--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd be a dope to compare my writing with…" description: "\"I'd be a dope to compare my writing with Wallace Stegner's, but that book probably influenced me in ways I didn't even realize while I was writing The ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/elizabeth-crook-23711_book_i-d-be-a-dope-to-compare-my-writing-with_2921239.jpg" --- # I'd be a dope to compare my writing with Wallace… ![“I'd be a dope to compare my writing with Wallace Stegner's, but that book probably influenced me in ways I didn't even realize while I was writing The Night Journal.” quote by Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/elizabeth-crook-23711_book_i-d-be-a-dope-to-compare-my-writing-with_2921239.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/elizabeth-crook-23711_book_i-d-be-a-dope-to-compare-my-writing-with_2921239.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/elizabeth-crook-23711_book_i-d-be-a-dope-to-compare-my-writing-with_2921239.jpg) > “I'd be a dope to compare my writing with Wallace Stegner's, but that book probably influenced me in ways I didn't even realize while I was writing The Night Journal.” [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comparing one's work to a great author can reveal hidden influences, even if the writer is unaware of them. **In simple terms:** Great writers shape us subtly. Key Takeaway Recognize and appreciate indirect literary influences. Themes writing influence humility Mood introspective inspirational Type literary reflective When to use this quote - writing workshops - reading classics - editing - teaching - publishing Key Concepts literary criticism creative process self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - Which unseen influences have shaped your writing? - How can you honor them without imitation? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on comparison may stifle original voice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Compare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare/) [Dope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dope/) [Journal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journal/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Night Journal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night-journal-903484/) [Probably Influenced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probably-influenced-1204278/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wallace-stegner-4202932/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-night-953394/) [Writing Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-wallace-4257395/) ## Related quotes > [The Night Journal received two awards that I'm terribly proud of - -the Spur from Western Writers of America, and the Willa Literary Award…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/the-night-journal-received-two-awards-that-i-m-terribly-proud-of-the/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [It took me ten years to write The Night Journal, so that was a big ordeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/it-took-me-ten-years-to-write-the-night-journal-so-that-was-a-big/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [As for whether genre considerations influence what I write, they don't at all, but I might sell more books if they did. The Night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/as-for-whether-genre-considerations-influence-what-i-write-they-don-t/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [“The “facts” about Ali’s life are few, and come from Wallace’s writing. Wallace was a careful writer, but he naturally wrote through his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-spencer-sochaczewski/the-facts-about-ali-s-life-are-few-and-come-from-wallace-s-writing/) [Paul Spencer Sochaczewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-spencer-sochaczewski/) > [“There are only two living American authors fully deserving of the Nobel Prize. One is Lewis Mumford. The other is Wallace Stegner, whose novels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/there-are-only-two-living-american-authors-fully-deserving-of-the/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Describing Wallace Stegner as an 'author' is like describing a grizzly as 'brown.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-rinella/describing-wallace-stegner-as-an-author-is-like-describing-a-grizzly/) [Steven Rinella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-rinella/) > [“This is the native home of hope,” Wallace Stegner wrote of the American West.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porter-fox/this-is-the-native-home-of-hope-wallace-stegner-wrote-of-the-american/) [Porter Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porter-fox/) > [No, I feel like my personality probably influenced the character, more than the character influenced me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gilbert/no-i-feel-like-my-personality-probably-influenced-the-character-more/) [Sara Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gilbert/) > [People gather details and comparisons but it doesn't really bother me or land on me of any sort. I don't know if I was...