--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People often say that writing is ten…" description: "\"People often say that writing is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. This is nonsense, of course. It's pretty much one hundred per..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dde/caprice-crane-17057_caffeine_people-often-say-that-writing-is-ten-per_60650.jpg" --- # People often say that writing is ten percent inspiration… ![“People often say that writing is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. This is nonsense, of course. It's pretty much one hundred percent caffeine.” quote by Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dde/caprice-crane-17057_caffeine_people-often-say-that-writing-is-ten-per_60650.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dde/caprice-crane-17057_caffeine_people-often-say-that-writing-is-ten-per_60650.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dde/caprice-crane-17057_caffeine_people-often-say-that-writing-is-ten-per_60650.jpg) > “People often say that writing is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. This is nonsense, of course. It's pretty much one hundred percent caffeine.” [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing relies heavily on sustained energy and focus, often fueled by caffeine rather than mere inspiration. **In simple terms:** Caffeine drives productivity more than inspiration. Key Takeaway Energy is crucial for writing. Themes productivity creativity work habits motivation stimulants Mood determined humorous energetic Type aphor humor observation When to use this quote - late-night drafting - tight deadlines - creative blocks - brainstorming sessions - research writing Key Concepts inspiration effort caffeine writing process Practical Applications - enhancing writer stamina - optimizing work schedules Questions to Reflect On - How does stimulant use affect creative quality? - Can sustained effort replace inspiration? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caffeine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caffeine/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The secret to a masterpiece is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/the-secret-to-a-masterpiece-is-10-percent-inspiration-and-90-percent/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [“If genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration, then as a culture we tend to lionize the one percent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/if-genius-is-one-percent-inspiration-and-ninety-nine-percent/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“The idea itself is the ten percent inspiration; the hammering it into a viable, successful, memorable story is the ninety percent perspiration that follows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-claremont/the-idea-itself-is-the-ten-percent-inspiration-the-hammering-it-into/) [Chris Claremont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-claremont/) > [“It has been often said that writing is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration. In my experience, this is true. But, in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/it-has-been-often-said-that-writing-is-99-percent-perspiration-and-1/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/genius-is-one-percent-inspiration-ninety-nine-percent-perspiration/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Writing is 1 percent inspiration, and 99 percent elimination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-brooks/writing-is-1-percent-inspiration-and-99-percent-elimination/) [Louise Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-brooks/) > [Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-alva-edison/success-is-10-percent-inspiration-and-90-percent-perspiration/) [Thomas Alva Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-alva-edison/) > [Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-edison/genius-is-99-percent-perspiration-and-1-percent-inspiration/) [Thomas Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-edison/) > [Genius defined: of inspiration 1% percent, of perspiration, 99%.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/genius-defined-of-inspiration-1-percent-of-perspiration-99/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Persistence isn't very glamorous. If genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration, then as a culture we tend to lionize the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/persistence-isn-t-very-glamorous-if-genius-is-one-percent-inspiration/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Genius is 1 percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/genius-is-1-percent-inspiration-99-percent-perspiration/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [That adage about genius being 5 percent inspiration and 95 perspiration - it's true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/that-adage-about-genius-being-5-percent-inspiration-and-95/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) > [Eighty percent of a picture is writing, the other twenty percent is the execution, such as having the camera on the right spot and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-wilder/eighty-percent-of-a-picture-is-writing-the-other-twenty-percent-is/) [Billy Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-wilder/) > [Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/genius-is-one-percent-inspiration-and-ninety-nine-percent-perspiration/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [“Genius is 1 percent inspiration, and 99 percent perspiration.” To make great ideas a reality, we must act, experiment, fail, adapt, and learn on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/genius-is-1-percent-inspiration-and-99-percent-perspiration-to-make/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) ## More by Caprice Crane > [“When Nirvana came onto the scene, they pretty much saved music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/when-nirvana-came-onto-the-scene-they-pretty-much-saved-music/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [“And it's not that Pearl Jam was any more amazing than anyone else. I think we just liked who we were when they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/and-it-s-not-that-pearl-jam-was-any-more-amazing-than-anyone-else-i/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [“It's probably those lactose-intolerant freaks. We all know there's nothing cool about intolerance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/it-s-probably-those-lactose-intolerant-freaks-we-all-know-there-s/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [“Check her out. She‟s fuckin‟ hot.” “Wedding band,” I say. “She sings in one?" “No, jackass. She's wearing one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/check-her-out-she-s-fuckin-hot-wedding-band-i-say-she-sings-in-one-no/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [“Sometimes I wish I could be the kind of person who has one-night stands, and instead of feeling guilty about it feels empowered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/sometimes-i-wish-i-could-be-the-kind-of-person-who-has-one-night/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [“I simply never found a specific club that I could bring myself to be passionate about. I was having enough trouble finding one person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/i-simply-never-found-a-specific-club-that-i-could-bring-myself-to-be/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [People can be taught to hate. And people can be taught to spell. But apparently, it's one or the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/people-can-be-taught-to-hate-and-people-can-be-taught-to-spell-but/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [Love is pretty much a decision anyway. Just like happiness. You can decide to either love someone or not, be happy or not. