--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Stories are like wine; they need time. So…" description: "\"“Stories are like wine; they need time. So take the time. This isn’t a hot dog eating contest. You’re not being judged on how much you write but rather..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/chuck-wendig-5165_creativity_stories-are-like-wine-they-need-time-so_2269616.jpg" --- # Stories are like wine; they need time. So take the time… ![“Stories are like wine; they need time. So take the time. This isn’t a hot dog eating contest. You’re not being judged on how much you write but rather, how well you do it. Sure, there’s a balance — you have to be generative, have to be swimming forward lest you sink like a stone and find remora…” quote by Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/chuck-wendig-5165_creativity_stories-are-like-wine-they-need-time-so_2269616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/chuck-wendig-5165_creativity_stories-are-like-wine-they-need-time-so_2269616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/chuck-wendig-5165_creativity_stories-are-like-wine-they-need-time-so_2269616.jpg) > ““Stories are like wine; they need time. So take the time. This isn’t a hot dog eating contest. You’re not being judged on how much you write but rather, how well you do it. Sure, there’s a balance — you have to be generative, have to be swimming forward lest you sink like a stone and find remora fish mating inside your rectum. But generation and creativity should not come at the cost of quality. Give your stories and your career the time and patience it needs.”” [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Storytelling requires patience and quality over speed; balance generative flow with careful craftsmanship. **In simple terms:** Take time, focus on quality, not just quantity. Key Takeaway Prioritize thoughtful revision. Themes creativity craftsmanship patience balance quality Mood inspirational practical encouraging Type creative professional motivational When to use this quote - novel writing - short story workshops - content planning Key Concepts narrative structure creative process self‑discipline Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure when a story is ready? - What rituals help maintain creative momentum? A Different Perspective Rushed output can erode originality and reader trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cost Of Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost-of-quality-230257/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Creativity Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity-come-1960075/) [Generation Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation-creativity-5255006/) [Judged Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judged-write-2591467/) [Quality Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality-stories-860417/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time and patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-and-patience/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The cost of quality is the expense of doing things wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/the-cost-of-quality-is-the-expense-of-doing-things-wrong/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [Writers will be judged by what they write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/writers-will-be-judged-by-what-they-write/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [“I believe that we need good tale-tellers now, as much as we did when the oral tradition was the only way that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/i-believe-that-we-need-good-tale-tellers-now-as-much-as-we-did-when/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [I work in musical theater because people keep writing quality stories in the genre, and I'm really all about investing in a piece that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-victor-dixon/i-work-in-musical-theater-because-people-keep-writing-quality-stories/) [Brandon Victor Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-victor-dixon/) > [“Caring for people often takes the form of concern for the quality of their stories, not for their feelings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/caring-for-people-often-takes-the-form-of-concern-for-the-quality-of/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“I envy all authors who command words on paper. I do not. My English is simple, my gramma is flawed, so why do i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikkel-skipper/i-envy-all-authors-who-command-words-on-paper-i-do-not-my-english-is/) [Mikkel Skipper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikkel-skipper/) > [I mean, even when it's really simple, there's so much amazing beautiful creativity that can come out of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/i-mean-even-when-it-s-really-simple-there-s-so-much-amazing-beautiful/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [“Instead of kneading our habits into irreversible certainties and fidgeting in the boredom of our comforts, let us fantasy and creativity come to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/instead-of-kneading-our-habits-into-irreversible-certainties-and/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“where does creativity come from? Creativity comes from the Universe itself. “There is music and poetry in the Universe itself — surely we hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/where-does-creativity-come-from-creativity-comes-from-the-universe/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I believe that if you have good organizational skills, then creativity can come out of that, but it's hard to be really creative when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-burrell/i-believe-that-if-you-have-good-organizational-skills-then-creativity/) [Anne Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-burrell/) > [I don't really care what someone's background is; creativity can come from any background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarvis-cocker/i-don-t-really-care-what-someone-s-background-is-creativity-can-come/) [Jarvis Cocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarvis-cocker/) > [Any artwork needs time and patience and needs above a quiet mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flora-thompson/any-artwork-needs-time-and-patience-and-needs-above-a-quiet-mind/) [Flora Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flora-thompson/) > [“Yeah. I know why she cuts. I just don’t know the seed-reason. It’s deep inside her, and it’ll take time and patience to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasinda-wilder/yeah-i-know-why-she-cuts-i-just-don-t-know-the-seed-reason-it-s-deep/) [Jasinda Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasinda-wilder/) > [All human power is a compound of time and patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/all-human-power-is-a-compound-of-time-and-patience/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Good relationship dont just happen it takes time and patience communication is the best keyword.