--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a writer understands his work as…" description: "\"If a writer understands his work as something that originates with him but then, with any luck, gets away from him, then what he needs is someone who c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/george-saunders-317_get-away_if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-some_2658656.jpg" --- # If a writer understands his work as something that… ![“If a writer understands his work as something that originates with him but then, with any luck, gets away from him, then what he needs is someone who can grasp the potential of the piece and lead him to that higher ground.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/george-saunders-317_get-away_if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-some_2658656.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/george-saunders-317_get-away_if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-some_2658656.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/george-saunders-317_get-away_if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-some_2658656.jpg) > “If a writer understands his work as something that originates with him but then, with any luck, gets away from him, then what he needs is someone who can grasp the potential of the piece and lead him to that higher ground.” [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. A writer must let go of control, allowing others to see the work’s potential and elevate it. **In simple terms:** Writers need others to help lift their work. Key Takeaway Seek collaborative feedback. Themes creativity collaboration control Mood thoughtful encouraging Type creative professional When to use this quote - workshops - peer review - mentorship Key Concepts writing process editorial guidance artistic growth Questions to Reflect On - Who can you trust to elevate your work? - How to balance control and collaboration? A Different Perspective Overreliance on others may dilute vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Higher ground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-ground/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Like every writer, I am asked where my work originates, and if I knew I would go there more often to find more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/like-every-writer-i-am-asked-where-my-work-originates-and-if-i-knew-i/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [What no wife of a writer understands is that a writer is working when he's staring out the window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burton-rascoe/what-no-wife-of-a-writer-understands-is-that-a-writer-is-working-when/) [Burton Rascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burton-rascoe/) > [Oftentimes what happens is that the writer understands one character, but they don't understand the other one, and the other one ends up not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-beals/oftentimes-what-happens-is-that-the-writer-understands-one-character/) [Jennifer Beals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-beals/) > [The Lord is anxious to lead us to the safety of higher ground, away from the path of physical and spiritual danger. His upward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/the-lord-is-anxious-to-lead-us-to-the-safety-of-higher-ground-away/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [“Reformation of the world begins with reformation of self. We cannot hope to influence others in the direction of moral virtue unless we live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/reformation-of-the-world-begins-with-reformation-of-self-we-cannot/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [I think Steve King is absolutely wrong and I just hope that we can try to reach higher ground, because when you are spewing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-king/i-think-steve-king-is-absolutely-wrong-and-i-just-hope-that-we-can/) [Steve King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-king/) > [It's a rite of passage for the everyman, to a higher ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/it-s-a-rite-of-passage-for-the-everyman-to-a-higher-ground/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [Who is to say that animals are dumb? When a tsunami is about to come, animals run to higher ground. Humans stay put.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/who-is-to-say-that-animals-are-dumb-when-a-tsunami-is-about-to-come/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The orchard where they stood was on higher ground than the farmhouse, which nestled like a white dove beneath hemlocks and the tall protecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-seton/the-orchard-where-they-stood-was-on-higher-ground-than-the-farmhouse/) [Anya Seton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-seton/) > [Walk through the mud in life, if you ever want to get to the higher ground”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-plitt/walk-through-the-mud-in-life-if-you-ever-want-to-get-to-the-higher/) [Greg Plitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-plitt/) > [“Indeed, it is the nature of intelligent life to climb mountains. They all want to stand on ever higher ground to gaze ever farther…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/indeed-it-is-the-nature-of-intelligent-life-to-climb-mountains-they/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [“Some women are built by the fire. Yet, there are some that are the FIRE!