---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Write, even if you have a twinge, a…"
description: "\"“Write, even if you have a twinge, a doubt, a fear, a block, a noisy neighbor, a sick cat, thirteen unpublished stories, and a painful boil.”\" — Eric M..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/eric-maisel-3062_fear_write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt_755716.png"
---

#  Write, even if you have a twinge, a doubt, a fear, a…

![“Write, even if you have a twinge, a doubt, a fear, a block, a noisy neighbor, a sick cat, thirteen unpublished stories, and a painful boil.” quote by Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/eric-maisel-3062_fear_write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt_755716.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/eric-maisel-3062_fear_write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt_755716.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/eric-maisel-3062_fear_write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt_755716.png)

> ““Write, even if you have a twinge, a doubt, a fear, a block, a noisy neighbor, a sick cat, thirteen unpublished stories, and a painful boil.””

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote encourages writing despite numerous distractions and personal challenges, emphasizing persistence and commitment to the craft.

**In simple terms:** Write even when faced with doubts, fears, and everyday interruptions.

Key Takeaway

Keep writing regardless of obstacles.

Themes

creativity perseverance discipline obstacle

Mood

determined reflective

Type

inspirational practical

When to use this quote

- daily journaling
- short‑story practice
- writing retreats
- online forums

Key Concepts

writing process self‑expression

Questions to Reflect On

- What small habit can you adopt to write daily?
- How do you overcome creative blocks?

A Different Perspective

Distractions may erode focus; fear of failure can stall progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Stories Painful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-painful-5870064/) [Thirteen Unpublished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirteen-unpublished-5870065/) [Unpublished Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpublished-stories-1463837/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Twinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-twinge-5870063/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [I've got five or six unpublished stories kicking around looking for somebody to buy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories-kicking-around-looking-for/)

[Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/)

> [I think writer's block is simply the dread that you are going to write something horrible. But as a writer, I believe that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-blount-jr/i-think-writer-s-block-is-simply-the-dread-that-you-are-going-to/)

[Roy Blount, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-blount-jr/)

> [“Not afraid to write about my past to inspire your future”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordone-branch/not-afraid-to-write-about-my-past-to-inspire-your-future/)

[Jordone Branch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordone-branch/)

> [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [You make me want to write bad poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-make-me-want-to-write-bad-poetry/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Everything I write is highly personal, but put in such a way that it's not dropping everything in someone's lap. Although sometimes I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/everything-i-write-is-highly-personal-but-put-in-such-a-way-that-it-s/)

[Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/)

> [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/)

[Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/)

> [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/)

[Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/)

> [It's a shame that when you've actually lived some life and have something to write about, they're saying you're too old to come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/it-s-a-shame-that-when-you-ve-actually-lived-some-life-and-have/)

[KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/)

[Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/)

> [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/)

[Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/)

> [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/)

> [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/)

[John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/)

## More by Eric Maisel

> [Affirmations need to be used if they are to become incorporated into the fabric of your being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/affirmations-need-to-be-used-if-they-are-to-become-incorporated-into/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [The wise artist makes peace with the fact that he will understand less than he had anticipated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/the-wise-artist-makes-peace-with-the-fact-that-he-will-understand/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [Creativity requires introspection, self-examination, and a willingness to take risks. Because of this, artists are perhaps more susceptible to self-doubt and despair than those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/creativity-requires-introspection-self-examination-and-a-willingness/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [You can't plan in advance for everything - every mood swing, every mistake you might make in execution, every shift in your circumstances. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/you-can-t-plan-in-advance-for-everything-every-mood-swing-every/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [It is in an artist's real interest to congratulate herself more often: not out of narcissism, but in her role as her own dear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/it-is-in-an-artist-s-real-interest-to-congratulate-herself-more-often/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [“What if you can't help but judge life negatively? What if yesterday felt awful, today feels awful, and tomorrow is likely to feel awful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/what-if-you-can-t-help-but-judge-life-negatively-what-if-yesterday/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [The artist's personality, built upon strong desires and compassionate vision, is by its nature prone to depression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/the-artist-s-personality-built-upon-strong-desires-and-compassionate/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [“The song you write may be beautiful, the research you conceive may be beautiful, but you are the real beauty in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/the-song-you-write-may-be-beautiful-the-research-you-conceive-may-be/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [“How you conceptualize meaning matters. If you hold that it is outside of yourself and must be tracked down, you have one idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/how-you-conceptualize-meaning-matters-if-you-hold-that-it-is-outside/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [Artists have wild desires and a terrible hunger to achieve... Without it they haven't the juice for striving or loving. But desire also can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/artists-have-wild-desires-and-a-terrible-hunger-to-achieve-without-it/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [If you bring your sexual impulses to your creative work... you'll be working from deep in the genetic code, down where life wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/if-you-bring-your-sexual-impulses-to-your-creative-work-you-ll-be/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [The artist is a god, but he is also an idiot. That is the human way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/the-artist-is-a-god-but-he-is-also-an-idiot-that-is-the-human-way/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [It goes against an artist's grain to retire. But whether he retires or not, he will age... What work will get done in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/it-goes-against-an-artist-s-grain-to-retire-but-whether-he-retires-or/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [Boredom is the thing that regularly arrives between excitements and episodes of meaning: it is as natural as the tides, and in it an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/boredom-is-the-thing-that-regularly-arrives-between-excitements-and/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [The middle way cannot be achieved by dividing two extremes in half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/the-middle-way-cannot-be-achieved-by-dividing-two-extremes-in-half/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

[Explore all 141 Eric Maisel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

## More Fear quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/)

[Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/)

> [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/)

[M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/)

> [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/)

[Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/)

> [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/)

[Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/)

> [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/)

[Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/)

> [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/)

[Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/)

> [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/)

[Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/)

> [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/)

[Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

[Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Write, even if you have a twinge, a doubt, a fear, a block, a noisy neighbor, a sick cat, thirteen unpublished stories, and a painful boil.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Eric Maisel"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt-a-fear-a-block-a-noisy/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fear"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt-a-fear-a-block-a-noisy/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/eric-maisel-3062_fear_write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt_755716.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/eric-maisel-3062_fear_write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt_755716.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/eric-maisel-3062_fear_write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt_755716.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Write, even if you have a twinge, a doubt, a fear, a block, a noisy neighbor, a sick cat, thirteen…” — Eric Maisel",
                "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": "Eric Maisel",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Write, even if you have a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt-a-fear-a-block-a-noisy/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt-a-fear-a-block-a-noisy/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
