---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We writers don't really think about…"
description: "\"We writers don't really think about whether what we write is good or not. It's too much to worry about. We just put the words down, trying to get them ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/garrison-keillor-1037_editors_we-writers-don-t-really-think-about-whet_1423243.jpg"
---

#  We writers don't really think about whether what we write…

![“We writers don't really think about whether what we write is good or not. It's too much to worry about. We just put the words down, trying to get them right, operating by some inner sense of pitch and proportion, and from time to time, we stick the stuff in an envelope and ship it to an editor.” quote by Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/garrison-keillor-1037_editors_we-writers-don-t-really-think-about-whet_1423243.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/garrison-keillor-1037_editors_we-writers-don-t-really-think-about-whet_1423243.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/garrison-keillor-1037_editors_we-writers-don-t-really-think-about-whet_1423243.jpg)

> “We writers don't really think about whether what we write is good or not. It's too much to worry about. We just put the words down, trying to get them right, operating by some inner sense of pitch and proportion, and from time to time, we stick the stuff in an envelope and ship it to an editor.”

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

## About This Quote

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

Writers often trust instinct over analysis, letting drafts flow before rigorous editing.

**In simple terms:** Writers rely on intuition, then edit later.

Key Takeaway

Embrace raw creation before critique.

Themes

creativity process intuition editing craft

Mood

playful thoughtful

Type

advice reflective

When to use this quote

- first drafts
- creative workshops
- self‑assessment

Key Concepts

flow state drafting self‑editing publishing

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you edit as you write or after?
- How does intuition shape your voice?

A Different Perspective

The approach can miss early structural issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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> [I've found that writers who don't read really can't write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/i-ve-found-that-writers-who-don-t-read-really-can-t-write/)

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> [Writers, most of them, don't have a lot of resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/writers-most-of-them-don-t-have-a-lot-of-resources/)

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> [Canadian writers don't live in gated mansions; you can just talk to them when you see them lining up at the Second Cup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/canadian-writers-don-t-live-in-gated-mansions-you-can-just-talk-to/)

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> [I very much like people. I don't much like writers who don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/i-very-much-like-people-i-don-t-much-like-writers-who-don-t/)

[Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/)

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[Michel Houellebecq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-houellebecq/)

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[Caspar Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-vega/)

## More by Garrison Keillor

> [God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/god-writes-a-lot-of-comedy-the-trouble-is-he-s-stuck-with-so-many-bad/)

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> [Ha! Easy for nuns to talk about giving up things. That's what they do for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/ha-easy-for-nuns-to-talk-about-giving-up-things-that-s-what-they-do/)

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> [Before the world was made, when it was only darkness and mist and waters, God was well aware of Lake Wobegon, my family, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-only-darkness-and-mist-and/)

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> [On investments, 1998: Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/on-investments-1998-where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is/)

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> [“The rich can afford to be progressive. Poor people have reason to be afraid of the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-rich-can-afford-to-be-progressive-poor-people-have-reason-to-be/)

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