--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I decided to take writing seriously…" description: "\"When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and came up with what I thought were pretty sound ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/george-stephen-26680_analyzing_when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously_376828.jpg" --- # When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of… ![“When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and came up with what I thought were pretty sound plotting and structure basics.” quote by George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/george-stephen-26680_analyzing_when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously_376828.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/george-stephen-26680_analyzing_when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously_376828.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/george-stephen-26680_analyzing_when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously_376828.jpg) > “When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and came up with what I thought were pretty sound plotting and structure basics.” [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He learned by reading and dissecting favorite books, forming solid plotting and structure principles. **In simple terms:** He studied books to develop strong writing basics. Key Takeaway Study and analyze to improve craft. Themes writing learning craft development Mood motivational reflective Type instructional inspirational When to use this quote - author workshops - self‑study - creative writing courses - writing groups Key Concepts plotting structure analysis Questions to Reflect On - How can you apply these basics to your own stories? - What gaps remain after studying? A Different Perspective Reading alone may not translate to original ideas without practice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basics/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I used to split my time between writing, music and painting. I would work on a book and then abandon it, start a band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/i-used-to-split-my-time-between-writing-music-and-painting-i-would/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [I was in such a creative groove after turning in my last book (The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-cohen/i-was-in-such-a-creative-groove-after-turning-in-my-last-book-the/) [Andy Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-cohen/) > [I took my writing seriously, and it seemed to pay off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/i-took-my-writing-seriously-and-it-seemed-to-pay-off/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [I started writing seriously when I was a teenager, around 14 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/i-started-writing-seriously-when-i-was-a-teenager-around-14-years-old/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [The best advice I can give to any aspiring author is to write every single day. Work at the craft of writing. Take it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-davis-pinkney/the-best-advice-i-can-give-to-any-aspiring-author-is-to-write-every/) [Andrea Davis Pinkney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-davis-pinkney/) > [“The important thing for any writer to remember is to take the writing seriously, but not the writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-poynor/the-important-thing-for-any-writer-to-remember-is-to-take-the-writing/) A.E. Poynor > [“I should write a serious book on China. If I did that and put in a lot of subtext about love and maybe compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-james-freeman/i-should-write-a-serious-book-on-china-if-i-did-that-and-put-in-a-lot/) Jesse James Freeman > [My journals were a clearing house - a garbage can. Once I was writing seriously, I understood that this was the stuff that didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/my-journals-were-a-clearing-house-a-garbage-can-once-i-was-writing/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [When I started writing seriously, I made the major discovery of my life - that I am right and everybody else is wrong if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/when-i-started-writing-seriously-i-made-the-major-discovery-of-my/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I started writing seriously when I was about 12. I am always in the mood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-started-writing-seriously-when-i-was-about-12-i-am-always-in-the/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I settled to writing seriously, which would be in my 30s, I did expect to be published eventually, but my aspirations weren't very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-beverley/when-i-settled-to-writing-seriously-which-would-be-in-my-30s-i-did/) [Jo Beverley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-beverley/) > [Writing is something I take very seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/writing-is-something-i-take-very-seriously/) [Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/) > [I started writing seriously about 1960, at the fairly advanced age of 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-saberhagen/i-started-writing-seriously-about-1960-at-the-fairly-advanced-age-of/) [Fred Saberhagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-saberhagen/) > [I always sang. I wanted to be in a band with my sister, and I was, at 11. At 12, I started writing seriously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyndi-lauper/i-always-sang-i-wanted-to-be-in-a-band-with-my-sister-and-i-was-at-11/) [Cyndi Lauper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyndi-lauper/) > [I began writing seriously in my mid-20s and didn't publish my first book until I was 41.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-began-writing-seriously-in-my-mid-20s-and-didn-t-publish-my-first/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) ## More by George Stephen > [On the other hand, now that I'm not dependent on fiction for my income, I've been writing more short stories despite the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/on-the-other-hand-now-that-i-m-not-dependent-on-fiction-for-my-income/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [The benefit of this kind of outlining is that you discover a story's flaws before you invest a lot of time writing the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/the-benefit-of-this-kind-of-outlining-is-that-you-discover-a-story-s/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [For each book, the time is also broken up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/for-each-book-the-time-is-also-broken-up/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [So, in effect, my first sale was actually two books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/so-in-effect-my-first-sale-was-actually-two-books/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [Trying to break into the horror market seemed natural.