--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not looking to write the great…" description: "\"I'm not looking to write the great American novel, win a Pulitzer or teach history. I write to entertain my readers.\" — Dorothy Garlock" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/dorothy-garlock-49473_books_i-m-not-looking-to-write-the-great-ameri_3094014.jpg" --- # I'm not looking to write the great American novel, win a… ![“I'm not looking to write the great American novel, win a Pulitzer or teach history. I write to entertain my readers.” quote by Dorothy Garlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/dorothy-garlock-49473_books_i-m-not-looking-to-write-the-great-ameri_3094014.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/dorothy-garlock-49473_books_i-m-not-looking-to-write-the-great-ameri_3094014.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/dorothy-garlock-49473_books_i-m-not-looking-to-write-the-great-ameri_3094014.jpg) > “I'm not looking to write the great American novel, win a Pulitzer or teach history. I write to entertain my readers.” [Dorothy Garlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-garlock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She writes primarily to entertain, not to achieve literary accolades or teach history. **In simple terms:** She writes for fun, not fame. Key Takeaway Focus on audience enjoyment. Themes entertainment writing purpose audience humor Mood lighthearted pragmatic Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - novel writing - short stories - genre fiction - personal essays Key Concepts creative freedom reader engagement Questions to Reflect On - Do you value entertainment over acclaim? - How does this purpose shape your stories? A Different Perspective May limit critical recognition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [You don't sit up in a cave and write the Great American Novel and know it is utterly superb, and then throw it page…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/you-don-t-sit-up-in-a-cave-and-write-the-great-american-novel-and/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I write to entertain. When people read one of my books I want them to finish with a smile on their faces, feeling a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-write-to-entertain-when-people-read-one-of-my-books-i-want-them-to/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [What you write should entertain you and serve you first. Don't worry about maintaining anything beyond your own attention. Focus on exorcising your demons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/what-you-write-should-entertain-you-and-serve-you-first-don-t-worry/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I would like to win the Pulitzer Prize. I would like to win the Nobel Prize. I would like to win a Tony award…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-would-like-to-win-the-pulitzer-prize-i-would-like-to-win-the-nobel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As far as what readers can expect with 'Maybe Someday,' I'm not the type of writer who writes to educate or inform my readers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/as-far-as-what-readers-can-expect-with-maybe-someday-i-m-not-the-type/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [ All you have to do \[to win a Pulitzer Prize\] is spend your life running from one awful place to another, write about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/all-you-have-to-do-to-win-a-pulitzer-prize-is-spend-your-life-running/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [There is this aura that the three-act play is the important one: it's the one that you do to win the Pulitzer. Some part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/there-is-this-aura-that-the-three-act-play-is-the-important-one-it-s/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [Why do I write? I write to entertain my friends and to exasperate our enemies. To unfold the folded lie, to record to truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/why-do-i-write-i-write-to-entertain-my-friends-and-to-exasperate-our/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [You become a great composer when you win a Pulitzer. But I think that now it's a completely meaningless award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corigliano/you-become-a-great-composer-when-you-win-a-pulitzer-but-i-think-that/) [John Corigliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corigliano/) > [I always like to entertain, first of all, and if the readers take anything away from it that helps them with their own lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/i-always-like-to-entertain-first-of-all-and-if-the-readers-take/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [Writers are in the entertainment business, and it gives me lots of pleasure to entertain my readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lumley/writers-are-in-the-entertainment-business-and-it-gives-me-lots-of/) [Brian Lumley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lumley/) > [“When people are tired of erotica and paranormal, my books will be waiting to entertain and give readers a little something to thing about.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-munroe/when-people-are-tired-of-erotica-and-paranormal-my-books-will-be/) T.A. Munroe > [It's a job. I entertain my readers. I get up in the morning, and I start typing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-cussler/it-s-a-job-i-entertain-my-readers-i-get-up-in-the-morning-and-i-start/) [Clive Cussler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-cussler/) > [I don't laugh that much, but I do like humorous books, and I like to entertain readers that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/i-don-t-laugh-that-much-but-i-do-like-humorous-books-and-i-like-to/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [My job is to entertain the readers in such a manner that, when they reach the end of the book, they feel like they've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-cussler/my-job-is-to-entertain-the-readers-in-such-a-manner-that-when-they/) [Clive Cussler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-cussler/) ## More by Dorothy Garlock > [“It's so Quite around here, I'm sure I heard a Bird Fart!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-garlock/it-s-so-quite-around-here-i-m-sure-i-heard-a-bird-fart/) [Dorothy Garlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-garlock/) > [“She wasn't certain of exactly what they had together; she doubted Owen knew, either; but whatever it was, she desperately wanted to hold on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-garlock/she-wasn-t-certain-of-exactly-what-they-had-together-she-doubted-owen/) [Dorothy Garlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-garlock/) > [It was the strangest sensation, fallin' in love. 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Someone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-garlock/could-it-possibly-be-that-he-yearned-for-some-of-the-same-things-she/) [Dorothy Garlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-garlock/) [Explore all 7 Dorothy Garlock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-garlock/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not looking to write the great American novel, win a Pulitzer or teach history. 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