--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I actually started trying to be a…" description: "\"I actually started trying to be a professional writer with novels, and I wrote two that exist and are around... kind of. But they never really went any..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/charles-soule-15796_actually_i-actually-started-trying-to-be-a-profes_1867287.jpg" --- # I actually started trying to be a professional writer with… ![“I actually started trying to be a professional writer with novels, and I wrote two that exist and are around... kind of. But they never really went anyplace in particular. I still like them both. What it showed me was that you can spend years on a novel, and then it could just be, like, OK, you…” quote by Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/charles-soule-15796_actually_i-actually-started-trying-to-be-a-profes_1867287.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/charles-soule-15796_actually_i-actually-started-trying-to-be-a-profes_1867287.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/charles-soule-15796_actually_i-actually-started-trying-to-be-a-profes_1867287.jpg) > “I actually started trying to be a professional writer with novels, and I wrote two that exist and are around... kind of. But they never really went anyplace in particular. I still like them both. What it showed me was that you can spend years on a novel, and then it could just be, like, OK, you spent that time and that's that.” [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author reflects on the effort invested in writing novels that may never achieve fame, highlighting the intrinsic value of the creative process over external success. **In simple terms:** Writing can be rewarding even without fame. Key Takeaway Value the creative journey itself. Themes creativity perseverance self‑assessment literature Mood contemplative determined Type inspirational realistic When to use this quote - personal writing projects - self‑evaluation - creative persistence Key Concepts intrinsic motivation artistic fulfillment process over product Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to write beyond recognition? - How do you measure success in creative work? A Different Perspective Success is not guaranteed; effort may feel unreciprocated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) [Around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Both](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/both/) [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [End Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-year/) [Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Just be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-be/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novel Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-just-274170/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [Novels Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels-wrote-1306868/) [Ok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ok/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Professional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professional/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend/) [Spent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spent/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Still](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/still/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-novels-1239824/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-novel-2493989/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [The beauty of my work is that my sets cost nothing. That's what I love about being a writer of novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/the-beauty-of-my-work-is-that-my-sets-cost-nothing-that-s-what-i-love/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [I've always been a little bit more of a novel reader than a short story reader. I think the first books that made me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-freudenberger/i-ve-always-been-a-little-bit-more-of-a-novel-reader-than-a-short/) [Nell Freudenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-freudenberger/) > [... a novel survives because of its basic truthfulness, its having within it something general and universal, and a quality of imaginative perception which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/a-novel-survives-because-of-its-basic-truthfulness-its-having-within/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [I was well under the spell of the old Gold Medal Crime novels when I wrote 'Savage Season,' and I wanted to write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-r-lansdale/i-was-well-under-the-spell-of-the-old-gold-medal-crime-novels-when-i/) [Joe R. Lansdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-r-lansdale/) > [I'm a big Philip Roth fan. I think "American Pastoral" is the great American novel of the past 30 to 40 years. It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duchovny/i-m-a-big-philip-roth-fan-i-think-american-pastoral-is-the-great/) [David Duchovny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duchovny/) > [I'm not embarrassed about the novels I wrote when I was younger, but I couldn't write them today because of my religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-mensch/i-m-not-embarrassed-about-the-novels-i-wrote-when-i-was-younger-but-i/) [Louise Mensch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-mensch/) > [I wrote about four novels before I wrote a word of journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-wrote-about-four-novels-before-i-wrote-a-word-of-journalism/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“But humankind doesn't give a damn ! The proof of it is that in twenty-four years this novel has been collecting dust in libraries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelie-nothomb/but-humankind-doesn-t-give-a-damn-the-proof-of-it-is-that-in-twenty/) [Amélie Nothomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelie-nothomb/) > [Every time that I write a novel I am convinced for at least two years that it is the last one, because a novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/every-time-that-i-write-a-novel-i-am-convinced-for-at-least-two-years/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Of the first seven novels I wrote, numbers four and five were published. Numbers one, two, three, six, and seven, have never seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/of-the-first-seven-novels-i-wrote-numbers-four-and-five-were/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [I wrote a whole novel before The Beach. Unpublishable. Junk. But, for some reason I stuck at novels and wrote a second. Still not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-garland/i-wrote-a-whole-novel-before-the-beach-unpublishable-junk-but-for/) [Alex Garland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-garland/) > [I spent six years after my first novel and five years after my second without getting into a new book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-ove-knausgard/i-spent-six-years-after-my-first-novel-and-five-years-after-my-second/) [Karl Ove Knausgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-ove-knausgard/) > [A novel is a daily labor over a period of years. A novel is a job. But a story can be like a mad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/a-novel-is-a-daily-labor-over-a-period-of-years-a-novel-is-a-job-but/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“David Goodis didn’t write novels, he wrote suicide notes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gorman/david-goodis-didn-t-write-novels-he-wrote-suicide-notes/) [Ed Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gorman/) > [To me there's no difference between a book of stories and a novel - they're just slightly different shapes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/to-me-there-s-no-difference-between-a-book-of-stories-and-a-novel/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) ## More by Charles Soule > [For 'Inhuman,' it's a 'chess game' series. You have a lot of pieces moving different ways at once, and it's about what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/for-inhuman-it-s-a-chess-game-series-you-have-a-lot-of-pieces-moving/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [When Marvel approached me about possibly bringing back a She-Hulk solo series, a few touchstones for a take immediately popped into my head -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/when-marvel-approached-me-about-possibly-bringing-back-a-she-hulk/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [You cant be a practicing attorney without being very disciplined and detail-oriented and having good time management.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/you-cant-be-a-practicing-attorney-without-being-very-disciplined-and/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [“You could drop Tony Stark naked in the middle of the desert and he'd fly out in a jet made of sand and cactus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/you-could-drop-tony-stark-naked-in-the-middle-of-the-desert-and-he-d/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [I like learning things, and I like that writing comics is an excuse to look into new stuff and research and learn new things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/i-like-learning-things-and-i-like-that-writing-comics-is-an-excuse-to/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [There are fantastic stories yet to be told featuring Marvel's characters, old and new, and I'm thrilled to be part of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/there-are-fantastic-stories-yet-to-be-told-featuring-marvel-s/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [I'm always experimenting and trying different things. That's what keeps it fun and encourages growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/i-m-always-experimenting-and-trying-different-things-that-s-what/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [The thing about Red Lanterns is that, while they have light powers and they have a power battery, they also have this weird shamanistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/the-thing-about-red-lanterns-is-that-while-they-have-light-powers-and/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [Here's a list of some of the folks who have written Swamp Thing over the years: Alan Moore, Len Wein, Scott Snyder, Brian K…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/here-s-a-list-of-some-of-the-folks-who-have-written-swamp-thing-over/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [It's kind of like when you have guests coming over to your house, and you haven't really picked up in awhile, and you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/it-s-kind-of-like-when-you-have-guests-coming-over-to-your-house-and/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [We'll see She-Hulk fighting evil everywhere from the boardroom to the Bowery, using her mind as much as her fists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/we-ll-see-she-hulk-fighting-evil-everywhere-from-the-boardroom-to-the/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [I've always loved the idea of mythologies linked to or underlying everyday life, like the kami gods of Shintoism, where every rock, tree and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/i-ve-always-loved-the-idea-of-mythologies-linked-to-or-underlying/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [The first comic I can remember ever reading was a 'Fantastic Four' issue that my dad bought out of the drugstore once. The thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/the-first-comic-i-can-remember-ever-reading-was-a-fantastic-four/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [I had always thought that I would do something that was connected to music as a career, or possibly Chinese, which was my major.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/i-had-always-thought-that-i-would-do-something-that-was-connected-to/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [Black Bolt is typically a stoic leader, part of a larger cast of Inhumans who get their hands dirty in ways that he doesn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/black-bolt-is-typically-a-stoic-leader-part-of-a-larger-cast-of/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) [Explore all 42 Charles Soule quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) ## More Actually 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/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) [Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I actually started trying to be a professional writer with novels, and I wrote two that exist and are around... kind of. 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