--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you do everything in your power to…" description: "\"If you do everything in your power to avoid writing and still can't, then you must be a writer.\" — Fannie Flagg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/fannie-flagg-3065_avoid_if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-av_1606057.png" --- # If you do everything in your power to avoid writing and… ![“If you do everything in your power to avoid writing and still can't, then you must be a writer.” quote by Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/fannie-flagg-3065_avoid_if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-av_1606057.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/fannie-flagg-3065_avoid_if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-av_1606057.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/fannie-flagg-3065_avoid_if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-av_1606057.png) > “If you do everything in your power to avoid writing and still can't, then you must be a writer.” [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If you cannot avoid writing despite all efforts, you are inherently a writer. **In simple terms:** You are a writer if you can’t stop writing. Key Takeaway Embrace your writer identity. Themes writing inevitability identity Mood motivational introspective Type creative personal When to use this quote - career choice - personal expression - habit formation Key Concepts creative compulsion self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - Do you resist your writing urge? - How does this shape your life? A Different Perspective Creative compulsion can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I'm always writing. A friend of mine once said, 'You avoid re-writing by writing.' Which is kind of a good point, because re-writing seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-crowe/i-m-always-writing-a-friend-of-mine-once-said-you-avoid-re-writing-by/) [Cameron Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-crowe/) > [Write to exhaustion so that you can no longer manage to avoid writing the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/write-to-exhaustion-so-that-you-can-no-longer-manage-to-avoid-writing/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [I could give you absolutely sterling advice on how to avoid writing, how when you run out of things to do other than going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/i-could-give-you-absolutely-sterling-advice-on-how-to-avoid-writing/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [The biggest pitfall to avoid is not writing. Not writing is really, really easy to do, especially if you're a young writer. The hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-biggest-pitfall-to-avoid-is-not-writing-not-writing-is-really/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I can't avoid writing. It's a sort of nervous tic I have developed since I gave up needlepoint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/i-can-t-avoid-writing-it-s-a-sort-of-nervous-tic-i-have-developed/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) > [Literature has low enough standards. But we can avoid writing the worst literature if we make ourselves ask ourselves, every two or three sentences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bly/literature-has-low-enough-standards-but-we-can-avoid-writing-the/) [Carol Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bly/) > [The thing all writers do best is find ways to avoid writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dean-foster/the-thing-all-writers-do-best-is-find-ways-to-avoid-writing/) [Alan Dean Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dean-foster/) > [Writing is 90% procrastination. It is a matter of doing everything you can to avoid writing, until it is about four in the morning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rudnick/writing-is-90-procrastination-it-is-a-matter-of-doing-everything-you/) [Paul Rudnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rudnick/) > [If you are destined to become a writer, you can't help it. 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I'd spend three hours at the gym to avoid writing, or I'd just find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-susan-rapp/i-have-been-earlier-in-my-life-a-lazy-writer-i-d-spend-three-hours-at/) [Emily Susan Rapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-susan-rapp/) > [Many writers-in-waiting spend a lot of time avoiding the work at hand. The most common way to avoid writing is by procrastination. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/many-writers-in-waiting-spend-a-lot-of-time-avoiding-the-work-at-hand/) [Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/) > [I tend to avoid writing music about initial reactions to situations, like frustration or anger. I’d rather wait till I go through the problem,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/i-tend-to-avoid-writing-music-about-initial-reactions-to-situations/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) > [We try to stay as open-minded about casting as possible. When you're getting things down on paper, you might even avoid writing down a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-lord/we-try-to-stay-as-open-minded-about-casting-as-possible-when-you-re/) [Phil Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-lord/) ## More by Fannie Flagg > [“Oh it don't make no kind of sense. Big ol' ox like Grady won't sit next to a colored child. But he eats eggs-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/oh-it-don-t-make-no-kind-of-sense-big-ol-ox-like-grady-won-t-sit-next/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black nights and gray mornings, when her sense of failure swept over her like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lately-it-had-been-an-endless-procession-of-long-black-nights-and/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“The little girl knew if she bit any member of her family, they would get rabies too, and she died without ever having been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/the-little-girl-knew-if-she-bit-any-member-of-her-family-they-would/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [There Lives More Faith in Honest Doubt, Believe Me, Than Half the Creeds. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/there-lives-more-faith-in-honest-doubt-believe-me-than-half-the/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Harris had done exactly what he had been told to do by the sexy dame from Oklahoma. After he had removed all of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/harris-had-done-exactly-what-he-had-been-told-to-do-by-the-sexy-dame/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“he surprised her by signing, “You are the most beautiful girl in the world.” Ander didn’t know it, but he had signed, “You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/he-surprised-her-by-signing-you-are-the-most-beautiful-girl-in-the/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Because, honey," she said, "after you've been to the moon, where else is there to go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/because-honey-she-said-after-you-ve-been-to-the-moon-where-else-is/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Hello... is this Mrs. Fritzi Bevins?' 'Yes, it is.' 'From Pulaski, Wisconsin?' 'Yes.' 'Uh... you don't know me, but I recently received some papers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/hello-is-this-mrs-fritzi-bevins-yes-it-is-from-pulaski-wisconsin-yes/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Lenore had pushed her into had been a complete disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lenore-had-pushed-her-into-had-been-a-complete-disaster/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Face it girls. I'm older and I have more insurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/face-it-girls-i-m-older-and-i-have-more-insurance/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“I hate a book that jumps around. Also I can promise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/i-hate-a-book-that-jumps-around-also-i-can-promise/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Remember, if people talk behind your back, it only that you are two steps ahead of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/remember-if-people-talk-behind-your-back-it-only-that-you-are-two/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Depression years come back to me now as the happy times, even though we were all struggling. We were happy and didn't know it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/depression-years-come-back-to-me-now-as-the-happy-times-even-though/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [One gal drank a can of floor wax and topped it off with a cup of Clorox, trying to separate herself from the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/one-gal-drank-a-can-of-floor-wax-and-topped-it-off-with-a-cup-of/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) [Explore all 137 Fannie Flagg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## More Avoid quotes > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. 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I do want to avoid the use of embryos if possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinya-yamanaka/patients-lives-are-more-important-than-embryos-i-do-want-to-avoid-the/) [Shinya Yamanaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinya-yamanaka/) > [I studiously avoid any academic dissections of the play and any kind of previous experience of playing. For me, it's all in the play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-studiously-avoid-any-academic-dissections-of-the-play-and-any-kind/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [The mark of the man is how he responds to situations. You're not going to avoid tough times. We're all over the barrel some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-short/the-mark-of-the-man-is-how-he-responds-to-situations-you-re-not-going/) [Martin Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-short/) > [God knows we are subtle creatures who are more than able to use candour to avoid acknowledging our deceptions of others and ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/god-knows-we-are-subtle-creatures-who-are-more-than-able-to-use/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [Because Techstars is an intensely productive three-month program in which product development and iteration are primary goals, we're constantly looking to streamline our program…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/because-techstars-is-an-intensely-productive-three-month-program-in/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) > [Pacifism as a mass movement aims to avoid suffering; pacifists often say that no cause is worth suffering or dying for. The ethos of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-michnik/pacifism-as-a-mass-movement-aims-to-avoid-suffering-pacifists-often/) [Adam Michnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-michnik/) > [Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/last-but-not-least-avoid-cliches-like-the-plague/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [When I was younger, I used humour as a tool to avoid getting too serious with people - if there was deep emotional stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-perry/when-i-was-younger-i-used-humour-as-a-tool-to-avoid-getting-too/) [Matthew Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-perry/) > [I'm quite tactile, so I like fabrics that feel good. I try to avoid fabrics that crease - especially with my son. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kerr/i-m-quite-tactile-so-i-like-fabrics-that-feel-good-i-try-to-avoid/) [Miranda Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kerr/) Browse all 985 Avoid quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you do everything in your power to avoid writing and still can't, then you must be a writer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fannie Flagg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-avoid-writing-and-still-can-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Avoid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-avoid-writing-and-still-can-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/fannie-flagg-3065_avoid_if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-av_1606057.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/fannie-flagg-3065_avoid_if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-av_1606057.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/fannie-flagg-3065_avoid_if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-av_1606057.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you do everything in your power to avoid writing and still can't, then you must be a writer.” — Fannie Flagg", "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": "Fannie Flagg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you do everything in your...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-avoid-writing-and-still-can-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/if-you-do-everything-in-your-power-to-avoid-writing-and-still-can-t/#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 } } ] } ```