--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How often I have tried to tell writing…" description: "\"How often I have tried to tell writing students that the first thing a writer must do is love the reader and wish the reader well. The writer must trus..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/ellen-gilchrist-14145_books_how-often-i-have-tried-to-tell-writing-s_2543302.jpg" --- # How often I have tried to tell writing students that the… ![“How often I have tried to tell writing students that the first thing a writer must do is love the reader and wish the reader well. The writer must trust the reader to be at least as intelligent as he is. Only in such well wishing and trust, only when the writer feels he is writing a letter to a…” quote by Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/ellen-gilchrist-14145_books_how-often-i-have-tried-to-tell-writing-s_2543302.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/ellen-gilchrist-14145_books_how-often-i-have-tried-to-tell-writing-s_2543302.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/ellen-gilchrist-14145_books_how-often-i-have-tried-to-tell-writing-s_2543302.jpg) > “How often I have tried to tell writing students that the first thing a writer must do is love the reader and wish the reader well. The writer must trust the reader to be at least as intelligent as he is. Only in such well wishing and trust, only when the writer feels he is writing a letter to a good friend, only then will the magic happen.” [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) ## 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 should approach the audience with affection, trust, and respect, treating them as intelligent friends to create a magical connection. **In simple terms:** Writers need love, trust, and respect for readers. Key Takeaway Treat readers as friends to spark magic. Themes writing trust respect connection Mood inspirational reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - teaching writing - crafting essays - authoring novels - public speaking - blogging Key Concepts empathy audience engagement authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How can you show respect for readers in your work? - What happens when a writer assumes readers are unintelligent? A Different Perspective May not work if readers are hostile or disengaged. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Good friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-friend/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Well wishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well-wishes/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing A Letter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-a-letter/) ## Related quotes > [There's an old adage in writing: 'Don't tell, but show.' Writing is not psychology. We do not talk 'about' feelings. 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Beneficence is well doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-massey-haldeman/he-was-a-beneficent-man-multitudes-of-men-are-benevolent-but-not/) Isaac Massey Haldeman > [“Asking a working writer what he feels about critics is like asking a lamppost what it feels about dogs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/asking-a-working-writer-what-he-feels-about-critics-is-like-asking-a/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) > [“A person that doesn't read and doesn't have any ethics complaining about a writer feels like a Chihuahua barking at a Rottweiler.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/a-person-that-doesn-t-read-and-doesn-t-have-any-ethics-complaining/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [I'm not the first person to have said this - no writer ever feels that the execution of a book lives up to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-m-not-the-first-person-to-have-said-this-no-writer-ever-feels-that/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [People love discovering you. 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It's just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/the-ideal-reader-s-the-same-and-i-suppose-this-person-has-never-had-a/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [People will tell you that writing is too difficult, that it's impossible to get your work published, that you might as well hang yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-will-tell-you-that-writing-is-too-difficult-that-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“writing about drugs is like that though, isn't it? You can just tell when someone is writing about drugs and they've never really done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/writing-about-drugs-is-like-that-though-isn-t-it-you-can-just-tell/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) ## More by Ellen Gilchrist > [One thing I know is that it is a bad idea to marry someone who had bad parents. If they hated their mother, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/one-thing-i-know-is-that-it-is-a-bad-idea-to-marry-someone-who-had/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [Having your work honored nationally is a great morale booster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/having-your-work-honored-nationally-is-a-great-morale-booster/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [Don't ruin the present with the ruined past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/don-t-ruin-the-present-with-the-ruined-past/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [“Cuddle up. Rain always stops. It always stops. It always does. -The Brown Cape”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/cuddle-up-rain-always-stops-it-always-stops-it-always-does-the-brown/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [We live at the level of our language. 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The rest is brainwashing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/all-you-have-to-do-to-educate-a-child-is-leave-him-alone-and-teach/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [The Mississippi coast is not like south Florida, but it always seems warm enough for sandals and short-sleeved shirts, except for now and then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/the-mississippi-coast-is-not-like-south-florida-but-it-always-seems/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [“By the time the class ended I was back into an optimistic mood about their work. 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