--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a funny thing about writing. You get…" description: "\"It's a funny thing about writing. You get so balled up in a story idea that you lose your perspective and forget that human being might read your words..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f2/gary-reilly-13028_forget_it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get_54296.jpg" --- # It's a funny thing about writing. You get so balled up in… ![“It's a funny thing about writing. You get so balled up in a story idea that you lose your perspective and forget that human being might read your words someday.” quote by Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f2/gary-reilly-13028_forget_it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get_54296.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f2/gary-reilly-13028_forget_it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get_54296.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f2/gary-reilly-13028_forget_it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get_54296.jpg) > “It's a funny thing about writing. You get so balled up in a story idea that you lose your perspective and forget that human being might read your words someday.” [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers can become so absorbed in their narrative that they lose sight of the audience, forgetting that real people will read and interpret their words. **In simple terms:** Don’t lose the reader in your own story. Key Takeaway Maintain audience awareness. Themes writing perspective audience self‑reflection Mood reflective cautious Type observation advice When to use this quote - drafting a novel - blog post creation - speech preparation Key Concepts cognitive immersion empathy Practical Applications - step back and read aloud - seek early feedback Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal expression with reader expectations? - What habits help you stay grounded while writing? A Different Perspective Over‑editing for audience can dilute authentic voice and originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-things/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [There are moments in life, and they happen so infrequently that they tend to really stand out, when life hands you the gift of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassia-leo/there-are-moments-in-life-and-they-happen-so-infrequently-that-they/) [Cassia Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassia-leo/) > [The funny thing about writing is I think a lot of people assume that you're sitting in a garret with a quill pen for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/the-funny-thing-about-writing-is-i-think-a-lot-of-people-assume-that/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [The funny thing about writing is that whether you're doing well or doing it poorly, it looks the exact same. That's actually one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-funny-thing-about-writing-is-that-whether-you-re-doing-well-or/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I lack the skill to hold a story line for the length required for a novel or even a short story. I have never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-lack-the-skill-to-hold-a-story-line-for-the-length-required-for-a/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I would say I'm a storyteller first, but game making is very wrapped up in how I think of story. If I were to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jensen/i-would-say-i-m-a-storyteller-first-but-game-making-is-very-wrapped/) [Jane Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jensen/) > [A short story is one idea; a novel is a whole soup of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/a-short-story-is-one-idea-a-novel-is-a-whole-soup-of-them/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [I take in a lot of stuff from real life, movies, television, news and it all gets mixed in my head and somehow turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-take-in-a-lot-of-stuff-from-real-life-movies-television-news-and-it/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [If you have a good story idea, don't assume it must form a prose narrative. It may work better as a play, a screenplay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/if-you-have-a-good-story-idea-don-t-assume-it-must-form-a-prose/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [Sometimes a story idea will come to me, and suddenly I've figured out the whole thing, and I feel like I'm collaborating with something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-apatow/sometimes-a-story-idea-will-come-to-me-and-suddenly-i-ve-figured-out/) [Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-apatow/) > [When I write a story, I have no idea what I'm doing. All I know is that I want to share something with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/when-i-write-a-story-i-have-no-idea-what-i-m-doing-all-i-know-is-that/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [For each book, there's a back story of where the idea came from. Sometimes it's derived from a current event or topic of discussion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-brown/for-each-book-there-s-a-back-story-of-where-the-idea-came-from/) [Sandra Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-brown/) > [If I had a story idea that I felt would work best in three volumes I might write a trilogy eventually. I'd very likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/if-i-had-a-story-idea-that-i-felt-would-work-best-in-three-volumes-i/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [I've never dreamed of a story idea. I have such boring dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-stine/i-ve-never-dreamed-of-a-story-idea-i-have-such-boring-dreams/) [R. L. Stine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-stine/) > [Working on the plot/story idea for my next novel ... It always takes time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/working-on-the-plot-story-idea-for-my-next-novel-it-always-takes-time/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Who wants to put together something that will bear some relationship to the vision or memory or experience or story or idea or dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/who-wants-to-put-together-something-that-will-bear-some-relationship/) [Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/) ## More by Gary Reilly > [“The big house... reminded me of the types of structures you can still see in places like Center City: gingerbread houses, two-story affairs built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/the-big-house-reminded-me-of-the-types-of-structures-you-can-still/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“I don't think there is anything that annoys me as much as having to "be" somewhere. It seems like every bad thing that ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/i-don-t-think-there-is-anything-that-annoys-me-as-much-as-having-to/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“My imagination