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/trying-to-break-into-the-horror-market-seemed-natural/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [A couple of weeks after that, Zebra Books phoned with an offer, and I accepted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/a-couple-of-weeks-after-that-zebra-books-phoned-with-an-offer-and-i/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [Even the contemporary horror authors who have seriously influenced me are a disparate bunch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/even-the-contemporary-horror-authors-who-have-seriously-influenced-me/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [So, I outlined a horror novel and started writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/so-i-outlined-a-horror-novel-and-started-writing/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [Many of my short stories (all unpublished) were horror, and the novel I'd just finished was horror, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/many-of-my-short-stories-all-unpublished-were-horror-and-the-novel-i/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [For the novels I wrote before selling anything, I didn't outline much. I had a vague idea of the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/for-the-novels-i-wrote-before-selling-anything-i-didn-t-outline-much/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [I spent two months on the first draft, working 8 hours a day, five days a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/i-spent-two-months-on-the-first-draft-working-8-hours-a-day-five-days/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [In the first year, 1988, I wrote and sold 3 novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold-3-novels/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [When I was a teenager, I got into SF, quite heavily, and that too has had a major impact on my writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/when-i-was-a-teenager-i-got-into-sf-quite-heavily-and-that-too-has/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [Actually, the 14 novels were written over a period of just over 6 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/actually-the-14-novels-were-written-over-a-period-of-just-over-6-years/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [I've been reading horror since I was five years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/i-ve-been-reading-horror-since-i-was-five-years-old/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) [Explore all 21 George Stephen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) ## More Analyzing quotes > [If there's a lot of fear that's going on, if there's a lot of anxiety, it's manifesting itself in your nocturnal world so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-harris/if-there-s-a-lot-of-fear-that-s-going-on-if-there-s-a-lot-of-anxiety/) [Shelby Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-harris/) > [Professionals refer to the stages of the intelligence cycle as collection, processing, analyzing and sharing information. In most cases, the implications and significance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/professionals-refer-to-the-stages-of-the-intelligence-cycle-as/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [People, I am actually fairly smart. Why has this not occurred to anyone? The information is all out there, if you go looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/people-i-am-actually-fairly-smart-why-has-this-not-occurred-to-anyone/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [“I need to ask, are you afraid of spiders?" Nicholas blinked, suddenly caught off guard, "Yes, I'm afraid of spiders." "Were you always?" "What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-m-irwin/i-need-to-ask-are-you-afraid-of-spiders-nicholas-blinked-suddenly/) [Stephen M. Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-m-irwin/) > [In issues of recent ethnic wars and genocides - particularly if you look at Darfur - one of the most remarkable things is our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-daldry/in-issues-of-recent-ethnic-wars-and-genocides-particularly-if-you/) [Stephen Daldry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-daldry/) > [I'm usually one of these guys analyzing what does happen and putting it in focus and context.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-m-usually-one-of-these-guys-analyzing-what-does-happen-and-putting/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [A popular cliche in philosophy says that science is pure analysis or reductionism, like taking the rainbow to pieces; and art is pure synthesis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/a-popular-cliche-in-philosophy-says-that-science-is-pure-analysis-or/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [You can spend minutes, hours,days, weeks or even months over analyzing a situation, trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could've, would've happened.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-spend-minutes-hours-days-weeks-or-even-months-over-analyzing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whenever you study composition you inevitably encounter Bach right off the bat. You can't get across the room without running into him and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-roberts/whenever-you-study-composition-you-inevitably-encounter-bach-right/) [Howard Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-roberts/) > [My brain power depends on my retained mastery of analyzing in detail what's happening in my world and in my mind and body. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-merzenich/my-brain-power-depends-on-my-retained-mastery-of-analyzing-in-detail/) [Michael Merzenich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-merzenich/) > [“It is said that analyzing pleasure, or beauty, destroys it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mulvey/it-is-said-that-analyzing-pleasure-or-beauty-destroys-it/) [Laura Mulvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mulvey/) > [“How come I have to be the one sitting around analyzing him in like microscopic detail, and he gets to be the one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela/how-come-i-have-to-be-the-one-sitting-around-analyzing-him-in-like/) [Angela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela/) > [My most persistent memory of stand - up is of my mouth being in the present and my mind being in the future: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/my-most-persistent-memory-of-stand-up-is-of-my-mouth-being-in-the/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I want to be my usual painstaking, cautious, slow, conservative self in analyzing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bud-selig/i-want-to-be-my-usual-painstaking-cautious-slow-conservative-self-in/) [Bud Selig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bud-selig/) > [I have not spent years in therapy; I tried therapy in my mid-twenties, and it did not go very well. I just thought, 'This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-davis/i-have-not-spent-years-in-therapy-i-tried-therapy-in-my-mid-twenties/) [Hope Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-davis/) Browse all 220 Analyzing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and came up with what I thought were pretty sound plotting and structure basics.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Stephen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously-i-did-a-lot-of-reading-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Analyzing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously-i-did-a-lot-of-reading-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/george-stephen-26680_analyzing_when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously_376828.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/george-stephen-26680_analyzing_when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously_376828.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/george-stephen-26680_analyzing_when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously_376828.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and…” — George Stephen", "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 Stephen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I decided to take writing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously-i-did-a-lot-of-reading-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously-i-did-a-lot-of-reading-and/#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 } } ] } ```