--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Naturally, no writer who's any good at…" description: "\"Naturally, no writer who's any good at all would sit down and put a sheet of paper in a typewriter and start typing a play unless he knew what he was w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/edward-albee-1684_down-and_naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-al_2663918.png" --- # Naturally, no writer who's any good at all would sit down… ![“Naturally, no writer who's any good at all would sit down and put a sheet of paper in a typewriter and start typing a play unless he knew what he was writing about.” quote by Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/edward-albee-1684_down-and_naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-al_2663918.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/edward-albee-1684_down-and_naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-al_2663918.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/edward-albee-1684_down-and_naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-al_2663918.png) > “Naturally, no writer who's any good at all would sit down and put a sheet of paper in a typewriter and start typing a play unless he knew what he was writing about.” [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer must understand their material before beginning to write. **In simple terms:** Know your story before typing. Key Takeaway Plan before you write. Themes writing preparation creativity Mood thoughtful serious Type literary practical When to use this quote - scriptwriting - novel drafting - creative workshops Key Concepts narrative structure authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - How much outline is enough? - When to trust intuition? A Different Perspective Over‑planning can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not one of those writers I learned about who get up in the morning, put a piece of paper in their typewriter machine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/i-m-not-one-of-those-writers-i-learned-about-who-get-up-in-the/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [I'm not typing. I write only by longhand. I've always written first drafts by hand and then once I was into a second or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-m-not-typing-i-write-only-by-longhand-i-ve-always-written-first/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I started typing diary in, I don't know, 1978 or '79, but then the computer changed that a lot. Because with the computer if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-started-typing-diary-in-i-don-t-know-1978-or-79-but-then-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“There on the landing sits the typewriter. It is clogged with dust, the ribbon dried and flimsy. Looking at it gives Felix a feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/there-on-the-landing-sits-the-typewriter-it-is-clogged-with-dust-the/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [I think I sit down to the typewriter when it's time to sit down to the typewriter. That isn't to suggest that when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-think-i-sit-down-to-the-typewriter-when-it-s-time-to-sit-down-to/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Of course I knew that writing was terrifically hard work and that there was no secret code, as in a video game, that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-dolnick/of-course-i-knew-that-writing-was-terrifically-hard-work-and-that/) [Ben Dolnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-dolnick/) > [I knew that, when writing a book, you're not constrained by a budget. You're not constrained by what you can do, in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/i-knew-that-when-writing-a-book-you-re-not-constrained-by-a-budget/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [“I dont know why, but I feel some pain when she knew I was writing a lot of writing for her and when she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-seraphino/i-dont-know-why-but-i-feel-some-pain-when-she-knew-i-was-writing-a/) [Ariel Seraphino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-seraphino/) > [My colleagues knew I was writing poems. I never hid it from them. I don't think they ever thought I was cheating on them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/my-colleagues-knew-i-was-writing-poems-i-never-hid-it-from-them-i-don/) [Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/) > [For me the initial delight is in the surprise of remembering something I didn't know I knew. I have never started a poem yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/for-me-the-initial-delight-is-in-the-surprise-of-remembering/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [I have been successful probably because I have always realized that I knew nothing about writing and have merely tried to tell an interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/i-have-been-successful-probably-because-i-have-always-realized-that-i/) [Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/) > [“It was not so much that he lied as that there was no truth to tell. He had had his life and it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-was-not-so-much-that-he-lied-as-that-there-was-no-truth-to-tell-he/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“I never knew why or how writing could be so important until I learned about the no-talking rule and found that writing was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karol-jackowski/i-never-knew-why-or-how-writing-could-be-so-important-until-i-learned/) [Karol Jackowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karol-jackowski/) > [I wish to God I knew as much about writing as I did when I was 19. I was absolutely certain about most things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-wish-to-god-i-knew-as-much-about-writing-as-i-did-when-i-was-19-i/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew. Writing a poem is discovering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/i-have-never-started-a-poem-yet-whose-end-i-knew-writing-a-poem-is/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) ## More by Edward Albee > [School curricula that ignore the arts produce highly educated Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/school-curricula-that-ignore-the-arts-produce-highly-educated/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [When a critic sets himself up as an arbiter of morality, a judge of the matter and not the manner of a work, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-a-critic-sets-himself-up-as-an-arbiter-of-morality-a-judge-of/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [When people don't like the way a play ends, they're likely to blame the play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-people-don-t-like-the-way-a-play-ends-they-re-likely-to-blame/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [In a democracy you cannot stop public access to that art that will most misinform the people. You cannot stop people from being