--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As soon as I started writing, other…" description: "\"As soon as I started writing, other writers stopped wanting me acting in their shows - maybe they thought I was going to rewrite them.\" — Harvey Fierstein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/harvey-fierstein-7875_acting_as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-write_3035357.jpg" --- # As soon as I started writing, other writers stopped… ![“As soon as I started writing, other writers stopped wanting me acting in their shows - maybe they thought I was going to rewrite them.” quote by Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/harvey-fierstein-7875_acting_as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-write_3035357.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/harvey-fierstein-7875_acting_as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-write_3035357.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/harvey-fierstein-7875_acting_as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-write_3035357.jpg) > “As soon as I started writing, other writers stopped wanting me acting in their shows - maybe they thought I was going to rewrite them.” [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing can isolate an artist, causing others to avoid collaboration due to perceived competition. **In simple terms:** Writing may push others away. Key Takeaway Navigate collaborative dynamics. Themes career collaboration perception Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type professional personal When to use this quote - theatre casting - scriptwriting - networking - project pitching Key Concepts industry politics creative rivalry Questions to Reflect On - How can you maintain relationships while pursuing writing? - What boundaries protect both roles? A Different Perspective May breed resentment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The first Chapter Law is, "Don't spend much time on it. You're going to have to rewrite it."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hillerman/the-first-chapter-law-is-don-t-spend-much-time-on-it-you-re-going-to/) [Tony Hillerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hillerman/) > [“If writers stopped writing about what happened to them, then there would be a lot of empty pages.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-liner/if-writers-stopped-writing-about-what-happened-to-them-then-there/) Elaine Liner > [I was always the one leading the way in terms of wanting to do acting, singing and dancing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gugu-mbatha-raw/i-was-always-the-one-leading-the-way-in-terms-of-wanting-to-do-acting-2/) [Gugu Mbatha-Raw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gugu-mbatha-raw/) > [I was always the one leading the way in terms of wanting to do acting, singing and dancing. I was lucky that my mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gugu-mbatha-raw/i-was-always-the-one-leading-the-way-in-terms-of-wanting-to-do-acting/) [Gugu Mbatha-Raw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gugu-mbatha-raw/) > [The only other thing I can really remember wanting to do besides acting was a gas station attendant. At the time, that seemed like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-stern/the-only-other-thing-i-can-really-remember-wanting-to-do-besides/) [Daniel Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-stern/) > [I'd been very certain about not wanting to do the acting thing because of my father. I thought I'd always have the father-son thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domhnall-gleeson/i-d-been-very-certain-about-not-wanting-to-do-the-acting-thing/) [Domhnall Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/domhnall-gleeson/) > [“(on teaching writing) So many writers come to class with one question dominant in their mind, 'How do I make a living from this?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-kiernan/on-teaching-writing-so-many-writers-come-to-class-with-one-question/) [Celine Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-kiernan/) > [“I think most writers … write about episodes meaningful to them in terms of their own imaginations. Now that would include a great deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/i-think-most-writers-write-about-episodes-meaningful-to-them-in-terms/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Artists don't often know much about writing... but they don't bray so much about writing as writers do about art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-collings/artists-don-t-often-know-much-about-writing-but-they-don-t-bray-so/) [Matthew Collings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-collings/) > [I believe - I know (there are not many things I should care to dogmatize about, on the subject of writing) that writers need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-believe-i-know-there-are-not-many-things-i-should-care-to-dogmatize/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [To me, writing is about how we see. The writers I want to read teach me how to see-see the world differently. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/to-me-writing-is-about-how-we-see-the-writers-i-want-to-read-teach-me/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [“Yes, I know what you mean about writing and writers. We seem to have lost the target. Writers seem to write to be known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/yes-i-know-what-you-mean-about-writing-and-writers-we-seem-to-have/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I have a hard time writing. Most writers have a hard time writing. I have a harder time than most because I'm lazier than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-have-a-hard-time-writing-most-writers-have-a-hard-time-writing-i/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [While writing, writers are living inside a character or characters, and when the book ekes into the world, writers are living inside the reader.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/while-writing-writers-are-living-inside-a-character-or-characters-and/) [Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/) > [“I write from the heart and do not edit and edit ... my works (music or writing). Although most writers do, and as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexzander-beck/i-write-from-the-heart-and-do-not-edit-and-edit-my-works-music-or/) Alexzander Beck ## More by Harvey Fierstein > [I am thrilled - I can't stress that enough - thrilled when I see kids getting active.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/i-am-thrilled-i-can-t-stress-that-enough-thrilled-when-i-see-kids/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [I often say that if you want to really want to understand the contract of marriage, just ask anyone who has been divorced. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/i-often-say-that-if-you-want-to-really-want-to-understand-the/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [Always admit when you're wrong. You'll save thousands in therapy... and a few friendships too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/always-admit-when-you-re-wrong-you-ll-save-thousands-in-therapy-and-a/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [So, did I work with Warhol? I worked with him less on that play then I did on other things. He actually did a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/so-did-i-work-with-warhol-i-worked-with-him-less-on-that-play-then-i/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [I got the regular call, that they were doing a Broadway musical of Hairspray, and would I come and audition. I was familiar with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/i-got-the-regular-call-that-they-were-doing-a-broadway-musical-of/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [Is a gay play a play that has sex with other plays?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/is-a-gay-play-a-play-that-has-sex-with-other-plays/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [There are easier things in life than being a drag queen. But I ain't got no choice. Try as I may, I just can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/there-are-easier-things-in-life-than-being-a-drag-queen-but-i-ain-t/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy till sunrise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-till-sunrise/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [You may feel powerless as a child, but the world will one day be yours. And you're responsible for it. So, seize the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/you-may-feel-powerless-as-a-child-but-the-world-will-one-day-be-yours/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [The world is full of more interesting things than my voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/the-world-is-full-of-more-interesting-things-than-my-voice/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [I really am a theater person. That means you put something out there, and you let it go. Tomorrow night is a new performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/i-really-am-a-theater-person-that-means-you-put-something-out-there/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [Actually, I think the average voice is like 70 percent tone and 30 percent noise. My voice is 95 percent noise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/actually-i-think-the-average-voice-is-like-70-percent-tone-and-30/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [While we dance in the streets and pat ourselves on the back for being a nation great enough to reach beyond racial divides to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/while-we-dance-in-the-streets-and-pat-ourselves-on-the-back-for-being/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [My father was brought up in an orphanage in the Catskills. He was a factory worker. And because his family wasn't there for him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/my-father-was-brought-up-in-an-orphanage-in-the-catskills-he-was-a/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [How time flies when you're doin all the talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/how-time-flies-when-you-re-doin-all-the-talking/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) [Explore all 86 Harvey Fierstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) ## More Acting quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As soon as I started writing, other writers stopped wanting me acting in their shows - maybe they thought I was going to rewrite them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harvey Fierstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-writers-stopped-wanting-me-acting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-writers-stopped-wanting-me-acting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/harvey-fierstein-7875_acting_as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-write_3035357.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/harvey-fierstein-7875_acting_as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-write_3035357.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/harvey-fierstein-7875_acting_as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-write_3035357.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As soon as I started writing, other writers stopped wanting me acting in their shows - maybe they thought I…” — Harvey Fierstein", "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": "Harvey Fierstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As soon as I started writing,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-writers-stopped-wanting-me-acting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/as-soon-as-i-started-writing-other-writers-stopped-wanting-me-acting/#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 } } ] } ```