for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fallen-flowers-but-the-expected/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blossom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cao-yu/for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fallen-flowers-but-the-expected/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/cao-yu-74970_blossom_for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fa_829972.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/cao-yu-74970_blossom_for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fa_829972.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/cao-yu-74970_blossom_for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fa_829972.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For a writer, published works are like fallen flowers, but the expected new work is like a calyx waiting to…” — Cao Yu", "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": "Cao Yu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cao-yu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For a writer, published works are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cao-yu/for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fallen-flowers-but-the-expected/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cao-yu/for-a-writer-published-works-are-like-fallen-flowers-but-the-expected/#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 } } ] } ```