misinformed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/in-a-democracy-you-cannot-stop-public-access-to-that-art-that-will/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Creativity is magic. Don't examine it too closely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/creativity-is-magic-don-t-examine-it-too-closely/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [When people can't abide things as they are, when they can't abide the present, they do one of two things ... either they ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-people-can-t-abide-things-as-they-are-when-they-can-t-abide-the/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [“Lady, you can’t fuck a metaphor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/lady-you-can-t-fuck-a-metaphor/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [I write to find out what I'm talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-write-to-find-out-what-i-m-talking-about/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [I know playwrights who like to kid themselves into saying that their characters are so well formed that they just take over. They determine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-know-playwrights-who-like-to-kid-themselves-into-saying-that-their/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [The greatest problem with Irish Wolfhounds, though, is that they don't live very long: their great hearts give out. A good deal of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/the-greatest-problem-with-irish-wolfhounds-though-is-that-they-don-t/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Dashed hopes and good intentions. Good, better, best, bested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/dashed-hopes-and-good-intentions-good-better-best-bested/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Writing has got to be an act of discovery…I write to find out what I'm thinking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/writing-has-got-to-be-an-act-of-discovery-i-write-to-find-out-what-i/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [I'm back in fashion again for a while now. But I imagine that three or four years from now I'll be out again. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-m-back-in-fashion-again-for-a-while-now-but-i-imagine-that-three-or/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [What people really want in the theater is fantasy involvement and not reality involvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/what-people-really-want-in-the-theater-is-fantasy-involvement-and-not/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Art should never try to be popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/art-should-never-try-to-be-popular/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) [Explore all 216 Edward Albee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) ## More Down and quotes > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [In relations between the rich and the strong, between the rich and the poor, between the master and the servant, it's liberty that grinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-relations-between-the-rich-and-the-strong-between-the-rich-and-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [There's a dishonest tyranny in the liberal/progressive/socialist agenda that comes down and says 'we are here because we care about you; we want what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/there-s-a-dishonest-tyranny-in-the-liberal-progressive-socialist/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) > [If you feel like you want to die, it's time to sit down and make a list of all the things you haven't done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deacon-jones/if-you-feel-like-you-want-to-die-it-s-time-to-sit-down-and-make-a/) [Deacon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deacon-jones/) > [Music is how I get free. It's a way to shut the rest of the world down and create your own world within it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-of-gab/music-is-how-i-get-free-it-s-a-way-to-shut-the-rest-of-the-world-down/) Gift of Gab > [Being funny is one of my greatest strengths. I can make girls smile when they're down, and when they're having a good time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/being-funny-is-one-of-my-greatest-strengths-i-can-make-girls-smile/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [When I look at nature I feel as if I'll be able to paint it all, note it all down, and then you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/when-i-look-at-nature-i-feel-as-if-i-ll-be-able-to-paint-it-all-note/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [When an angel comes down and takes me away, memories of me and my songs will always stay until the end of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/when-an-angel-comes-down-and-takes-me-away-memories-of-me-and-my/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [I think there's too much mult-tasking going on. I think people need to quiet down and focus and be still more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-think-there-s-too-much-mult-tasking-going-on-i-think-people-need-to/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [There was a reason these boys were still alive, though. Something made them stronger than the other kids, the ones who had died in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-higson/there-was-a-reason-these-boys-were-still-alive-though-something-made/) [Charlie Higson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-higson/) Browse all 2,527 Down and quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Naturally, no writer who's any good at all would sit down and put a sheet of paper in a typewriter and start typing a play unless he knew what he was writing about.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Albee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-all-would-sit-down-and-put-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Down and" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-all-would-sit-down-and-put-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/edward-albee-1684_down-and_naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-al_2663918.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/edward-albee-1684_down-and_naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-al_2663918.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/edward-albee-1684_down-and_naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-al_2663918.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Naturally, no writer who's any good at all would sit down and put a sheet of paper in a typewriter and start…” — Edward Albee", "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": "Edward Albee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Naturally, no writer who's any good...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-all-would-sit-down-and-put-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/naturally-no-writer-who-s-any-good-at-all-would-sit-down-and-put-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 } } ] } ```