--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great writers know what to cut out. It's…" description: "\"Great writers know what to cut out. It's the same in life. Clear ambitions. Clear relationships. This is the stuff of good story.\" — Donald Miller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6e/donald-miller-607_ambition_great-writers-know-what-to-cut-out-it-s_1934316.png" --- # Great writers know what to cut out. It's the same in life… ![“Great writers know what to cut out. It's the same in life. Clear ambitions. Clear relationships. This is the stuff of good story.” quote by Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6e/donald-miller-607_ambition_great-writers-know-what-to-cut-out-it-s_1934316.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6e/donald-miller-607_ambition_great-writers-know-what-to-cut-out-it-s_1934316.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6e/donald-miller-607_ambition_great-writers-know-what-to-cut-out-it-s_1934316.png) > “Great writers know what to cut out. It's the same in life. Clear ambitions. Clear relationships. This is the stuff of good story.” [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective storytelling, both in writing and life, requires removing excess to focus on clear goals and relationships. **In simple terms:** Cut unnecessary parts to clarify purpose and connections. Key Takeaway Simplify to achieve clarity. Themes storytelling clarity relationships Mood thoughtful motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing - career planning - personal relationships - project management Key Concepts editing goal setting minimalism Questions to Reflect On - What can you let go of to improve focus? - How does simplicity affect your relationships? A Different Perspective Over‑editing can strip essential nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear/) [Clear Ambitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear-ambitions-3045062/) [Clear Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear-relationships-3045061/) [Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) [Good story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-story/) [Great writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-writers/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Stuff Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff-good-386700/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-know/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [And once you live a good story, you get a taste for a kind of meaning in life, and you can't go back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-once-you-live-a-good-story-you-get-a-taste-for-a-kind-of-meaning/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [If you aren't telling a good story, nobody thinks you died too soon; they just think you died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-aren-t-telling-a-good-story-nobody-thinks-you-died-too-soon/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [If you have a beautiful story, it has to have conflict. If you don't have conflict, it can't be a good story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-have-a-beautiful-story-it-has-to-have-conflict-if-you-don-t/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“The same principles that make up a good story also make up a good life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-same-principles-that-make-up-a-good-story-also-make-up-a-good-life/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [You can't tell a good story without conflict - the story can't be beautiful or meaningful. We're taught to run from conflict, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/you-can-t-tell-a-good-story-without-conflict-the-story-can-t-be/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [See, this was why I liked coffee. You couldn’t screw up making coffee. Even the bad stuff was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/see-this-was-why-i-liked-coffee-you-couldn-t-screw-up-making-coffee/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [We get stuff done for the good people of Pennsylvania.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/we-get-stuff-done-for-the-good-people-of-pennsylvania/) [Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/) > [I wanna be bad sometimes - I wanna rip everything apart, -but it comes on less and less. Doing all this music stuff is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perfume-genius/i-wanna-be-bad-sometimes-i-wanna-rip-everything-apart-but-it-comes-on/) [Perfume Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perfume-genius/) > [Sometimes you have to go through some ugly stuff to get to the good stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-anderson/sometimes-you-have-to-go-through-some-ugly-stuff-to-get-to-the-good/) [Clinton Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-anderson/) > [I wasn't great at a lot of stuff, but I was good at not worrying about being a wrestler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-michaels/i-wasn-t-great-at-a-lot-of-stuff-but-i-was-good-at-not-worrying-about/) [Shawn Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-michaels/) > [It's always difficult when everyone's talking about you and stuff, but it's good when it's in a positive way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-smith-rowe/it-s-always-difficult-when-everyone-s-talking-about-you-and-stuff-but/) [Emile Smith Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-smith-rowe/) > [With media, it's never bad-to-good. It's always just moving from different to different. Faster, more stuff, but there's always good, more good, and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/with-media-it-s-never-bad-to-good-it-s-always-just-moving-from/) [Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/) > [If I get good films, I would definitely do them. But most of the stuff that I get is not good at all. