--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing I might have noticed [and…" description: "\"The only thing I might have noticed [and this is pretty anecdotal] is that there is some tendency to need to be taught that 'writing is rewriting' - ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/george-saunders-317_blogging_the-only-thing-i-might-have-noticed-and_2019915.jpg" --- # The only thing I might have noticed \[and this is pretty… ![“The only thing I might have noticed [and this is pretty anecdotal] is that there is some tendency to need to be taught that 'writing is rewriting' - maybe more of a sense than was pervasive 10 years ago that the first or second pass of a story is sufficient. That is an idea that is easily…” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/george-saunders-317_blogging_the-only-thing-i-might-have-noticed-and_2019915.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/george-saunders-317_blogging_the-only-thing-i-might-have-noticed-and_2019915.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/george-saunders-317_blogging_the-only-thing-i-might-have-noticed-and_2019915.jpg) > “The only thing I might have noticed \[and this is pretty anecdotal\] is that there is some tendency to need to be taught that 'writing is rewriting' - maybe more of a sense than was pervasive 10 years ago that the first or second pass of a story is sufficient. That is an idea that is easily dislodged, but I suspect it might have something to do with the turnaround time re: blogging and so on - this sense that there is some essential truth about a first draft that one runs the risk of "ruining" by coming back to it.” [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. Writing is a recursive process; the belief that a first draft is sufficient is a myth, and revision is essential for depth and clarity. **In simple terms:** Writing needs revision, not just a first draft. Key Takeaway Embrace rewriting to improve work. Themes writing craft revision Mood reflective inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - novel writing - blogging - academic papers Key Concepts creative process drafting editing Questions to Reflect On - How many drafts do you usually complete? - What prevents you from revising? A Different Perspective Time constraints can discourage thorough revision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Turnaround](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turnaround/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-l-king/write-rewrite-when-not-writing-or-rewriting-read-i-know-of-no/) [Larry L. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-l-king/) > [“The words of his various writing instructors and professional mentors over the years came back to him at times like these, and he found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-h-o-neil/the-words-of-his-various-writing-instructors-and-professional-mentors/) [Vincent H. O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-h-o-neil/) > [Good writing is writing and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting. Sometimes, it happens to work right away, and that's amazing. But most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-beaton/good-writing-is-writing-and-rewriting-and-rewriting-and-rewriting/) [Kate Beaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-beaton/) > [Writing is rewriting. A writer must learn to deepen characters, trim writing, intensify scenes. To fall in love with the first draft to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/writing-is-rewriting-a-writer-must-learn-to-deepen-characters-trim/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [Writing and rewriting are the same thing to me. I don't believe what Allen Ginsberg said that "first thought, then - " I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/writing-and-rewriting-are-the-same-thing-to-me-i-don-t-believe-what/) [Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/) > [Writing and rewriting are a constant search for what it is one is saying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/writing-and-rewriting-are-a-constant-search-for-what-it-is-one-is/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [ \[Writing is\] largely a matter of application and hard work, or writing and rewriting endlessly until you are satisfied that you have said what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/writing-is-largely-a-matter-of-application-and-hard-work-or-writing/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [Good writing is rewriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/good-writing-is-rewriting/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [The writing process is not just putting down one page after another-it's a lot of writing and then rewriting, restructuring the story, changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/the-writing-process-is-not-just-putting-down-one-page-after-another/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [What is easy to read has been difficult to write. The labour of writing and rewriting, correcting and recorrecting, is the due exacted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-trevelyan/what-is-easy-to-read-has-been-difficult-to-write-the-labour-of/) [G. M. Trevelyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-trevelyan/) > [The best writing is rewriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/the-best-writing-is-rewriting/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [Nobody told all the new e-mail writers that the essence of writing is rewriting. Just because they are writing with ease and enjoyment doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/nobody-told-all-the-new-e-mail-writers-that-the-essence-of-writing-is/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [“Simply put: writing is rewriting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-dane/simply-put-writing-is-rewriting/) Ronald Dane > [Writing is rewriting what you have rewritten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-engle/writing-is-rewriting-what-you-have-rewritten/) [Paul Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-engle/) > [“Writing is rewriting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-winter/writing-is-rewriting/) Alan Winter ## 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 Blogging quotes > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When it gets difficult is often right before you succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-walker/when-it-gets-difficult-is-often-right-before-you-succeed/) Jeffrey Walker > [Blogging, I love you no matter how out of fashion you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-larbalestier/blogging-i-love-you-no-matter-how-out-of-fashion-you-are/) [Justine Larbalestier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-larbalestier/) > [“Personally, I believe in tools that close the gap between professionals and beginners, understanding that — push comes to shove — this is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-busche/personally-i-believe-in-tools-that-close-the-gap-between/) [Laura Busche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-busche/) > [“In general, poor is polite and rich is rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/in-general-poor-is-polite-and-rich-is-rude/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Our job is to make change. Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/our-job-is-to-make-change-our-job-is-to-connect-to-people-to-interact/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“The smell of the sweat is not sweet, but the fruit of the sweat is very sweet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/the-smell-of-the-sweat-is-not-sweet-but-the-fruit-of-the-sweat-is/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Stress from blogging keeps me up at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/stress-from-blogging-keeps-me-up-at-night/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [I certainly think that the publishing houses have to learn more about this informal network of literary blogging and get over the idea that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mcinerney/i-certainly-think-that-the-publishing-houses-have-to-learn-more-about/) [Jay McInerney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mcinerney/) > [“I would love to tell you that being a content manager is easy. Straightforward. That you will be able to focus on what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-busche/i-would-love-to-tell-you-that-being-a-content-manager-is-easy/) [Laura Busche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-busche/) > [“He captures memories because if he forgets them, it's as though they didn't happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/he-captures-memories-because-if-he-forgets-them-it-s-as-though-they/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [And I thought, eight years ago, when I began carefully charting the progress of American Gods, nervously dipping my toes into the waters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/and-i-thought-eight-years-ago-when-i-began-carefully-charting-the/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“All worries are less with wine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/all-worries-are-less-with-wine/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [The key with blogging is to lay it all out there because sooner or later people are going to know what you know, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-patel/the-key-with-blogging-is-to-lay-it-all-out-there-because-sooner-or/) [Neil Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-patel/) > [Of course the system can be changed. Why would I bother spending 14 years of my life blogging if I didn't believe that?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/of-course-the-system-can-be-changed-why-would-i-bother-spending-14/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) Browse all 299 Blogging quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only thing I might have noticed [and this is pretty anecdotal] is that there is some tendency to need to be taught that 'writing is rewriting' - maybe more of a sense than was pervasive 10 years ago that the first or second pass of a story is sufficient. 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