--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wrote in my first book that I was…" description: "\"I wrote in my first book that I was broken, and now it just makes me mad every time. This is why writing words in books is so precarious. This is why J..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_books_i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-brok_1405853.jpg" --- # I wrote in my first book that I was broken, and now it… ![“I wrote in my first book that I was broken, and now it just makes me mad every time. This is why writing words in books is so precarious. This is why Jesus only wrote in the sand, right? I just - I hate that I wrote that.” quote by Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_books_i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-brok_1405853.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_books_i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-brok_1405853.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_books_i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-brok_1405853.jpg) > “I wrote in my first book that I was broken, and now it just makes me mad every time. This is why writing words in books is so precarious. This is why Jesus only wrote in the sand, right? I just - I hate that I wrote that.” [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acknowledging past pain in writing can feel exposing and trigger anger, yet it also highlights the power and risk of vulnerability. **In simple terms:** Writing about brokenness can be painful but honest. Key Takeaway Embrace honesty while managing emotional fallout. Themes vulnerability self‑reflection creative risk Mood introspective cathartic Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - journaling - therapy - public speaking - personal essays Key Concepts authenticity healing Questions to Reflect On - How can you transform that anger into growth? - What boundaries help you share personal pain safely? A Different Perspective The anger may hinder progress if not processed constructively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“One day at a time, sweet Jesus. Whoever wrote that one hadn’t a clue. A day is a fuckin’ eternity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/one-day-at-a-time-sweet-jesus-whoever-wrote-that-one-hadn-t-a-clue-a/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [I wrote your name in the sky,the wind blew it away I wrote your name in the sand,the waves washed it away I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-jimenez/i-wrote-your-name-in-the-sky-the-wind-blew-it-away-i-wrote-your-name/) Brittney Jimenez > [I wrote your name in the sky the wind blew it away .So I wrote it in the sand and the waves washed it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa/i-wrote-your-name-in-the-sky-the-wind-blew-it-away-so-i-wrote-it-in/) [Lisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa/) > [I wrote your name on a paper but by an accident,i THROW it away I wrote your name on my hand but, I washed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemis-khan/i-wrote-your-name-on-a-paper-but-by-an-accident-i-throw-it-away-i/) [Kemis Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemis-khan/) > [I wrote your name in the sky but wind blew it away. I wrote your name in the sand but tide washed it away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharlene05/i-wrote-your-name-in-the-sky-but-wind-blew-it-away-i-wrote-your-name/) Sharlene05 > [“Jesus never wrote a book; never went outside his country. His only legacy was to never compromise the good. And it was more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psyche-roxas-mendoza/jesus-never-wrote-a-book-never-went-outside-his-country-his-only/) [psyche roxas-mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psyche-roxas-mendoza/) > [“Where would Jesus be if no one ever wrote the gospels?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/where-would-jesus-be-if-no-one-ever-wrote-the-gospels/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Charles de Foucauld, the found of the Little Brothers of Jesus, wrote a single sentence that's ahad a profound impact on my life. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/charles-de-foucauld-the-found-of-the-little-brothers-of-jesus-wrote-a/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [Just when I get my church all sorted out, sheep from the goats, saved from the damned, hopeless from the hopeful, somebody makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-willimon/just-when-i-get-my-church-all-sorted-out-sheep-from-the-goats-saved/) [William Henry Willimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-henry-willimon/) > [All we know about Jesus is what someone else wrote down... so really one should say, "Here is what someone wrote down that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-schaeffer/all-we-know-about-jesus-is-what-someone-else-wrote-down-so-really-one/) [Frank Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-schaeffer/) > [I wrote my first book at 20, but my whole focus from about the age of 12 was to be a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/i-wrote-my-first-book-at-20-but-my-whole-focus-from-about-the-age-of/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [When I wrote the book, I thought that I was the hero of my story. And in writing it, I came to realize over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/when-i-wrote-the-book-i-thought-that-i-was-the-hero-of-my-story-and/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [Wrote the book on pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinedown/wrote-the-book-on-pain/) [Shinedown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinedown/) > [I guess if I wrote a book one day, it would be about hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-louis-dreyfus/i-guess-if-i-wrote-a-book-one-day-it-would-be-about-hair/) [Julia Louis-Dreyfus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-louis-dreyfus/) > [“I stopped writing the book that I wanted to write, and wrote the one the book wanted to write.