--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only way to learn writing is by…" description: "\"The only way to learn writing is by writing. Talent, as charming as it sounds, amounts to no more than 12 per cent of the process. Work is 80 per cent...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/elif-safak-8931_learn_the-only-way-to-learn-writing-is-by-writ_1207932.png" --- # The only way to learn writing is by writing. Talent, as… ![“The only way to learn writing is by writing. Talent, as charming as it sounds, amounts to no more than 12 per cent of the process. Work is 80 per cent. The remaining 8 per cent is 'luck' or 'zeitgeist' - in short, things that are not in our hands.” quote by Elif Safak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/elif-safak-8931_learn_the-only-way-to-learn-writing-is-by-writ_1207932.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/elif-safak-8931_learn_the-only-way-to-learn-writing-is-by-writ_1207932.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/elif-safak-8931_learn_the-only-way-to-learn-writing-is-by-writ_1207932.png) > “The only way to learn writing is by writing. Talent, as charming as it sounds, amounts to no more than 12 per cent of the process. Work is 80 per cent. The remaining 8 per cent is 'luck' or 'zeitgeist' - in short, things that are not in our hands.” [Elif Safak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-safak/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing improves through practice; talent contributes little, effort dominates, and external factors are minor. **In simple terms:** Practice beats talent; effort matters most. Key Takeaway Write regularly, focus on effort. Themes writing effort talent luck Mood determined optimistic Type advice motivational When to use this quote - writing workshops - daily journaling - creative projects - learning new skills Key Concepts skill development growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - How can you structure regular writing habits? - What role does external context play in your creative work? A Different Perspective Talent alone cannot compensate for lack of practice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn/) [Learn Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-writing-511889/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-talent-404041/) [Writing Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-writing-242671/) ## Related quotes > [There's no really other way to learn writing than by writing. So accelerate that as much as you can. The more you write, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-graham-jones/there-s-no-really-other-way-to-learn-writing-than-by-writing-so/) [Stephen Graham Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-graham-jones/) > [Teaching is all armchair. I learn about writing by writing and thinking about what I've written and throwing it away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-marcus/teaching-is-all-armchair-i-learn-about-writing-by-writing-and/) [Ben Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-marcus/) > [Seriously, I don't consider myself a writer. I don't think I have writing talent. But I will continue to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/seriously-i-don-t-consider-myself-a-writer-i-don-t-think-i-have/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [“The writing talent of Edinburgh is textured - we have poets, novelists, non-fiction writers, dramatists and more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/the-writing-talent-of-edinburgh-is-textured-we-have-poets-novelists/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [I don't think that writing talent has much to do with where one went to school, or the number of degrees on one's business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/i-don-t-think-that-writing-talent-has-much-to-do-with-where-one-went/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [I'm not a writer. I think I can write short stories and poetry, but film writing, brilliant film writing, is a talent - you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-morton/i-m-not-a-writer-i-think-i-can-write-short-stories-and-poetry-but/) [Samantha Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-morton/) > [I think I went more toward writing because that's my talent. I don't think I was a great performer... And I like being behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mason-jr/i-think-i-went-more-toward-writing-because-that-s-my-talent-i-don-t/) [Harvey Mason, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mason-jr/) > [“Writing is difficult. You do it all alone without encouragement and without any certainty that you'll ever be published or paid or even that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/writing-is-difficult-you-do-it-all-alone-without-encouragement-and/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [I wish writing was a talent that I had. 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However, the written culture is mostly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-safak/turkey-is-a-complex-country-most-readers-are-women-of-all-generations/) [Elif Safak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-safak/) > [I spent my entire childhood observing people. I still do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-safak/i-spent-my-entire-childhood-observing-people-i-still-do/) [Elif Safak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-safak/) > [With 'The Forty Rules of Love,' I wanted to write a love story. But I wanted a love story with a spiritual dimension. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-safak/with-the-forty-rules-of-love-i-wanted-to-write-a-love-story-but-i/) [Elif Safak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-safak/) > [Writing is a tribute to solitude. It is choosing introversion over extroversion, lonely hours/days/weeks/years over fun and sociability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-safak/writing-is-a-tribute-to-solitude-it-is-choosing-introversion-over/) [Elif Safak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-safak/) > [Submission does not mean being weak or passive. It leads to neither fatalism nor capitulation. Just the opposite. True power resides in submission. 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If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-not-willing-to-learn-no-one-can-help-you-if-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Columbia University, where I went to study in 1993, insisted its undergraduates learn a foreign language, so I discovered French.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aravind-adiga/columbia-university-where-i-went-to-study-in-1993-insisted-its/) [Aravind Adiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aravind-adiga/) > [There are things you can do in training like learn from the manager and talk with team-mates, but it's the game that tests you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burke/there-are-things-you-can-do-in-training-like-learn-from-the-manager/) [Oliver Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burke/) > [I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/i-would-rather-learn-from-one-bird-how-to-sing-than-to-teach-10-000/) [e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) > [I personally think if something's not a challenge, there's no point doing it, because you're not gonna learn much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-personally-think-if-something-s-not-a-challenge-there-s-no-point/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We learn by teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/we-learn-by-teaching/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [I decided to start my channel because my followers on Instagram told me that they wanted to learn how I did the looks I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-mua/i-decided-to-start-my-channel-because-my-followers-on-instagram-told/) [Manny MUA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-mua/) > [The idea that someone has to give you permission to become who you want to be, or see it in you in order for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-victor/the-idea-that-someone-has-to-give-you-permission-to-become-who-you/) [Eva Victor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-victor/) > [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [You learn a lot from quality players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marouane-fellaini/you-learn-a-lot-from-quality-players/) [Marouane Fellaini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marouane-fellaini/) > [You learn from every bout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-jr/you-learn-from-every-bout/) [Chris Eubank Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-jr/) [Browse all 8,975 Learn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only way to learn writing is by writing. 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