--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every page was once a blank page, just as…" description: "\"Every page was once a blank page, just as every word that appears on it now was not always there, but instead reflects the final result of countless la..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/francine-prose-9354_blank_every-page-was-once-a-blank-page-just-as_2822310.jpg" --- # Every page was once a blank page, just as every word that… ![“Every page was once a blank page, just as every word that appears on it now was not always there, but instead reflects the final result of countless large and small deliberations. All the elements of good writing depend on the writer's skill in choosing one word instead of another. And what grabs…” quote by Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/francine-prose-9354_blank_every-page-was-once-a-blank-page-just-as_2822310.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/francine-prose-9354_blank_every-page-was-once-a-blank-page-just-as_2822310.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/francine-prose-9354_blank_every-page-was-once-a-blank-page-just-as_2822310.jpg) > “Every page was once a blank page, just as every word that appears on it now was not always there, but instead reflects the final result of countless large and small deliberations. All the elements of good writing depend on the writer's skill in choosing one word instead of another. And what grabs and keeps our interest has everything to do with those choices.” [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every word results from many choices; good writing depends on skillful selection and its impact on readers. **In simple terms:** Writing is about careful word choices that engage readers. Key Takeaway Choose words deliberately to shape meaning. Themes writing craft communication Mood focused instructive Type educational practical When to use this quote - novel drafting - editing workshops - content creation Key Concepts lexical choice editing reader engagement Questions to Reflect On - Which word choices have most shaped your writing? - How do small edits change a story? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blank/) [Blank page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blank-page/) [Blank pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blank-pages/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Choosing one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choosing-one-31736/) [Choosing Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choosing-word-1447539/) [Deliberation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliberation/) [Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Finals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finals/) [Good writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-writing/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [One word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-word/) [Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pages/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) [Writer Skill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-skill-451973/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [All the elements of good writing depend on the writer's skill in choosing one word instead of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/all-the-elements-of-good-writing-depend-on-the-writer-s-skill-in/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [Journalist: a person without any ideas but with an ability to express them; a writer whose skill is improved by a deadline: the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/journalist-a-person-without-any-ideas-but-with-an-ability-to-express/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [“It is almost possible to measure a writer's skill by the dexterity with which he repeats, and yet avoids monotony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-g-williams/it-is-almost-possible-to-measure-a-writer-s-skill-by-the-dexterity/) [George G. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-g-williams/) > [You can't edit a blank page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-edit-a-blank-page/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [The enemy is not the badly written page; it is the empty page the great advantage of a badly written page is that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-hallinan/the-enemy-is-not-the-badly-written-page-it-is-the-empty-page-the/) [Timothy Hallinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-hallinan/) > [When you can no longer differentiate between the insanity spewed onto the blank page, and the madness evident in the all-but shattered mirror...that's when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-can-no-longer-differentiate-between-the-insanity-spewed-onto/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are no blank words. Just blank pages.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/there-are-no-blank-words-just-blank-pages/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [Your life is a blank page. You write on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/your-life-is-a-blank-page-you-write-on-it/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [By the time I sit down and face the blank page I am raring to go. I tell it as if I'm talking to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/by-the-time-i-sit-down-and-face-the-blank-page-i-am-raring-to-go-i/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [The best tip for writing is just to write; to sit down and write, to begin doing it and not to be scared by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/the-best-tip-for-writing-is-just-to-write-to-sit-down-and-write-to/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [Staring at the blank page before you, Open up the dirty window, Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-bedingfield/staring-at-the-blank-page-before-you-open-up-the-dirty-window-let-the/) [Natasha Bedingfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-bedingfield/) > [Writer's block.. when one curses the blinking cursor on the blank page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/writer-s-block-when-one-curses-the-blinking-cursor-on-the-blank-page/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [You can fix anything but a blank page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-fix-anything-but-a-blank-page/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Actually, who hasn't been through the ghastly experience of sitting in front of a blank page, with its toothless mouth grinning at you: Go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/actually-who-hasn-t-been-through-the-ghastly-experience-of-sitting-in/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [The acting background helped a lot when I started writing. I was training for it. In acting class they teach you about the stakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-higgins-clark/the-acting-background-helped-a-lot-when-i-started-writing-i-was/) [Carol Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-higgins-clark/) ## More