was running amok again. Twice in one night. This never happens when I’m sitting in front of a typewriter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/my-imagination-was-running-amok-again-twice-in-one-night-this-never/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“Writers, even unpublished writers, have a tendency not to notice what’s going on around them when they are the center of attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/writers-even-unpublished-writers-have-a-tendency-not-to-notice-what-s/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [Being a cab river is not unlike being a magician--minus the top hat, the cape, the rabbit, an the gorgeous assistant. But you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/being-a-cab-river-is-not-unlike-being-a-magician-minus-the-top-hat/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“Golf baffles me. They says it’s a sport, and I have to take their word for it, but anything that involves having fun while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/golf-baffles-me-they-says-it-s-a-sport-and-i-have-to-take-their-word/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“To me, knowing how to do something is like cheating. That's why I never studied in grade school. Studying made passing tests too easy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/to-me-knowing-how-to-do-something-is-like-cheating-that-s-why-i-never/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“My fake weekend has begun. I always take Tuesday off, unless my rent is due and I need to pick up some extra cash.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/my-fake-weekend-has-begun-i-always-take-tuesday-off-unless-my-rent-is/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“TGIF," I said aloud even though it was only Thursday. But I was alone in my apartment as far as I knew. I deliberately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/tgif-i-said-aloud-even-though-it-was-only-thursday-but-i-was-alone-in/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [Work/Loaf Ratio”...I have spent fourteen years perfecting... I won't bore you with a long-winded explanation of the “W/LR” save to say that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/work-loaf-ratio-i-have-spent-fourteen-years-perfecting-i-won-t-bore/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“Get thee behind me, whatever you are," that's my motto.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/get-thee-behind-me-whatever-you-are-that-s-my-motto/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“Late Friday morning I was driving toward Boulder. I was seated in "Doctor Lovebeads Cosmic Wonderbus and Mobile Mercantile." That entire phrase was painted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/late-friday-morning-i-was-driving-toward-boulder-i-was-seated-in/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“I didn't offer to help him carry any of his stuff. That's the unwritten code between cabbies and movers… It's his punishment for tricking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/i-didn-t-offer-to-help-him-carry-any-of-his-stuff-that-s-the/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“They say that a man has to want to quit before he can stop working, that nobody can stop working for him. His first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/they-say-that-a-man-has-to-want-to-quit-before-he-can-stop-working/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [I had never liked bullying of any sort, especially when an individual acquires his courage by becoming part of a faceless mob. I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/i-had-never-liked-bullying-of-any-sort-especially-when-an-individual/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) [Explore all 52 Gary Reilly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) ## More Forget quotes > [I Never met her,i never talked to her,but in my whole day I am either thinking about her or trying to forget her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhananda/i-never-met-her-i-never-talked-to-her-but-in-my-whole-day-i-am-either/) [Subhananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhananda/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Once upon a time. Ah forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-upon-a-time-ah-forget-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Which people take the time to care for their souls, these days? I reckon not many. But...hear this: I think that maybe in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fletcher/which-people-take-the-time-to-care-for-their-souls-these-days-i/) [Susan Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fletcher/) > [The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/the-problem-with-people-is-they-forget-that-most-of-the-time-it-s-the/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [Remind a man of what he remembers, and you will make him forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/remind-a-man-of-what-he-remembers-and-you-will-make-him-forget-it/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [“So you try, and try, to move past it and forget about them, but it's like they're stuck in your head -- you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/so-you-try-and-try-to-move-past-it-and-forget-about-them-but-it-s/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [If God knows me I will never forget him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trunxbeats/if-god-knows-me-i-will-never-forget-him/) Trunxbeats > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) Browse all 11,315 Forget quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a funny thing about writing. You get so balled up in a story idea that you lose your perspective and forget that human being might read your words someday.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gary Reilly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get-so-balled-up-in-a-story-idea/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Forget" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get-so-balled-up-in-a-story-idea/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f2/gary-reilly-13028_forget_it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get_54296.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f2/gary-reilly-13028_forget_it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get_54296.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f2/gary-reilly-13028_forget_it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get_54296.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's a funny thing about writing. You get so balled up in a story idea that you lose your perspective and…” — Gary Reilly", "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": "Gary Reilly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's a funny thing about writing....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get-so-balled-up-in-a-story-idea/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get-so-balled-up-in-a-story-idea/#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 } } ] } ```