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikkie/good-relationship-dont-just-happen-it-takes-time-and-patience/) [Nikkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikkie/) ## More by Chuck Wendig > [You've got all these characters and yet, you're hovering over one character like a fly over a stinky diaper. Realize that you've got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/you-ve-got-all-these-characters-and-yet-you-re-hovering-over-one/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [When in doubt, the rule of threes is a rule that plays well with all of storytelling. When describing a thing? No more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/when-in-doubt-the-rule-of-threes-is-a-rule-that-plays-well-with-all/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“All hail the light, the dark, and the grey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/all-hail-the-light-the-dark-and-the-grey/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“Naughty business, this Empire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/naughty-business-this-empire/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“Things happen in this life. Sometimes they're good things, and sometimes they're bad things. You have to come to terms with the bad things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/things-happen-in-this-life-sometimes-they-re-good-things-and/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“Did you just say shrug instead of actually shrugging?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/did-you-just-say-shrug-instead-of-actually-shrugging/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“On the worst day of writing, the work is instructive. On the best day, the act is transcendent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/on-the-worst-day-of-writing-the-work-is-instructive-on-the-best-day/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“A HUG IS LIKE VIOLENCE MADE OF LOVE.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/a-hug-is-like-violence-made-of-love/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“Stories have the power to make people feel. To give a shit. To change their opinions. To change the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/stories-have-the-power-to-make-people-feel-to-give-a-shit-to-change/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“You thought what? That because you’re a nice guy, my panties will just drop because you deserve to have my thighs around your ears?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/you-thought-what-that-because-you-re-a-nice-guy-my-panties-will-just/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“Today is a day of celebration. We have triumphed over villainy and oppression and have given our Alliance—and the galaxy beyond it—a chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/today-is-a-day-of-celebration-we-have-triumphed-over-villainy-and/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“Write as much as you can. As fast as you can. Finish your shit. Hit your deadlines. Try very hard not to suck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/write-as-much-as-you-can-as-fast-as-you-can-finish-your-shit-hit-your/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“everyone likes to be sold easy promises, don’t they?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/everyone-likes-to-be-sold-easy-promises-don-t-they/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“I would straight up fuck a snowman right now, she says. Just to cool down. - Miriam Black”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/i-would-straight-up-fuck-a-snowman-right-now-she-says-just-to-cool/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“Writers are made--forged, really, in a kiln of their own madness and insecurities--over the course of many, many moons. The writer you are when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/writers-are-made-forged-really-in-a-kiln-of-their-own-madness-and/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) [Explore all 102 Chuck Wendig quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) ## More Creativity quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“The Soviet “creative intelligentsia” - that is, people accustomed to thinking one thing, saying another and doing a third - is as a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-amalrik/the-soviet-creative-intelligentsia-that-is-people-accustomed-to/) [Andrei Amalrik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-amalrik/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“You are the end of beauty and creativity one must have created so far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-are-the-end-of-beauty-and-creativity-one-must-have-created-so-far/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Jonah Lehrer is one of the most talented explainers of science that we’ve got. What a pleasure it is to follow his investigation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/jonah-lehrer-is-one-of-the-most-talented-explainers-of-science-that/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [If you've got creativity, imagination, and intelligence, and you want to be hypnotised, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/if-you-ve-got-creativity-imagination-and-intelligence-and-you-want-to/) [Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/) > [“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/) > [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/) [Christoph Niemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-niemann/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/) [Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/) > [Create an environment for people to fail, to learn, and to grow. Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 13,625 Creativity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Stories are like wine; they need time. So take the time. This isn’t a hot dog eating contest. You’re not being judged on how much you write but rather, how well you do it. 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