by Francine Prose > [“I'm out of the equation, an innocent bystander at the major love affair Joan is having with Joan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-m-out-of-the-equation-an-innocent-bystander-at-the-major-love/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [I went through college in the 1960s without having any idea that I was going to have to make a living. When I graduated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-went-through-college-in-the-1960s-without-having-any-idea-that-i/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [All the elements of good writing depend on the writer's skill in choosing one word instead of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/all-the-elements-of-good-writing-depend-on-the-writer-s-skill-in/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“She emerges from the station directly across from the restaurant. And she's right on time. Like magic, Sonya thinks, briefly saddened to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/she-emerges-from-the-station-directly-across-from-the-restaurant-and/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Like, for example, sleeve length. Should he hide the tattoos? Or just wear a T-shirt and let "them" do the talking? If one picture's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/like-for-example-sleeve-length-should-he-hide-the-tattoos-or-just/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Consequently, we sympathize. We identify. We care. 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Though it also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-ve-always-thought-that-a-close-reading-course-should-at-least-be-a/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Not all great writers may seem great to us, regardless of how often and how hard we try to see their virtues. I know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/not-all-great-writers-may-seem-great-to-us-regardless-of-how-often/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [Like seeing a photograph of yourself as a child, encountering handwriting that you know was once yours but that now seems only dimly familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/like-seeing-a-photograph-of-yourself-as-a-child-encountering/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > ['One Hundred Years of Solitude' convinced me to drop out of Harvard graduate school. The novel reminded me of everything my Ph.D. program was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/one-hundred-years-of-solitude-convinced-me-to-drop-out-of-harvard/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Maybe real love is being able to ask, Do I have greens in my teeth?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/maybe-real-love-is-being-able-to-ask-do-i-have-greens-in-my-teeth/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [With this recitation of paraphernalia and detritus, O'Brien manages to encapsulate the experience of an army and of a particular war, of a mined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/with-this-recitation-of-paraphernalia-and-detritus-o-brien-manages-to/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“The repetitions, meaningless expressions, stammers, and nonsensical monosyllables with which we express hesitation, along with the clichés and banalities that constitute so much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/the-repetitions-meaningless-expressions-stammers-and-nonsensical/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) [Explore all 73 Francine Prose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) ## More Blank quotes > [I have often wondered how they manage to get return envelopes which miss, by one-quarter of an inch, fitting the blank you are supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/i-have-often-wondered-how-they-manage-to-get-return-envelopes-which/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [But that quickly faded, and he frowned. 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He may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chalmers/every-man-is-a-missionary-now-and-forever-for-good-or-for-evil/) [Thomas Chalmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chalmers/) > [The acting background helped a lot when I started writing. I was training for it. In acting class they teach you about the stakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-higgins-clark/the-acting-background-helped-a-lot-when-i-started-writing-i-was/) [Carol Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-higgins-clark/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [You wind up creating from silence, like painting a picture on a blank canvas that could bring tears to somebody's eyes. As songwriters, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/you-wind-up-creating-from-silence-like-painting-a-picture-on-a-blank/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) > [“As I stare at the blank page, I am at once awash inwords but unable to find the ones I want to use.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-ryan/as-i-stare-at-the-blank-page-i-am-at-once-awash-inwords-but-unable-to/) [Carrie Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-ryan/) > [Staring at the blank page before you, Open up the dirty window, Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-bedingfield/staring-at-the-blank-page-before-you-open-up-the-dirty-window-let-the/) [Natasha Bedingfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-bedingfield/) > [Bullies enjoy dark happiness; these are the blank parts that eventually fill their minds with nothingness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-shanks/bullies-enjoy-dark-happiness-these-are-the-blank-parts-that/) [Emily Shanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-shanks/) > [History is full of blank spaces, but good stories, invariably, are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/history-is-full-of-blank-spaces-but-good-stories-invariably-are-not/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [If men's minds were like dominoes, surely his would be the double blank.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/if-men-s-minds-were-like-dominoes-surely-his-would-be-the-double-blank/) [P. 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Well, actually, I'd like it to say 'figment.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/i-always-thought-i-d-like-my-own-tombstone-to-be-blank-no-epitaph-and/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) [Browse all 832 Blank quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blank/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every page was once a blank page, just as every word that appears on it now was not always there, but instead reflects the final result of countless large and small deliberations. All the elements of good writing depend on the writer's skill in choosing one word instead of another. 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