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/love-is-pretty-much-a-decision-anyway-just-like-happiness-you-can/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [“I tend to think the good outweighs the bad. Then again, I try to be a glass-half-full person. Although I stand by my theory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/i-tend-to-think-the-good-outweighs-the-bad-then-again-i-try-to-be-a/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [“Most of the time, I feel like a total fraud. Like I have no idea how I’ve made it this far without the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/most-of-the-time-i-feel-like-a-total-fraud-like-i-have-no-idea-how-i/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [“The character doesn't even come out until people are tested and be put in extreme situations and most people spend their lives trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/the-character-doesn-t-even-come-out-until-people-are-tested-and-be/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [Wendy warmed my heart, earned my trust, touched my soul, and then touched me in a lot of other places. And right after we'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/wendy-warmed-my-heart-earned-my-trust-touched-my-soul-and-then/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [Someone once said, People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. They forgot one other option: Some people come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/someone-once-said-people-come-into-your-life-for-a-reason-a-season-or/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [People make changes in their life, and they blend and assimilate. They find a way to make it work. That's where I've always taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/people-make-changes-in-their-life-and-they-blend-and-assimilate-they/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [“I don’t know where she comes up with this stuff. Her mind... it’s like I’ve come upon this secret vault that science will someday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/i-don-t-know-where-she-comes-up-with-this-stuff-her-mind-it-s-like-i/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) [Explore all 38 Caprice Crane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) ## More Caffeine quotes > [I would drink gallons of coffee a day. Even now, off caffeine, I talk faster than anyone you've ever met. I finally recognized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/i-would-drink-gallons-of-coffee-a-day-even-now-off-caffeine-i-talk/) [Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/) > [American coffee can be a pale solution served at a temperature of 100 degrees centigrade in plastic thermos cups, usually obligatory in railroad stations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/american-coffee-can-be-a-pale-solution-served-at-a-temperature-of-100/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Writers aren't born, they're made - from practice, reading, and a lot of caffeine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-chee/writers-aren-t-born-they-re-made-from-practice-reading-and-a-lot-of/) [Alexander Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-chee/) > [I drink mate every day during training camp, and just in general. It's packed full of vitamins and nutrients and a lot of B…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-algieri/i-drink-mate-every-day-during-training-camp-and-just-in-general-it-s/) [Chris Algieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-algieri/) > [Usually she ordered a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, as well as a brownie, propping up her sadness with chocolate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/usually-she-ordered-a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-cup-of-tea-as-well-as-a/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [Caffeine restricts blood flow to the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/caffeine-restricts-blood-flow-to-the-brain/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sleep is just a symptom of caffeine lack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-friele/sleep-is-just-a-symptom-of-caffeine-lack/) Herman Friele > [“When he turned round with the cup to his mouth, nostrils titillated by the aroma of a sun that had once shone on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jussi-adler-olsen/when-he-turned-round-with-the-cup-to-his-mouth-nostrils-titillated-by/) [Jussi Adler-Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jussi-adler-olsen/) > [“The Reacher brothers' need for caffeine makes heroin addiction look like an amusing little take-it-or-leave-it sideline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/the-reacher-brothers-need-for-caffeine-makes-heroin-addiction-look/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“Love is a beautiful man bearing caffeine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sierra-dean/love-is-a-beautiful-man-bearing-caffeine/) [Sierra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sierra-dean/) > [I'm totally off any caffeine now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/i-m-totally-off-any-caffeine-now/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [By now, it is probably very late at night, and you have stayed up to read this book when you should have gone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/by-now-it-is-probably-very-late-at-night-and-you-have-stayed-up-to/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Coffee, my delight of the morning; yoga, my delight of the noon. Then before nightfall, I run along the pleasant paths of the Jardin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/coffee-my-delight-of-the-morning-yoga-my-delight-of-the-noon-then/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Maybe those verses in Ezekiel about the dry bones coming back to life were actually a prophecy in reference to caffeine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erynn-mangum/maybe-those-verses-in-ezekiel-about-the-dry-bones-coming-back-to-life/) [Erynn Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erynn-mangum/) > [Caffeine helps a lot. That and a certain amount of isolation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/caffeine-helps-a-lot-that-and-a-certain-amount-of-isolation/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) [Browse all 228 Caffeine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caffeine/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People often say that writing is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. This is nonsense, of course. 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