---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I asked Ring Lardner the other day how he…"
description: "\"“I asked Ring Lardner the other day how he writes his short stories, and he said he wrote a few widely separated words or phrases on a piece of paper a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46c/harold-ross-49422_short-stories_i-asked-ring-lardner-the-other-day-how-h_2132364.jpg"
---

#  I asked Ring Lardner the other day how he writes his short…

![“I asked Ring Lardner the other day how he writes his short stories, and he said he wrote a few widely separated words or phrases on a piece of paper and then went back and filled in the spaces. Harold Ross” quote by Harold Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46c/harold-ross-49422_short-stories_i-asked-ring-lardner-the-other-day-how-h_2132364.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46c/harold-ross-49422_short-stories_i-asked-ring-lardner-the-other-day-how-h_2132364.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46c/harold-ross-49422_short-stories_i-asked-ring-lardner-the-other-day-how-h_2132364.jpg)

> ““I asked Ring Lardner the other day how he writes his short stories, and he said he wrote a few widely separated words or phrases on a piece of paper and then went back and filled in the spaces. Harold Ross””

[Harold Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ross/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Ross describes a minimalist drafting method where only key words are noted before fleshing out the full story.

**In simple terms:** He writes a few key words first, then expands them into a story.

Key Takeaway

Start with a skeleton of ideas before elaborating.

Themes

writing creativity process

Mood

reflective analytical

Type

instructional process

When to use this quote

- author brainstorming
- novel drafting
- screenwriting
- academic research

Key Concepts

minimalism drafting expansion

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you choose which words to capture?
- What risks arise from expanding minimal notes?

A Different Perspective

May lack depth if initial words are too vague.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Short stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-stories/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

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> [Editing is the same as quarreling with writers — same thing exactly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ross/editing-is-the-same-as-quarreling-with-writers-same-thing-exactly/)

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[Explore all 7 Harold Ross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ross/)

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