--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He had started out the way nearly all…" description: "\"“He had started out the way nearly all writers do, and I'd seen it a hundred times--amateurs transformed into gibbering wrecks by actually being publis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/colin-bateman-35435_amateurs_he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-wr_430507.jpg" --- # He had started out the way nearly all writers do, and I'd… ![“He had started out the way nearly all writers do, and I'd seen it a hundred times--amateurs transformed into gibbering wrecks by actually being published; what once they'd done for fun ruined forever by the burden of expectation, the hope of sales and good reviews and riches, hobbyists turned…” quote by Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/colin-bateman-35435_amateurs_he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-wr_430507.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/colin-bateman-35435_amateurs_he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-wr_430507.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/colin-bateman-35435_amateurs_he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-wr_430507.jpg) > ““He had started out the way nearly all writers do, and I'd seen it a hundred times--amateurs transformed into gibbering wrecks by actually being published; what once they'd done for fun ruined forever by the burden of expectation, the hope of sales and good reviews and riches, hobbyists turned authors made bitter by the knowledge that they'd missed their main chance.”” [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers often become disillusioned after publication, as expectations and commercial pressures replace the joy of creation. **In simple terms:** Publishing can turn hobbyists into bitter authors. Key Takeaway Guard creative joy against external pressures. Themes creativity expectation disillusionment Mood reflective melancholic Type literary critical When to use this quote - writing career - first book release - literary criticism - author workshops Key Concepts artist identity commercialization psychology of success Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep creative freedom after success? - What pressures affect your artistic drive? A Different Perspective Success can bring new anxieties that undermine original passion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amateurs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amateurs/) [Amateurs Transformed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amateurs-transformed-3795300/) [Authors Bitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authors-bitter-3795298/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Hobbyists Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hobbyists-turned-3795301/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Turned Authors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned-authors-3795299/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Dealing with Jazz at Lincoln Center and its board of directors, who are so great, and then seeing how these Rock Hall guys operate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/dealing-with-jazz-at-lincoln-center-and-its-board-of-directors-who/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [Inspiration is for amateurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/inspiration-is-for-amateurs/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes, I wish we were all amateurs again. I'd play for nothing. Ab-so-lute-ly free. But that's not the system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-marino/sometimes-i-wish-we-were-all-amateurs-again-i-d-play-for-nothing-ab/) [Dan Marino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-marino/) > [“They were chosen for their perfect ignorance of these things. That is how the system works. In the end, the lawyers and judges happily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/they-were-chosen-for-their-perfect-ignorance-of-these-things-that-is/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [We're all amateurs when it comes to love. Don't be too hard on each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/we-re-all-amateurs-when-it-comes-to-love-don-t-be-too-hard-on-each/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Conor is not emulating me. He has to be his own man and learn his trade from the start. He will fight in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/conor-is-not-emulating-me-he-has-to-be-his-own-man-and-learn-his/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [You know, criticism began as the province of amateurs, of wealthy men who liked the arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/you-know-criticism-began-as-the-province-of-amateurs-of-wealthy-men/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [There's a myth among amateurs, optimists and fools that beyond a certain level of achievement, famous artists retire to some kind of Elysium where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-matousek/there-s-a-myth-among-amateurs-optimists-and-fools-that-beyond-a/) [Mark Matousek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-matousek/) > [Inner beauty is for amateurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-taintor/inner-beauty-is-for-amateurs/) [Anne Taintor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-taintor/) > [Amateurs look for challenges; professionals look for easy trades. Losers get high from the action; the pros look for the best odds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-elder/amateurs-look-for-challenges-professionals-look-for-easy-trades/) [Alexander Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-elder/) > [A lot of amateurs are terrified of going up against a player who is clearly better than they are. They never play their best,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fuzzy-zoeller/a-lot-of-amateurs-are-terrified-of-going-up-against-a-player-who-is/) [Fuzzy Zoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fuzzy-zoeller/) > [Most amateurs are so worried about mis-hitting the shot or hitting it off line, they don't make an aggressive move. You'd be surprised how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-bradley/most-amateurs-are-so-worried-about-mis-hitting-the-shot-or-hitting-it/) [Keegan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-bradley/) > [Even virtue is an art; and even its devotees are divided into those who practise it and those who are merely amateurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/even-virtue-is-an-art-and-even-its-devotees-are-divided-into-those/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [I love mixing amateurs and professionals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lasse-hallstrom/i-love-mixing-amateurs-and-professionals/) [Lasse Hallstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lasse-hallstrom/) > [“Inspiration is for amateurs,” Close says. “The rest of us just show up and get to work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-currey/inspiration-is-for-amateurs-close-says-the-rest-of-us-just-show-up/) [Mason Currey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-currey/) ## More by Colin Bateman > [If you dwell in the darkness, you can see in the dark and look into the light. But in choosing the darkness, you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/if-you-dwell-in-the-darkness-you-can-see-in-the-dark-and-look-into/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“Serial Killer Week got off to an inauspicious start when the opening wine and bean evening was invaded by a former prisoner who misinterpreted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/serial-killer-week-got-off-to-an-inauspicious-start-when-the-opening/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“Books are precious things and cannot be selected like tinned peas in Tesco.