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeru-bajwa/if-i-get-good-films-i-would-definitely-do-them-but-most-of-the-stuff/) [Neeru Bajwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeru-bajwa/) > [I am not interested in just doing something for the sake of it, or to make X amount of money, or to be famous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-dimoldenberg/i-am-not-interested-in-just-doing-something-for-the-sake-of-it-or-to/) [Amelia Dimoldenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-dimoldenberg/) > [There's a lot of stuff that's not good that's touted as being good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/there-s-a-lot-of-stuff-that-s-not-good-that-s-touted-as-being-good/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) ## More by Donald Miller > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I think each of us can, through our writing, discover our super power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-think-each-of-us-can-through-our-writing-discover-our-super-power/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [If you don't feel free and be yourself, you can't connect. Find people who accept your quirks. They'll heal your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-don-t-feel-free-and-be-yourself-you-can-t-connect-find-people/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [And so I have come to understand that strength, inner strength, comes from receiving love as much as it comes from giving it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-so-i-have-come-to-understand-that-strength-inner-strength-comes/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“Humans, as a species, are constantly, and in every way, comparing themselves to one another, which, given the brief nature of their existence, seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/humans-as-a-species-are-constantly-and-in-every-way-comparing/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“alone, lonely, and loneliness are three of the most powerful words in the English language... Those words say that we are human; they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/alone-lonely-and-loneliness-are-three-of-the-most-powerful-words-in/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“It isn't about what you don't get done; it's about what you do get done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/it-isn-t-about-what-you-don-t-get-done-it-s-about-what-you-do-get-done/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“Most Christians have enormous respect for the space and freedom of others, it is only that they have found a joy in Jesus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/most-christians-have-enormous-respect-for-the-space-and-freedom-of/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“The soul needs to interact with other people to be healthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-soul-needs-to-interact-with-other-people-to-be-healthy/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Don't let go of your strength or your beauty. It was given to you by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/don-t-let-go-of-your-strength-or-your-beauty-it-was-given-to-you-by/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [There's a lot of letters, and a lot of people come say "hi" at book signings, but I'm amazed at how normal everybody is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-a-lot-of-letters-and-a-lot-of-people-come-say-hi-at-book/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I am something of a recluse by nature. I am that cordless screwdriver that has to charge for twenty hours to earn ten minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-am-something-of-a-recluse-by-nature-i-am-that-cordless-screwdriver/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [The most important thing that happens within Christian spirituality is when a person falls in love with Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-most-important-thing-that-happens-within-christian-spirituality/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Every day you live is a page. Every year, a chapter. Your life, a book. What is it about?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/every-day-you-live-is-a-page-every-year-a-chapter-your-life-a-book/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“And that’s the first time I realized that the idea a character is what he does makes as much sense in life as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-that-s-the-first-time-i-realized-that-the-idea-a-character-is/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) [Explore all 448 Donald Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## More Ambition quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [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/) > [A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-s-worth-is-no-greater-than-the-worth-of-his-ambitions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Work towards your goal and dont watch the post size,its either they hate,or like you.there is no room for both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-buabeng/work-towards-your-goal-and-dont-watch-the-post-size-its-either-they/) [Isaac Buabeng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-buabeng/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [I play for high stakes and given an audience - there is no act too daring or too noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-play-for-high-stakes-and-given-an-audience-there-is-no-act-too/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [There's nothing worse than a leader who lacks ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-leader-who-lacks-ambition/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If i can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition i have is nothing but talk..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoro/if-i-can-t-even-protect-my-captain-s-dream-then-whatever-ambition-i/) [Zoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoro/) > [It may seem unattainable but if you put actions, your heart and your mind into it, you will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/it-may-seem-unattainable-but-if-you-put-actions-your-heart-and-your/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 4,601 Ambition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Great writers know what to cut out. 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