--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm definitely a seat-of-the-pants writer." description: "\"I'm definitely a seat-of-the-pants writer.\" — Deborah Harkness" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/deborah-harkness-3590_definitely_i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-write_885487.jpg" --- # I'm definitely a seat-of-the-pants writer. ![“I'm definitely a seat-of-the-pants writer.” quote by Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/deborah-harkness-3590_definitely_i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-write_885487.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/deborah-harkness-3590_definitely_i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-write_885487.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/deborah-harkness-3590_definitely_i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-write_885487.jpg) > “I'm definitely a seat-of-the-pants writer.” [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker admits to writing intuitively without strict planning, embracing spontaneity in the creative process. **In simple terms:** She writes by feeling rather than outlining. Key Takeaway Embrace instinctive creativity. Themes creativity intuition writing spontaneity Mood reflective optimistic Type advice personal. When to use this quote - novel drafting - journal entries - improvised storytelling - first drafts Key Concepts flow state creative confidence Questions to Reflect On - How does intuition guide your narrative? - When do you need a plan? A Different Perspective Spontaneous writing may lack structure, leading to revisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I operate by the seat of my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-finks/i-operate-by-the-seat-of-my-pants/) [Jim Finks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-finks/) > [I did everything by the seat of my pants. That's why I got hurt so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evel-knievel/i-did-everything-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-that-s-why-i-got-hurt-so-much/) [Evel Knievel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evel-knievel/) > [I live by the seat of my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maye-musk/i-live-by-the-seat-of-my-pants/) [Maye Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maye-musk/) > [I write 'by the seat of my pants.' I love to do research. I am inspired by contemporary writers and contemporary events. I live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-johansen/i-write-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-i-love-to-do-research-i-am-inspired/) [Iris Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-johansen/) > [I fly from the seat of my pants, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlene-carter/i-fly-from-the-seat-of-my-pants-basically/) [Carlene Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlene-carter/) > [I never sat down and mapped out this career of mine. I've always kind of flown by the seat of my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-dushku/i-never-sat-down-and-mapped-out-this-career-of-mine-i-ve-always-kind/) [Eliza Dushku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-dushku/) > [“Dumb luck and flying by the seat of your pants can only get you so far in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/dumb-luck-and-flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-can-only-get-you-so/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [There's a thrill in flying by the seat of your pants - trousers, actually: 'pants' in English means underwear - because most shows don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-gavaris/there-s-a-thrill-in-flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-trousers/) [Jordan Gavaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-gavaris/) > [I'm definitely someone who likes to fly by the seat of her pants. My mum always prays for the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-larter/i-m-definitely-someone-who-likes-to-fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants-my/) [Ali Larter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-larter/) > [The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-heaton-vorse/the-art-of-writing-is-the-art-of-applying-the-seat-of-the-pants-to/) [Mary Heaton Vorse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-heaton-vorse/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #68: If you're going to fly by the seat of your pants, rock out with your cock out. The landing is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-saare/rhiannon-s-law-68-if-you-re-going-to-fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants/) [J.A. Saare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-saare/) > [I'm flying by the seat of my pants, never creating with a thought to what's up ahead!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-toriyama/i-m-flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-never-creating-with-a-thought-to/) [Akira Toriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-toriyama/) > [It's not that we fly by the seat of our pants. We're not afraid of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/it-s-not-that-we-fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants-we-re-not-afraid-of/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [Most of the places I came from, you gotta do a lot of gunslinging or coaching by the seat of your pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nurse/most-of-the-places-i-came-from-you-gotta-do-a-lot-of-gunslinging-or/) [Nick Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nurse/) > [“The way to write a book is the application of the seat of one's pants to the seat of one's chair”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-way-to-write-a-book-is-the-application-of-the-seat-of-one-s-pants/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Deborah Harkness > [After 20 years of writing academic prose and lectures, it seems very familiar and straightforward to me. Writing a novel for the first time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/after-20-years-of-writing-academic-prose-and-lectures-it-seems-very/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“As far as I can tell there are only two emotions that keep the world spinning year after year...One is fear. The other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/as-far-as-i-can-tell-there-are-only-two-emotions-that-keep-the-world/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [For me, a $20 wine that drinks like a $40 wine in terms of complexity and interest is a value, while a $5 wine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/for-me-a-20-wine-that-drinks-like-a-40-wine-in-terms-of-complexity/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“Some swore he was a maid in man's attire, For in his looks were all that men desire, A pleasant smiling cheeke, a speaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/some-swore-he-was-a-maid-in-man-s-attire-for-in-his-looks-were-all/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [I took a course on 'Magic, Alchemy, and Astrology' at Mount Holyoke, and it was a whole new awakening for me, a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-took-a-course-on-magic-alchemy-and-astrology-at-mount-holyoke-and/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [Her bark is worse than her bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/her-bark-is-worse-than-her-bite/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [The king just sits there, moving one square at a time. The queen can move so freely. I suppose I’d rather lose the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/the-king-just-sits-there-moving-one-square-at-a-time-the-queen-can/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [What if 16th century people were right, and the supernatural and natural coexisted? How would that play out?