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/some-women-are-built-by-the-fire-yet-there-are-some-that-are-the-fire/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“A young man was sitting at home when a terrible rainstorm began. Within hours, the man’s house began to flood, and someone came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/a-young-man-was-sitting-at-home-when-a-terrible-rainstorm-began/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [An increasing number of people are growing uncomfortable with the gulf between the world's rich and the poor. Ostentatiously splashing your money around simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalle-lasn/an-increasing-number-of-people-are-growing-uncomfortable-with-the/) [Kalle Lasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalle-lasn/) > [“Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you high. People who are gentle, humble and able always have a great ending no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/humble-yourself-before-the-lord-and-he-will-lift-you-high-people-who/) [israelmore ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) ## 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 Get away quotes > [When history looks back, I want people to know the Nazis weren't able to kill millions of people and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/when-history-looks-back-i-want-people-to-know-the-nazis-weren-t-able/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [Most magicians consider the palm an easy move to make. They are inclined to believe that they are 'getting away with it,' when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dai-vernon/most-magicians-consider-the-palm-an-easy-move-to-make-they-are/) [Dai Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dai-vernon/) > [My mother loved my father. From my view, she let him get away with too much. It broke my heart to see him in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/my-mother-loved-my-father-from-my-view-she-let-him-get-away-with-too/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [Any artist can't get away from the way the world works, which is that it wants to know what you did, and you're only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/any-artist-can-t-get-away-from-the-way-the-world-works-which-is-that/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [It takes a little more time to get into the role, but not very much more. In making a record you don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-callas/it-takes-a-little-more-time-to-get-into-the-role-but-not-very-much/) [Maria Callas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-callas/) > [We all have prejudices to dispel: the need to get away from thinking that 'I' am important and special and 'you' are not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/we-all-have-prejudices-to-dispel-the-need-to-get-away-from-thinking/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [At some point, you have to disconnect, if the obsession with playing a real person gets in the way of the movie at large.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-edgerton/at-some-point-you-have-to-disconnect-if-the-obsession-with-playing-a/) [Joel Edgerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-edgerton/) > [Once the war began, the government could do anything 'necessary' to win it; so it was with the 'final solution of the Jewish problem,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-mayer/once-the-war-began-the-government-could-do-anything-necessary-to-win/) [Milton Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-mayer/) > [It's the tradition of American writers getting away in order to see the country - to get a better view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/it-s-the-tradition-of-american-writers-getting-away-in-order-to-see/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [He hated all this, and somehow he couldn't get away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/he-hated-all-this-and-somehow-he-couldn-t-get-away/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [The minute you get away from fundamentals – whether its proper technique, work ethic or mental preparation – the bottom can fall out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/the-minute-you-get-away-from-fundamentals-whether-its-proper/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [I would wear a full-length cape if I could get away with it - I do love a good swirl in a fog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-would-wear-a-full-length-cape-if-i-could-get-away-with-it-i-do-love/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [ If George Bush \[Jr.\] decided he was going to turn the troops loose on Syria and Iran after that he would last in office… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-eagleburger/if-george-bush-jr-decided-he-was-going-to-turn-the-troops-loose-on/) [Lawrence Eagleburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-eagleburger/) > [Not only is bowhunting fun and a real challenge, but it's good for you. The exercise in the fresh air, the chance to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-bear/not-only-is-bowhunting-fun-and-a-real-challenge-but-it-s-good-for-you/) [Fred Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-bear/) > [It's just like we do over here in America, right? It's amazing that we have presidents over here do the same thing, right? It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/it-s-just-like-we-do-over-here-in-america-right-it-s-amazing-that-we/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) Browse all 993 Get away quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If a writer understands his work as something that originates with him but then, with any luck, gets away from him, then what he needs is someone who can grasp the potential of the piece and lead him to that higher ground.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Saunders" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-something-that-originates-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Get away" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-something-that-originates-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/george-saunders-317_get-away_if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-some_2658656.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/george-saunders-317_get-away_if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-some_2658656.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/george-saunders-317_get-away_if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-some_2658656.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If a writer understands his work as something that originates with him but then, with any luck, gets away…” — 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": "If a writer understands his work...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-something-that-originates-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/if-a-writer-understands-his-work-as-something-that-originates-with/#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 } } ] } ```