--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I still write the occasional short story…" description: "\"I still write the occasional short story, and poked at a novel once, but it's just not what I want to do.\" — George Murray" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/george-murray-21733_books_i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story_1729758.jpg" --- # I still write the occasional short story, and poked at a… ![“I still write the occasional short story, and poked at a novel once, but it's just not what I want to do.” quote by George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/george-murray-21733_books_i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story_1729758.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/george-murray-21733_books_i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story_1729758.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/george-murray-21733_books_i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story_1729758.jpg) > “I still write the occasional short story, and poked at a novel once, but it's just not what I want to do.” [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He acknowledges occasional writing but feels it isn’t his true calling. **In simple terms:** Writing isn’t his main passion. Key Takeaway Pursue work that aligns with your core interests. Themes career creativity self‑assessment Mood contemplative uncertain thoughtful Type motivational personal When to use this quote - career counseling - creative workshops - freelance projects - personal reflection Key Concepts vocational identity artistic fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of writing still appeal to you? - Could a different writing form reignite your interest? A Different Perspective He may overlook potential growth in writing by dismissing it prematurely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Short story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-story/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“A novel is just a story that hasn't yet discovered a way to be brief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/a-novel-is-just-a-story-that-hasn-t-yet-discovered-a-way-to-be-brief/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [To me there's no difference between a book of stories and a novel - they're just slightly different shapes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/to-me-there-s-no-difference-between-a-book-of-stories-and-a-novel/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [I actually started trying to be a professional writer with novels, and I wrote two that exist and are around... kind of. But they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/i-actually-started-trying-to-be-a-professional-writer-with-novels-and/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [I did not have any philosophy at all when I wrote the first novel. I was just wanting to capture experiences that I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-bajaj/i-did-not-have-any-philosophy-at-all-when-i-wrote-the-first-novel-i/) [Karan Bajaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-bajaj/) > [Because I'm a woman writing about women who do bad things, that's somehow very 'other.' When men write that, it's called a novel. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/because-i-m-a-woman-writing-about-women-who-do-bad-things-that-s/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [A novel is not just a work of art: It is somehow a work of life as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-elliott/a-novel-is-not-just-a-work-of-art-it-is-somehow-a-work-of-life-as-well/) George P Elliott > [I've got an idea for a modern day faerie tale that I think would made a great short novel. But I just don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-ve-got-an-idea-for-a-modern-day-faerie-tale-that-i-think-would-made/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Stop trying to write a novel. Just tell a story, type it up, 1 hour every day, and by the end of the year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-anske/stop-trying-to-write-a-novel-just-tell-a-story-type-it-up-1-hour/) [Ksenia Anske](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-anske/) > [Screenwriting is a much more collaborative effort. When you write a novel, it's just you, with input from your editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/screenwriting-is-a-much-more-collaborative-effort-when-you-write-a/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [Reading a novel is just a much more involving and intimate experience than the act of watching a film. I mean, you literally get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mcinerney/reading-a-novel-is-just-a-much-more-involving-and-intimate-experience/) [Jay McInerney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mcinerney/) > [I have resolved to pick one novel and just read it over and over again for the rest of my life, because I cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-laurie/i-have-resolved-to-pick-one-novel-and-just-read-it-over-and-over/) [Hugh Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-laurie/) > [I feel like I've got a novel in me somewhere, but that's something... I was just talking to a buddy of mine about it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/i-feel-like-i-ve-got-a-novel-in-me-somewhere-but-that-s-something-i/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [I was in Las Vegas, and there was a exhibit of King Tut's tomb, and it was an audio tour. At the very end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/i-was-in-las-vegas-and-there-was-a-exhibit-of-king-tut-s-tomb-and-it/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) > [Throughout my career I've struggled to encourage people to read my books on a more metaphorical level. I'm less attached to my settings than,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/throughout-my-career-i-ve-struggled-to-encourage-people-to-read-my/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“«She had Google, and she had Wikipedia. She could look up anything obscure, any words or phrases that she didn’t understand. A romance novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-sterling/she-had-google-and-she-had-wikipedia-she-could-look-up-anything/) [Bruce Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-sterling/) ## More by George Murray > [I feel as though I've fooled the world into thinking I'm an adult and now they're letting me procreate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-feel-as-though-i-ve-fooled-the-world-into-thinking-i-m-an-adult-and/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I think the main influence has been living in New York City. Aside from all the crap around 9/11, I find it very demanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-think-the-main-influence-has-been-living-in-new-york-city-aside/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [In my opinion, Al Moritz may be the best poet of his generation in Canada.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/in-my-opinion-al-moritz-may-be-the-best-poet-of-his-generation-in/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [The poetry community here has been extraordinarily welcoming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/the-poetry-community-here-has-been-extraordinarily-welcoming/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I think, for me, humour needs to be used like a strong spice - sparingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-think-for-me-humour-needs-to-be-used-like-a-strong-spice-sparingly/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I guess there is also an element of deliberate change involved. Each of my books has been, at least from my point of view,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-guess-there-is-also-an-element-of-deliberate-change-involved-each/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [My self-editing process is intense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/my-self-editing-process-is-intense/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [Even the people who have had success and made money writing these books of fiction seem to feel the need to pretend it's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/even-the-people-who-have-had-success-and-made-money-writing-these/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I am certainly suffering from a modicum of performance anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-am-certainly-suffering-from-a-modicum-of-performance-anxiety/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I do try to let what is obviously unintended yet naturally good stay in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-do-try-to-let-what-is-obviously-unintended-yet-naturally-good-stay/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I've often entertained paranoid suspicions about my fridge and what it's been doing to my poetry when I'm not looking, but I never even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-ve-often-entertained-paranoid-suspicions-about-my-fridge-and-what/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [With 'Carousel' I had an idea and it all came out quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/with-carousel-i-had-an-idea-and-it-all-came-out-quickly/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I no longer feel pressure to produce fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-no-longer-feel-pressure-to-produce-fiction/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [It's a bit of a crapshoot out there with young writers right now anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/it-s-a-bit-of-a-crapshoot-out-there-with-young-writers-right-now/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [A sequence works in a way a collection never can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/a-sequence-works-in-a-way-a-collection-never-can/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) [Explore all 28 George Murray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“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/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“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 > [“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/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [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/) > [“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 > [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/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I still write the occasional short story, and poked at a novel once, but it's just not what I want to do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Murray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story-and-poked-at-a-novel-once/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story-and-poked-at-a-novel-once/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/george-murray-21733_books_i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story_1729758.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/george-murray-21733_books_i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story_1729758.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/george-murray-21733_books_i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story_1729758.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I still write the occasional short story, and poked at a novel once, but it's just not what I want to do.” — George Murray", "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": "George Murray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I still write the occasional short...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story-and-poked-at-a-novel-once/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-still-write-the-occasional-short-story-and-poked-at-a-novel-once/#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 } } ] } ```