--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never used to write down all the ideas…" description: "\"“I never used to write down all the ideas that occur to me while writing. I believed if I forgot them they were not important, and the ones that really..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_writer_i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas_2790989.jpg" --- # I never used to write down all the ideas that occur to me… ![“I never used to write down all the ideas that occur to me while writing. I believed if I forgot them they were not important, and the ones that really mattered were those I remembered. Now I write them all down.” quote by Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_writer_i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas_2790989.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_writer_i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas_2790989.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_writer_i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas_2790989.jpg) > ““I never used to write down all the ideas that occur to me while writing. I believed if I forgot them they were not important, and the ones that really mattered were those I remembered. Now I write them all down.”” [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author learned that capturing every idea, even fleeting ones, preserves valuable insights that might otherwise be lost. **In simple terms:** Write down every idea to keep important thoughts. Key Takeaway Record all thoughts, not just the ones you think matter. Themes creativity productivity mindset Mood reflective inspired Type advice personal growth When to use this quote - brainstorming sessions - research notes - creative writing - project planning Key Concepts idea capture memory writing process Questions to Reflect On - How might you miss a crucial insight without noting it? - What system helps you review recorded ideas? A Different Perspective Relying solely on memory can cause loss of unexpected breakthroughs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas Occur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-occur-929241/) [Remembered Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembered-write-3379961/) [Used Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used-write-607337/) [Write Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-ideas-347380/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Believed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-believed-2029203/) ## Related quotes > [If you take a few days to write an outline, you're just making up scenes that you think will work, that you think will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outline-you-re-just-making-up/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I wrote to find beauty and purpose, to know that love is possible and lasting and real… Once I got to my desk, once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-wrote-to-find-beauty-and-purpose-to-know-that-love-is-possible-and-2/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [I wrote to find beauty and purpose, to know that love is possible and lasting and real, to see day lilies and swimming pools,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-wrote-to-find-beauty-and-purpose-to-know-that-love-is-possible-and/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [Sometimes I felt like my columns were like little novels in themselves. But I wasn't writing what I believed. I'm not interested in what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/sometimes-i-felt-like-my-columns-were-like-little-novels-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [“Why would the same ideas occur to different people at the same time? Ogburn and Thomas argued that it was because our ideas are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-penguin-press/why-would-the-same-ideas-occur-to-different-people-at-the-same-time/) [The Penguin Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-penguin-press/) > [It is in quiet that our best ideas occur to us. Don't make the mistake of believing that by a frantic kind of dashing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/it-is-in-quiet-that-our-best-ideas-occur-to-us-don-t-make-the-mistake/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Some of the best ideas I get seem to happen when I'm doing mindless manual labor or exercise. I'm not sure how that happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/some-of-the-best-ideas-i-get-seem-to-happen-when-i-m-doing-mindless/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“The way you get good ideas is to do two things: 1) Read two hours a day. 2) Write ten ideas a day. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/the-way-you-get-good-ideas-is-to-do-two-things-1-read-two-hours-a-day/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [I keep a composition book with me at all times to write rhymes, to write down ideas, write down my thoughts, you know just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cordae/i-keep-a-composition-book-with-me-at-all-times-to-write-rhymes-to/) [Cordae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cordae/) > [I always find myself stopping to write down ideas of things I'd like to make from computer hardware items to things new moms need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-loeb/i-always-find-myself-stopping-to-write-down-ideas-of-things-i-d-like/) [Lisa Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-loeb/) > [I wish I could write. I get these ideas but I never seem to be able to put them in words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-wish-i-could-write-i-get-these-ideas-but-i-never-seem-to-be-able-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I used to write poems more when I was younger, but I haven't in a long time. I just write ideas and paragraphs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/i-used-to-write-poems-more-when-i-was-younger-but-i-haven-t-in-a-long/) [Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/) > [We take Aristotle seriously not when we write about his ideas, but when we take his ideas as part of our discussions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-l-garfield/we-take-aristotle-seriously-not-when-we-write-about-his-ideas-but/) [Jay L. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-l-garfield/) > [I have reached the point where I know that as long as I sit down to write, the ideas will come. What they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-parker/i-have-reached-the-point-where-i-know-that-as-long-as-i-sit-down-to/) [Robert B. