--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Imagination? It is the one thing beside…" description: "\"Imagination? It is the one thing beside honesty that a good writer must have. The more he learns from experience the more he can imagine.\" — Ernest Hem..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/ernest-hemingway-83_good-writer_imagination-it-is-the-one-thing-beside-h_752975.jpg" --- # Imagination? It is the one thing beside honesty that a… ![“Imagination? It is the one thing beside honesty that a good writer must have. The more he learns from experience the more he can imagine.” quote by Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/ernest-hemingway-83_good-writer_imagination-it-is-the-one-thing-beside-h_752975.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/ernest-hemingway-83_good-writer_imagination-it-is-the-one-thing-beside-h_752975.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/ernest-hemingway-83_good-writer_imagination-it-is-the-one-thing-beside-h_752975.jpg) > “Imagination? It is the one thing beside honesty that a good writer must have. The more he learns from experience the more he can imagine.” [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## 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 needs imagination and honesty; experience fuels imagination, enriching storytelling. **In simple terms:** Imagination and honesty are essential for writers. Key Takeaway Cultivate curiosity and stay truthful to experiences. Themes creativity integrity learning Mood inspirational thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - novel writing - journalism - creative workshops - personal reflection Key Concepts imagination experience writing craft Questions to Reflect On - How does honesty shape your imagination? - What experiences have expanded your creative vision? A Different Perspective Imagination alone cannot compensate for lack of discipline. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-writer/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Honesty Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty-good-1730742/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Imagination Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination-thing-1493270/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Learning experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-experience/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Learns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-learns-760046/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Honesty is a good thing, but it is not profitable to its possessor unless it is kept under control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-marquis/honesty-is-a-good-thing-but-it-is-not-profitable-to-its-possessor/) [Don Marquis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-marquis/) > [“Imagination? It is the one thing beside honesty that a good writer must have. The more he learns from experience the more he can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/imagination-it-is-the-one-thing-beside-honesty-that-a-good-writer-2/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [ “\[Imagination\] is the one thing beside honesty that a good writer must have. The more he learns from experience the more he can imagine.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/imagination-is-the-one-thing-beside-honesty-that-a-good-writer-must/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [What I've learned is that the most precious commodity you can have in a relationship is honesty, good or bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ealy/what-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-most-precious-commodity-you-can-have-in/) [Michael Ealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ealy/) > [Honesty is always good, except when it's better to lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/honesty-is-always-good-except-when-it-s-better-to-lie/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Honesty is good sense, politeness, amiableness,--all in one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/honesty-is-good-sense-politeness-amiableness-all-in-one/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) > [Honesty and good communication skills are the key to succesful relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikkie/honesty-and-good-communication-skills-are-the-key-to-succesful/) [Nikkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikkie/) > [The imagination is the medium of appreciation in every field. 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If he is a good writer he will never like any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/a-writer-is-like-a-gypsy-he-owes-no-allegiance-to-any-government-if/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Everything a writer learns about the art or craft of fiction takes just a little away from his need or desire to write at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/everything-a-writer-learns-about-the-art-or-craft-of-fiction-takes/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) ## More by Ernest Hemingway > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“There was no wind, and, outside now of the warm air of the cave, heavy with smoke of both tobacco and charcoal, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-was-no-wind-and-outside-now-of-the-warm-air-of-the-cave-heavy/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“It was not brilliant bull-fighting. It was only perfect bull-fighting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-was-not-brilliant-bull-fighting-it-was-only-perfect-bull-fighting/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Creation's probably overrated. After all, God made the world in only six days and rested on the seventh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/creation-s-probably-overrated-after-all-god-made-the-world-in-only/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Viva my husband who was Mayor of this town”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/viva-my-husband-who-was-mayor-of-this-town/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“The earth gets tired of being exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-earth-gets-tired-of-being-exploited/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/what-is-moral-is-what-you-feel-good-after-and-what-is-immoral-is-what/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“We drove out along the coast road. There was the green of the headlands, the white, red-roofed villas, patches of forest, and the ocean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/we-drove-out-along-the-coast-road-there-was-the-green-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [As a Nobel Prize winner I cannot but regret that the award was never given to Mark Twain, nor to Henry James, speaking only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/as-a-nobel-prize-winner-i-cannot-but-regret-that-the-award-was-never/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Oh, darling, I've been so miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-i-ve-been-so-miserable/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I read my own books sometimes to cheer me when it is hard to write, and then I remember that it was always difficult,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-read-my-own-books-sometimes-to-cheer-me-when-it-is-hard-to-write/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“You find everything on earth at Harry's." "Yes, my Colonel. Except, possibly, happiness." "I'll damn well find happiness, too," the Colonel assured him. "Happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-find-everything-on-earth-at-harry-s-yes-my-colonel-except/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“No. It's bad for me. Cole Porter wrote the words and the music. This knowledge that you're going mad for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/no-it-s-bad-for-me-cole-porter-wrote-the-words-and-the-music-this/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) [Explore all 1,464 Ernest Hemingway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## More Good writer quotes > [You don't have to be a good person to be a good writer--history shows it's better if you're not--but you have to understand your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-abrahams/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-good-person-to-be-a-good-writer-history-shows/) [Peter Abrahams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-abrahams/) > [“Honestly,” he says, “I judge writers on how they write queries. 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I write because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-s-not-that-i-want-people-to-think-i-am-smart-or-even-that-i-am-a/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [A good journalist, as you know, is a great listener. And so's a good writer. 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