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lewis/i-stopped-writing-the-book-that-i-wanted-to-write-and-wrote-the-one/) Jim Lewis ## More by Glennon Doyle Melton > [“Just do the next right thing, one thing at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/just-do-the-next-right-thing-one-thing-at-a-time/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [Sometimes the rewards of risk don't leave us wrecked. Sometimes we find our passion, our purpose, courage, connection, and comfort. Every good thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/sometimes-the-rewards-of-risk-don-t-leave-us-wrecked-sometimes-we/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“Grief is nothing but a painful waiting, a horrible patience. Grief cannot be torn down or scaled or overcome or outsmarted. It can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/grief-is-nothing-but-a-painful-waiting-a-horrible-patience-grief/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [I ask only child-free pals for parenting advice because they're the only ones sane and well-rested enough to have any real insight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-ask-only-child-free-pals-for-parenting-advice-because-they-re-the/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“I'm trying to strip myself down to my barest essentials so I can figure out where I begin and where the woman the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-m-trying-to-strip-myself-down-to-my-barest-essentials-so-i-can/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“Each day, we're making sandcastles I know will be washed away. I long for something solid, lasting, strong between us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/each-day-we-re-making-sandcastles-i-know-will-be-washed-away-i-long/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [To me, full-time mothering felt like way too much and yet not nearly enough. Lost in a landslide of diapers, birthday parties, and others'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/to-me-full-time-mothering-felt-like-way-too-much-and-yet-not-nearly/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [Rock bottom is a crisis... and everyone wants to avoid crisis. But what 'crisis' means literally is 'to sift' - like a child who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/rock-bottom-is-a-crisis-and-everyone-wants-to-avoid-crisis-but-what/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [We need to make friends with ourselves. We are stuck with our self all day, so let's be kinder, gentler, more amusing company. Let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/we-need-to-make-friends-with-ourselves-we-are-stuck-with-our-self-all/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [The truth is that cleaning up socks and trying to get someone to really listen to you is marriage. It's less sweep you off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/the-truth-is-that-cleaning-up-socks-and-trying-to-get-someone-to/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“If you can’t beat fear, just do it scared.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/if-you-can-t-beat-fear-just-do-it-scared/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“The sun shows up every morning, no matter how bad youve been the night before. It shines without judgment. It never withholds. It warms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/the-sun-shows-up-every-morning-no-matter-how-bad-youve-been-the-night/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > ['Brave' is very specific and extremely personal. It can't be judged by people on the outside. Just can't. Sometimes brave means letting everyone else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/brave-is-very-specific-and-extremely-personal-it-can-t-be-judged-by/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [I know how I like my house. I like it cute and cozy and a little funky, and I like it to feel lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-know-how-i-like-my-house-i-like-it-cute-and-cozy-and-a-little-funky/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [I think of love and marriage in the same way I do plants: We have perennials and annuals. The perennial plant blooms, goes away,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-think-of-love-and-marriage-in-the-same-way-i-do-plants-we-have/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) [Explore all 131 Glennon Doyle Melton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) ## 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 wrote in my first book that I was broken, and now it just makes me mad every time. This is why writing words in books is so precarious. This is why Jesus only wrote in the sand, right? I just - I hate that I wrote that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glennon Doyle Melton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-broken-and-now-it-just-makes-me/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-broken-and-now-it-just-makes-me/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_books_i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-brok_1405853.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_books_i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-brok_1405853.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_books_i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-brok_1405853.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wrote in my first book that I was broken, and now it just makes me mad every time. This is why writing…” — Glennon Doyle Melton", "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": "Glennon Doyle Melton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wrote in my first book...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-broken-and-now-it-just-makes-me/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-wrote-in-my-first-book-that-i-was-broken-and-now-it-just-makes-me/#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 } } ] } ```