--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you want to be a writer, you think…" description: "\"When you want to be a writer, you think that actually getting published will make you feel somehow more real to yourself. But it doesn't. And nor shoul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/hanya-yanagihara-4245_ability_when-you-want-to-be-a-writer-you-think-t_1412286.jpg" --- # When you want to be a writer, you think that actually… ![“When you want to be a writer, you think that actually getting published will make you feel somehow more real to yourself. But it doesn't. And nor should it. If publication is the pole around which your entire identity pivots, you're in big trouble. I'd also add that many wonderful books by…” quote by Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/hanya-yanagihara-4245_ability_when-you-want-to-be-a-writer-you-think-t_1412286.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/hanya-yanagihara-4245_ability_when-you-want-to-be-a-writer-you-think-t_1412286.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/hanya-yanagihara-4245_ability_when-you-want-to-be-a-writer-you-think-t_1412286.jpg) > “When you want to be a writer, you think that actually getting published will make you feel somehow more real to yourself. But it doesn't. And nor should it. If publication is the pole around which your entire identity pivots, you're in big trouble. I'd also add that many wonderful books by brilliant authors get ignored or overlooked, and that poor sales aren't (necessarily) a measure of your abilities.” [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identity should not hinge on external validation; creative worth exists independent of publication. **In simple terms:** Your value as a writer isn’t tied to being published. Key Takeaway Focus on writing for yourself, not for fame. Themes creativity identity validation Mood reflective determined Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - writing practice - seeking feedback - building a portfolio - teaching writing Key Concepts self-worth artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - Do you write for yourself or for an audience? - How might you measure success without sales? A Different Perspective External approval can still influence confidence and career decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Even if I knew for certain that I would never have anything published again, and would never make another cent from it, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-ueland/even-if-i-knew-for-certain-that-i-would-never-have-anything-published/) [Brenda Ueland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-ueland/) > [I want to go to college. I'm going to take four years off. I don't want to miss that. I want to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/i-want-to-go-to-college-i-m-going-to-take-four-years-off-i-don-t-want/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [I'm still not sure I want to be a writer. I think of myself as a storyteller more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/i-m-still-not-sure-i-want-to-be-a-writer-i-think-of-myself-as-a/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [I was directed because I knew I wanted to be a novelist, but I didn't have a very good job or a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-directed-because-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be-a-novelist-but-i-didn-t/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“The three secrets of getting published: 1. Never give up! 2. Never give up! 3. Never give up! 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Three is make sure you read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/i-would-say-number-one-don-t-worry-about-getting-published-just-write/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [Some people have an unrealistic expectation when it comes to getting published; the fact is most publishers will turn down your work which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-guest/some-people-have-an-unrealistic-expectation-when-it-comes-to-getting/) [Judith Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-guest/) > [“The hardest thing about writing a novel is getting it published.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-cushing/the-hardest-thing-about-writing-a-novel-is-getting-it-published/) Marianne Cushing > [There are a lot of bottlenecks to getting published. Publishers are only one of them. Having the time is another one. Feeling entitled is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-mina/there-are-a-lot-of-bottlenecks-to-getting-published-publishers-are/) [Denise Mina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-mina/) > [“Don't worry about getting published. Write for therapy. Write for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-anske/don-t-worry-about-getting-published-write-for-therapy-write-for-you/) [Ksenia Anske](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-anske/) > [Ultimately, I'm in the fitness industry. But, I've branched out from there quite a bit. I began doing consulting on writing and getting published…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-romaniello/ultimately-i-m-in-the-fitness-industry-but-i-ve-branched-out-from/) [John Romaniello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-romaniello/) > [While poetry was less professionalized than it is now, I still had this urge to win prizes and see my work in magazines, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-duhamel/while-poetry-was-less-professionalized-than-it-is-now-i-still-had/) [Denise Duhamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-duhamel/) > [“Getting published is a matter of luck. The more we rewrite, the luckier we get.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-van-rooyen/getting-published-is-a-matter-of-luck-the-more-we-rewrite-the-luckier/) Pierre Van Rooyen > [Getting published was like God stamping you 'acceptable,' and all of a sudden you can start writing for other places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-rinella/getting-published-was-like-god-stamping-you-acceptable-and-all-of-a/) [Steven Rinella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-rinella/) ## More by Hanya Yanagihara > [“People who don’t love math always accuse mathematicians of trying to make math complicated,” Dr. Li had said. “But anyone who does love math…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/people-who-don-t-love-math-always-accuse-mathematicians-of-trying-to/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [“At night, as beneath him his parents completed their routines, the banging of the old pipes as they washed their faces and the sudden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/at-night-as-beneath-him-his-parents-completed-their-routines-the/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [To be a scientist you have to be willing to live with uncertainty for a long time. Research scientists begin with a question and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/to-be-a-scientist-you-have-to-be-willing-to-live-with-uncertainty-for/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [“Why wasn’t friendship as good as a relationship? Why wasn’t it even better?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/why-wasn-t-friendship-as-good-as-a-relationship-why-wasn-t-it-even/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [“But fairness is not the only, or even the most important, consideration in law: the law is not always fair. 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I don't think that genius goes hand in hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/the-big-characters-who-occupy-science-especially-modern-science-are/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [“Sometimes I would have to take my glasses off simply so the world would smudge and recede for a moment and cease to seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/sometimes-i-would-have-to-take-my-glasses-off-simply-so-the-world/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [I credit my parents for many things that had never seemed remarkable when I was growing up, and one of those things is how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/i-credit-my-parents-for-many-things-that-had-never-seemed-remarkable/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [I have one friend to whom I've told more than I've ever told anyone, and yet there are significant territories I have and will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/i-have-one-friend-to-whom-i-ve-told-more-than-i-ve-ever-told-anyone/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [“If you keep trying to find everything, you’ll wind up with nothing. AMY:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/if-you-keep-trying-to-find-everything-you-ll-wind-up-with-nothing-amy/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) [Explore all 94 Hanya Yanagihara quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you want to be a writer, you think that actually getting published will make you feel somehow more real to yourself. 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