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/what-if-16th-century-people-were-right-and-the-supernatural-and/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [I was planning on starting a new file on my computer with the title "Phrases That Sound One Way to Witches but Mean Something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-was-planning-on-starting-a-new-file-on-my-computer-with-the-title/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [I think you can learn a lot from primary sources. 'The Penguin Book of Witches,' which is edited by novelist Katherine Howe, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-think-you-can-learn-a-lot-from-primary-sources-the-penguin-book-of/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“History only became more challenging when it became less neat. Every time I pick up a book or document from the past, I'm in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/history-only-became-more-challenging-when-it-became-less-neat-every/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [We live in a world where we think the mysterious is retreating farther and farther from our lives and eventually we will know all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/we-live-in-a-world-where-we-think-the-mysterious-is-retreating/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“Give me knowledge of my end and the measure of my days, so I may know my frailty. My lifetime is no longer than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/give-me-knowledge-of-my-end-and-the-measure-of-my-days-so-i-may-know/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [Memories were short and history unkind. It was the way of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/memories-were-short-and-history-unkind-it-was-the-way-of-the-world/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“All men are fools, Your Majesty,” Matthew said swiftly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/all-men-are-fools-your-majesty-matthew-said-swiftly/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) [Explore all 122 Deborah Harkness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) ## More Definitely quotes > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [Jail is definitely not cool. Education is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ja-rule/jail-is-definitely-not-cool-education-is/) [Ja Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ja-rule/) > [My dad's quite a conservative person, and he brought me up to be very questioning of the commercial world. He looked down on pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-and-the-diamonds/my-dad-s-quite-a-conservative-person-and-he-brought-me-up-to-be-very/) [Marina and the Diamonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-and-the-diamonds/) > [I'm definitely not opposed to adopting. I think that would be marvellous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-frost/i-m-definitely-not-opposed-to-adopting-i-think-that-would-be/) [Jo Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-frost/) > [You know, I definitely believe that I can beat Manny. There's so many advantages I have against him that people are overlooking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mosley/you-know-i-definitely-believe-that-i-can-beat-manny-there-s-so-many/) [Shane Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mosley/) > [People used to say my son looked like a Mexican Biggie. And when he was first born, memories of Biggie... you know, we didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-evans/people-used-to-say-my-son-looked-like-a-mexican-biggie-and-when-he/) [Faith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-evans/) > [I definitely want to be with somebody who doesn't feel lost or in my shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bernhard/i-definitely-want-to-be-with-somebody-who-doesn-t-feel-lost-or-in-my/) [Sandra Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bernhard/) > [My dad worked for different companies that made whiskey for a long time, so we were definitely whiskey drinkers. Growing up, my friends would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krieger/my-dad-worked-for-different-companies-that-made-whiskey-for-a-long/) [Mike Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krieger/) > [Marco Reus is definitely an interesting player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-heinz-rummenigge/marco-reus-is-definitely-an-interesting-player/) [Karl-Heinz Rummenigge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-heinz-rummenigge/) > [I haven't talked to any young artists for a long time. But if we did sit down, I'd definitely tell them my viewpoint. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/i-haven-t-talked-to-any-young-artists-for-a-long-time-but-if-we-did/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I've definitely learned that if you want to have power as a woman in Shakespeare's time, and it's still relevant today, that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/i-ve-definitely-learned-that-if-you-want-to-have-power-as-a-woman-in/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I just like guys who have an edge to them. But it could go either way. Like, I have been into the surfer blond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tisdale/i-just-like-guys-who-have-an-edge-to-them-but-it-could-go-either-way/) [Ashley Tisdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-tisdale/) > [I've definitely become smuttier. When I first started out, I had these aspirations: 'I'm not going to do jokes about anything crude because I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-ve-definitely-become-smuttier-when-i-first-started-out-i-had-these/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) Browse all 2,050 Definitely quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm definitely a seat-of-the-pants writer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Deborah Harkness" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-writer/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Definitely" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-writer/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/deborah-harkness-3590_definitely_i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-write_885487.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/deborah-harkness-3590_definitely_i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-write_885487.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/deborah-harkness-3590_definitely_i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-write_885487.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm definitely a seat-of-the-pants writer.” — Deborah Harkness", "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": "Deborah Harkness", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm definitely a seat-of-the-pants writer.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-writer/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-m-definitely-a-seat-of-the-pants-writer/#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 } } ] } ```