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/books-are-precious-things-and-cannot-be-selected-like-tinned-peas-in/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“Bookselling is like prostitution, you sell your wares, you close your eyes, and you never fall in love with the clients. You also keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/bookselling-is-like-prostitution-you-sell-your-wares-you-close-your/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“They asked me how I would be paying and I told them that if past experience was anything to go by probably with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/they-asked-me-how-i-would-be-paying-and-i-told-them-that-if-past/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“Coffee is coffee to me, I don't mind what country it comes from, who picks it or under what conditions, and I really don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/coffee-is-coffee-to-me-i-don-t-mind-what-country-it-comes-from-who/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“Also, I have a mornid fear of rates, and mice, and nettles and wasps and jagged cans and rotting food and damp newspapers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/also-i-have-a-mornid-fear-of-rates-and-mice-and-nettles-and-wasps-and/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“He was the type of man women said they hated, they absolutely hated, they absolutely and categorically hated, and then they went to bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/he-was-the-type-of-man-women-said-they-hated-they-absolutely-hated/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“Anything with the word 'Tesco' or 'Weight Watchers' on the label should be viewed with some suspicion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/anything-with-the-word-tesco-or-weight-watchers-on-the-label-should/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“By pressing our faces against the wire we could clearly see, nestling amongst torn bin liners, a red-splashed pot of discarded paint. I immediately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/by-pressing-our-faces-against-the-wire-we-could-clearly-see-nestling/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“I then swept the crumbs into my palm and opened one of the empty drawers and poured them in. I was working on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/i-then-swept-the-crumbs-into-my-palm-and-opened-one-of-the-empty/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) > [“Alison was snoring gently, and I was thinking about what would happen if I pinched her nose. And covered her mouth. The head is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/alison-was-snoring-gently-and-i-was-thinking-about-what-would-happen/) [Colin Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) [Explore all 13 Colin Bateman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/) ## More Amateurs quotes > [Dealing with Jazz at Lincoln Center and its board of directors, who are so great, and then seeing how these Rock Hall guys operate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/dealing-with-jazz-at-lincoln-center-and-its-board-of-directors-who/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [I love mixing amateurs and professionals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lasse-hallstrom/i-love-mixing-amateurs-and-professionals/) [Lasse Hallstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lasse-hallstrom/) > [Even virtue is an art; and even its devotees are divided into those who practise it and those who are merely amateurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/even-virtue-is-an-art-and-even-its-devotees-are-divided-into-those/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Most amateurs are so worried about mis-hitting the shot or hitting it off line, they don't make an aggressive move. You'd be surprised how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-bradley/most-amateurs-are-so-worried-about-mis-hitting-the-shot-or-hitting-it/) [Keegan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-bradley/) > [A lot of amateurs are terrified of going up against a player who is clearly better than they are. They never play their best,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fuzzy-zoeller/a-lot-of-amateurs-are-terrified-of-going-up-against-a-player-who-is/) [Fuzzy Zoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fuzzy-zoeller/) > [Amateurs look for challenges; professionals look for easy trades. Losers get high from the action; the pros look for the best odds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-elder/amateurs-look-for-challenges-professionals-look-for-easy-trades/) [Alexander Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-elder/) > [Inner beauty is for amateurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-taintor/inner-beauty-is-for-amateurs/) [Anne Taintor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-taintor/) > [There's a myth among amateurs, optimists and fools that beyond a certain level of achievement, famous artists retire to some kind of Elysium where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-matousek/there-s-a-myth-among-amateurs-optimists-and-fools-that-beyond-a/) [Mark Matousek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-matousek/) > [You know, criticism began as the province of amateurs, of wealthy men who liked the arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/you-know-criticism-began-as-the-province-of-amateurs-of-wealthy-men/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [Conor is not emulating me. He has to be his own man and learn his trade from the start. He will fight in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/conor-is-not-emulating-me-he-has-to-be-his-own-man-and-learn-his/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [We're all amateurs when it comes to love. Don't be too hard on each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/we-re-all-amateurs-when-it-comes-to-love-don-t-be-too-hard-on-each/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [“They were chosen for their perfect ignorance of these things. That is how the system works. In the end, the lawyers and judges happily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/they-were-chosen-for-their-perfect-ignorance-of-these-things-that-is/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [Sometimes, I wish we were all amateurs again. I'd play for nothing. Ab-so-lute-ly free. But that's not the system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-marino/sometimes-i-wish-we-were-all-amateurs-again-i-d-play-for-nothing-ab/) [Dan Marino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-marino/) > [Inspiration is for amateurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/inspiration-is-for-amateurs/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Inspiration is for amateurs,” Close says. “The rest of us just show up and get to work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-currey/inspiration-is-for-amateurs-close-says-the-rest-of-us-just-show-up/) [Mason Currey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-currey/) [Browse all 127 Amateurs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amateurs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He had started out the way nearly all writers do, and I'd seen it a hundred times--amateurs transformed into gibbering wrecks by actually being published; what once they'd done for fun ruined forever by the burden of expectation, the hope of sales and good reviews and riches, hobbyists turned authors made bitter by the knowledge that they'd missed their main chance.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Colin Bateman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-writers-do-and-i-d-seen-it-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amateurs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-writers-do-and-i-d-seen-it-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/colin-bateman-35435_amateurs_he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-wr_430507.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/colin-bateman-35435_amateurs_he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-wr_430507.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/colin-bateman-35435_amateurs_he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-wr_430507.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He had started out the way nearly all writers do, and I'd seen it a hundred times--amateurs transformed into…” — Colin Bateman", "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": "Colin Bateman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-bateman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He had started out the way...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-writers-do-and-i-d-seen-it-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-bateman/he-had-started-out-the-way-nearly-all-writers-do-and-i-d-seen-it-a/#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 } } ] } ```