---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But hereby resolve to write in this book…"
description: "\"“But hereby resolve to write in this book at least twenty minutes a night. (If discouraged, just think of how much will have been recorded for posterit..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/george-saunders-317_book_but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book_1316121.jpg"
---

#  But hereby resolve to write in this book at least twenty…

![“But hereby resolve to write in this book at least twenty minutes a night. (If discouraged, just think of how much will have been recorded for posterity after one mere year!) (September 5) Oops. Missed a day.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/george-saunders-317_book_but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book_1316121.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/george-saunders-317_book_but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book_1316121.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/george-saunders-317_book_but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book_1316121.jpg)

> ““But hereby resolve to write in this book at least twenty minutes a night. (If discouraged, just think of how much will have been recorded for posterity after one mere year!) (September 5) Oops. Missed a day.””

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

## About This Quote

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

Consistent, short daily writing builds a lasting record and habit, even when motivation wanes.

**In simple terms:** Write a little each night to create a lasting record.

Key Takeaway

Commit to a brief daily writing habit.

Themes

discipline habit formation creativity

Mood

determined reflective

Type

motivational practical

When to use this quote

- journal writing
- blogging
- creative projects

Key Concepts

incremental progress self‑reflection

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you create reminders to keep writing daily?
- What small reward can follow each session?

A Different Perspective

Progress can stall without external accountability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-minutes-3138061/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Missed Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missed-day-599187/) [Night Discouraged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night-discouraged-4369995/) [September Oops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/september-oops-4369994/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [I make it a rule not to clutter my mind with simple information that I can find in a book in five minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-make-it-a-rule-not-to-clutter-my-mind-with-simple-information-that/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [“He’d only ever seen her twice, only talked to her once, but as he now gazed upon her, he realized that he’d missed her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-elson/he-d-only-ever-seen-her-twice-only-talked-to-her-once-but-as-he-now/)

[Nicki Elson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-elson/)

> [I know if I missed a day and nothing happened, then it would be much easier to miss another day. Pretty soon I wouldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/i-know-if-i-missed-a-day-and-nothing-happened-then-it-would-be-much/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [I'm on a strict running program. I started yesterday. I've only missed one day so far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-nealon/i-m-on-a-strict-running-program-i-started-yesterday-i-ve-only-missed/)

[Kevin Nealon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-nealon/)

> [All of us make mistakes and the majority of us have missed a day's work for whatever reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-vela/all-of-us-make-mistakes-and-the-majority-of-us-have-missed-a-day-s/)

[Carlos Vela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-vela/)

> [“I think I've missed you every day," he whispered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-ashworth/i-think-i-ve-missed-you-every-day-he-whispered/)

[Adele Ashworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele-ashworth/)

> [When you were here, you never knew how much you would be missed, but not a day goes by that we don't think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sweeney/when-you-were-here-you-never-knew-how-much-you-would-be-missed-but/)

[Ash Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sweeney/)

> [I have not missed a day from work because of illness since 1956.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-h-cooper/i-have-not-missed-a-day-from-work-because-of-illness-since-1956/)

[Kenneth H. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-h-cooper/)

> [Every day, for 1,000 days, I made a video. I never missed a day, not even once. I don't know how I did it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuseir-yassin/every-day-for-1-000-days-i-made-a-video-i-never-missed-a-day-not-even/)

[Nuseir Yassin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuseir-yassin/)

> [Whtever tht day was after tht day I waas broken into many 1000 pieces bt still I had sum feelings for u I missed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whtever-tht-day-was-after-tht-day-i-waas-broken-into-many-1000-pieces/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I've missed so much. Like the day you opened your flower shop or how you came up with the name Whimsicality. I missed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-mclaughlin/i-ve-missed-so-much-like-the-day-you-opened-your-flower-shop-or-how/)

[Heidi McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-mclaughlin/)

> [Regardless of what I do, whether I write a book or whether I act or whether I host, I'll always do stand-up comedy because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-mandel/regardless-of-what-i-do-whether-i-write-a-book-or-whether-i-act-or/)

[Howie Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-mandel/)

> [I am a big outliner. For my adult book, 'The Visibles,' I did not outline, and it took me two years to write because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/i-am-a-big-outliner-for-my-adult-book-the-visibles-i-did-not-outline/)

[Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/)

> [I write my story in my books, It show that your name filled in my books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-write-my-story-in-my-books-it-show-that-your-name-filled-in-my-books/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

## More by George Saunders

> [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“Wow wow wow is all I can say! Remember how I always buy lunchtime Scratch-Off ticket? Have I said? Maybe did not say? Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/wow-wow-wow-is-all-i-can-say-remember-how-i-always-buy-lunchtime/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“None of it was real; nothing was real. Everything was real; inconceivably real, infinitely dear. These and all things started as nothing, latent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/none-of-it-was-real-nothing-was-real-everything-was-real/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“We must see God not as a Him (some linear rewarding fellow) but an IT, a great beast beyond our understanding, who wants something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-must-see-god-not-as-a-him-some-linear-rewarding-fellow-but-an-it-a/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [America, to me, should be shouting all the time, a bunch of shouting voices, most of them wrong, some of them nuts, but please,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/america-to-me-should-be-shouting-all-the-time-a-bunch-of-shouting/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [In my case, when I am trying to be "kind" I often default in a sort of toothless loving-all stance that is, actually, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/in-my-case-when-i-am-trying-to-be-kind-i-often-default-in-a-sort-of/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [Whatever your supposed politics are - left, right - if you put it in a human connection, most people will rise to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/whatever-your-supposed-politics-are-left-right-if-you-put-it-in-a/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“A Clinton staffer tells me his theory. Think about Frank Sinatra, he says: born to sing. Think about Willie Mays: born to play ball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/a-clinton-staffer-tells-me-his-theory-think-about-frank-sinatra-he/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [What America is, to me, is a guy doesn't want to buy, you let him not buy, you respect his not buying. A guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-america-is-to-me-is-a-guy-doesn-t-want-to-buy-you-let-him-not/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [What good the prophet in the wilderness may do is incremental and personal. It's good for us to hear someone speak the irrational truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-good-the-prophet-in-the-wilderness-may-do-is-incremental-and/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [You don't want to be that parent - the one who dresses his kid in a cloth sack when all the other kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-don-t-want-to-be-that-parent-the-one-who-dresses-his-kid-in-a/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

[Explore all 690 George Saunders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

## More Book 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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“But hereby resolve to write in this book at least twenty minutes a night. (If discouraged, just think of how much will have been recorded for posterity after one mere year!) (September 5) Oops. Missed a day.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Saunders"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book-at-least-twenty-minutes-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book-at-least-twenty-minutes-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/george-saunders-317_book_but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book_1316121.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/george-saunders-317_book_but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book_1316121.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/george-saunders-317_book_but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book_1316121.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But hereby resolve to write in this book at least twenty minutes a night. (If discouraged, just think of how…” — George Saunders",
                "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 Saunders",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“But hereby resolve to write in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book-at-least-twenty-minutes-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/but-hereby-resolve-to-write-in-this-book-at-least-twenty-minutes-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
