--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My assumption when I began writing was…" description: "\"My assumption when I began writing was that you were never going to make any money. And you were never going to reach everyone. Therefore you had to do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/dorothy-allison-2041_any_my-assumption-when-i-began-writing-was-t_215672.png" --- # My assumption when I began writing was that you were never… ![“My assumption when I began writing was that you were never going to make any money. And you were never going to reach everyone. Therefore you had to do as much as you could in the service of something you genuinely believed in. And if you do that and people get upset, well, there you go.” quote by Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/dorothy-allison-2041_any_my-assumption-when-i-began-writing-was-t_215672.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/dorothy-allison-2041_any_my-assumption-when-i-began-writing-was-t_215672.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/dorothy-allison-2041_any_my-assumption-when-i-began-writing-was-t_215672.png) > “My assumption when I began writing was that you were never going to make any money. And you were never going to reach everyone. Therefore you had to do as much as you could in the service of something you genuinely believed in. And if you do that and people get upset, well, there you go.” [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing should serve a cause you truly believe in, even if it limits profit or reach, and criticism is inevitable. **In simple terms:** Write for belief, not profit. Key Takeaway Prioritize purpose over profit. Themes purpose integrity creativity Mood inspirational reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - publishing - non‑profit ventures - social activism Key Concepts mission‑driven work ethical entrepreneurship Questions to Reflect On - What cause drives your work? - How do you handle criticism? A Different Perspective Financial success may be limited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Assumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/) [Began](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/began/) [Began Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/began-writing/) [Believed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believed/) [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [Everyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyone/) [Genuinely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuinely/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Make Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-money/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-going/) [Much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/much/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Therefore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therefore/) [Upset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upset/) [Well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-going-656537/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [Writing 'Native Guard,' I didn't know I was working on a single book. 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I sometimes think I should finish working on my book of stripper poetry that I started, but other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-hageman/i-m-feeling-a-low-regarding-writing-i-sometimes-think-i-should-finish/) [Sheila Hageman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-hageman/) > [“When his writing is going well, Gordon Strangle Mars likes to wake up at 6 a.m. and go out driving. He works out new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/when-his-writing-is-going-well-gordon-strangle-mars-likes-to-wake-up/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [“once computers gain good language understanding and we can speak to them, then reading and writing are going to seem cumbersome’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-humphrys/once-computers-gain-good-language-understanding-and-we-can-speak-to/) [John Humphrys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-humphrys/) > [Whatever's going on with me at the time of writing is going to find its way into the piece. 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Women who pined,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/love-was-something-i-would-not-have-to-worry-about-the-whole-mystery/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“Behind the story I tell is the one I don't. Behind the story you hear is the one I wish I could make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/behind-the-story-i-tell-is-the-one-i-don-t-behind-the-story-you-hear/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Hunger makes you restless. you dream about food - not just any food, but perfect food, the best food, magical meals, famous and awe-inspiring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/hunger-makes-you-restless-you-dream-about-food-not-just-any-food-but/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [I think I would have died if there hadn't been the women's movement. 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My sister became unmarried and pregnant during high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/when-i-was-growing-up-i-always-read-horror-books-while-my-sister-read/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) [Explore all 189 Dorothy Allison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) ## More Any quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [Any incarnation of 'Batman' I am delighted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/any-incarnation-of-batman-i-am-delighted-to-do/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. 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I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [We earned any fans with the way we play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-white/we-earned-any-fans-with-the-way-we-play/) [Jimmy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-white/) > [Hard work and a good education will take you further than any government program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-schock/hard-work-and-a-good-education-will-take-you-further-than-any/) [Aaron Schock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-schock/) > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [The system in Germany is different, as you sign up with a company for two or three years, and you work exclusively with them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wlaschiha/the-system-in-germany-is-different-as-you-sign-up-with-a-company-for/) [Tom Wlaschiha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wlaschiha/) > [I'm writing about real things. 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