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-parker/) > [I read and write but my ideas don't go beyond the first draft. When they will, I will make it into a film probably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antara-mali/i-read-and-write-but-my-ideas-don-t-go-beyond-the-first-draft-when/) [Antara Mali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antara-mali/) ## More by Gabriel García Márquez > [“The Captain looked at Fermina Daza and saw on her eyelashes the first glimmer of wintry frost. Then he looked at Florentino Ariza, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/the-captain-looked-at-fermina-daza-and-saw-on-her-eyelashes-the-first/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Courage did not come from the need to survive, or from a brute indifference inherited from someone else, but from a driving need for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/courage-did-not-come-from-the-need-to-survive-or-from-a-brute/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“He aprendido que un hombre sólo tiene derecho a mirar a otro hacia abajo cuando ha de ayudarle a levantarse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-aprendido-que-un-hombre-s-lo-tiene-derecho-a-mirar-a-otro-hacia/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [From the moment I wrote 'Leaf Storm' I realized I wanted to be a writer and that nobody could stop me and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/from-the-moment-i-wrote-leaf-storm-i-realized-i-wanted-to-be-a-writer/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [He sank into the rocking chair, the same one in which Rebecca had sat during the early days of the house to give embroidery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-sank-into-the-rocking-chair-the-same-one-in-which-rebecca-had-sat/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Berhentilah sepi, hidup ini pendek.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/berhentilah-sepi-hidup-ini-pendek/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-who-did-not-see-themselves/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“I didn't do any of what they told me,' she said, 'because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-didn-t-do-any-of-what-they-told-me-she-said-because-the-more-i/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [He thought about his people without sentimentalily, with a strick closing of his accounts with life, beginning to understand how much he really loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-thought-about-his-people-without-sentimentalily-with-a-strick/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Why were you so old when we met? I answered with the truth: Age isn't how old you are but how old you feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/why-were-you-so-old-when-we-met-i-answered-with-the-truth-age-isn-t/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Between the covers of the books that no one had ever read again, in the old parchments damaged by dampness, a livid flower had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/between-the-covers-of-the-books-that-no-one-had-ever-read-again-in/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Fear had absorbed her completely and remained there, fixed, tenacious, almost corporeal, as if it were some invisible person who had made up his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/fear-had-absorbed-her-completely-and-remained-there-fixed-tenacious/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Today I know I was right. The adolescents of my generation, greedy for life, forgot in body and soul about their hopes for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/today-i-know-i-was-right-the-adolescents-of-my-generation-greedy-for/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“...It was then, for the first time, that she understood above all her virtues what was in command was the vanity of a metaphysical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/it-was-then-for-the-first-time-that-she-understood-above-all-her/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) [Explore all 872 Gabriel García Márquez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## More Writer quotes > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [If I don't know who I'm writing for, I make it up and pick somebody I'm writing for. That's really the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/if-i-don-t-know-who-i-m-writing-for-i-make-it-up-and-pick-somebody-i/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [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/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [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/) > [“Note found in the patron suggestion box: "You have SIGNS up near the computers that say BE QUIET, but people don't be quiet. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-sheridan/note-found-in-the-patron-suggestion-box-you-have-signs-up-near-the/) [Gina Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-sheridan/) [Browse all 43,858 Writer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I never used to write down all the ideas that occur to me while writing. I believed if I forgot them they were not important, and the ones that really mattered were those I remembered. Now I write them all down.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gabriel García Márquez" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas-that-occur-to-me-while/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Writer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas-that-occur-to-me-while/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_writer_i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas_2790989.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_writer_i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas_2790989.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_writer_i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas_2790989.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I never used to write down all the ideas that occur to me while writing. I believed if I forgot them they…” — Gabriel García Márquez", "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": "Gabriel García Márquez", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I never used to write down...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas-that-occur-to-me-while/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas-that-occur-to-me-while/#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 } } ] } ```