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-vernon/people-gather-details-and-comparisons-but-it-doesn-t-really-bother-me/) [Justin Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-vernon/) > [I'm probably much more influenced by film-makers and painters than I am by other songwriters or poets,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-probably-much-more-influenced-by-film-makers-and-painters-than-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I listen to hundreds of those hymns sung repeatedly over the years of my life. And I know that they probably influenced a rhyme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-yoakam/i-listen-to-hundreds-of-those-hymns-sung-repeatedly-over-the-years-of/) [Dwight Yoakam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-yoakam/) > [There are two people that probably influenced me more than anybody out of all the artists out here: that's Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-knuckles/there-are-two-people-that-probably-influenced-me-more-than-anybody/) [Frankie Knuckles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-knuckles/) > [I'm more prone to his '70s material, which is what I was around for and watched a lot. I listen to a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-marie-presley/i-m-more-prone-to-his-70s-material-which-is-what-i-was-around-for-and/) [Lisa Marie Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-marie-presley/) > [I guess I've been blessed with insomnia because I do a lot of my writing at night. Because I don't sleep as much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/i-guess-i-ve-been-blessed-with-insomnia-because-i-do-a-lot-of-my/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [A person writing at night may put out the lamp, but the words he has written will remain. It is the same with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/a-person-writing-at-night-may-put-out-the-lamp-but-the-words-he-has/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) ## More by Elizabeth Crook > [The defining aspects of westerns are still pretty much in place - namely landscape and conflict. In other books the conflict can be internal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/the-defining-aspects-of-westerns-are-still-pretty-much-in-place/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [I'm halfway through a novel set in two time frames - Austin in the 1960's and Alpine (Texas) in present day. It started out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/i-m-halfway-through-a-novel-set-in-two-time-frames-austin-in-the-1960/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [Angle of Repose is one of my favorite books. I fell in love with it in college. When I submitted The Night Journal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/angle-of-repose-is-one-of-my-favorite-books-i-fell-in-love-with-it-in/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [I think when you're a writer most of what you read influences you. The rhythms get into your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/i-think-when-you-re-a-writer-most-of-what-you-read-influences-you-the/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [The author with the greatest influence on me is my friend Stephen Harrigan, who critiques everything I write before I even bother to show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/the-author-with-the-greatest-influence-on-me-is-my-friend-stephen/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [ I changed my hopes to being a singer \[when I was a child\] and sat around with my hair in my face droning Mac… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/i-changed-my-hopes-to-being-a-singer-when-i-was-a-child-and-sat/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [When I started escaping to a neighbor's house to watch what I darn well pleased, it turned out to be The Big Valley. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/when-i-started-escaping-to-a-neighbor-s-house-to-watch-what-i-darn/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [It seems like the Western genre has crept out of its casings during the last few years, and expanded to include books and movies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/it-seems-like-the-western-genre-has-crept-out-of-its-casings-during/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [I got hooked on TV westerns back in the early sixties when I was about five, mostly because my brother was addicted to them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/i-got-hooked-on-tv-westerns-back-in-the-early-sixties-when-i-was/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [When I was six I wanted to be a ballerina. By the time I was eight I was fairly sure this plan wasn't panning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/when-i-was-six-i-wanted-to-be-a-ballerina-by-the-time-i-was-eight-i/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [It took me ten years to write The Night Journal, so that was a big ordeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/it-took-me-ten-years-to-write-the-night-journal-so-that-was-a-big/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [I love the writers in Austin. We stick together. We all like each other and go to each other's book signings in case no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/i-love-the-writers-in-austin-we-stick-together-we-all-like-each-other/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [ \[My brother\] was older, and since the law of the west was fairly entrenched in our household, whoever was bigger got control of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/my-brother-was-older-and-since-the-law-of-the-west-was-fairly/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [I grew up thirty miles down the highway in San Marcos, and I've still got family there, so I guess I'm pretty well rooted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/i-grew-up-thirty-miles-down-the-highway-in-san-marcos-and-i-ve-still/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [As for whether genre considerations influence what I write, they don't at all, but I might sell more books if they did. The Night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/as-for-whether-genre-considerations-influence-what-i-write-they-don-t/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) [Explore all 25 Elizabeth Crook quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) ## More Book 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/) > [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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There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. 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