--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Authors I've longed to write like - but…" description: "\"Authors I've longed to write like - but realize I actually can't even begin to - include Poe, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Kafka, Daniil Kharms, Witold Gomb..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/helen-oyeyemi-1658_actually_authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-re_3049272.png" --- # Authors I've longed to write like - but realize I actually… ![“Authors I've longed to write like - but realize I actually can't even begin to - include Poe, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Kafka, Daniil Kharms, Witold Gombrowicz, Emily Dickinson, Robert Walser, Barbara Comyns, Ntozake Shange, Camille Laurens, Zbigniew Herbert, and Jose Saramago.” quote by Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/helen-oyeyemi-1658_actually_authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-re_3049272.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/helen-oyeyemi-1658_actually_authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-re_3049272.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/helen-oyeyemi-1658_actually_authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-re_3049272.png) > “Authors I've longed to write like - but realize I actually can't even begin to - include Poe, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Kafka, Daniil Kharms, Witold Gombrowicz, Emily Dickinson, Robert Walser, Barbara Comyns, Ntozake Shange, Camille Laurens, Zbigniew Herbert, and Jose Saramago.” [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author expresses admiration for many literary giants yet feels unable to begin writing, revealing a paradox of reverence and self-doubt that many creators experience. **In simple terms:** Admiration can cause creative paralysis. Key Takeaway Start writing despite doubts. Themes literature self‑doubt inspiration aspiration creativity Mood thoughtful encouraging Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - personal journaling - creative mentorship - literary analysis Key Concepts Canon identity psychology Questions to Reflect On - Which admired writer inspires you most? - How can you turn admiration into action? A Different Perspective Fear of not measuring up can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authors/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gabriel/) [Garcia marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garcia-marquez/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herbert/) [Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poe/) ## Related quotes > [It is easy to club people together, but there are bound to be influences of authors you've read. I grew up reading fast paced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-easy-to-club-people-together-but-there-are-bound-to-be/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [African-Americans are always forced to learn the other culture, but the other culture is not forced to learn ours. I went to acting school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracie-thoms/african-americans-are-always-forced-to-learn-the-other-culture-but/) [Tracie Thoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracie-thoms/) > [I really enjoyed the process of 'Women in Clothes,' but there's no way I would have done that again. It felt more like being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-heti/i-really-enjoyed-the-process-of-women-in-clothes-but-there-s-no-way-i/) [Sheila Heti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-heti/) > [Any time something is written against me, I not only share the sentiment but feel I could do the job far better myself. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/any-time-something-is-written-against-me-i-not-only-share-the/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [When I was young I longed to write a great novel that should win me fame. Now that I am getting old my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-frank-baum/when-i-was-young-i-longed-to-write-a-great-novel-that-should-win-me/) [L. Frank Baum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-frank-baum/) > [If I had to read only one author, it would be Gabriel Garcia Marquez because I love the mystical, magical quality of his writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tory-burch/if-i-had-to-read-only-one-author-it-would-be-gabriel-garcia-marquez/) [Tory Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tory-burch/) > [I wanted to literalize the surreal here. Those are my favorite kinds of stories. I love when Gabriel García Márquez does that, for instance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porochista-khakpour/i-wanted-to-literalize-the-surreal-here-those-are-my-favorite-kinds/) [Porochista Khakpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porochista-khakpour/) > [How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!" In reality, "How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!" were probably not Simon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/how-will-i-ever-get-out-of-this-labyrinth-in-reality-how-will-i-ever/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > ['One Hundred Years of Solitude' convinced me to drop out of Harvard graduate school. The novel reminded me of everything my Ph.D. program was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/one-hundred-years-of-solitude-convinced-me-to-drop-out-of-harvard/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [I think there are people who are born storytellers. I think of someone like T. C. Boyle or Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I think really,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/i-think-there-are-people-who-are-born-storytellers-i-think-of-someone/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [When I finished reading '100 Years of Solitude,' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I got really sad. I thought, 'This will never happen for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-dacus/when-i-finished-reading-100-years-of-solitude-by-gabriel-garcia/) [Lucy Dacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-dacus/) > [To all, I would say how mistaken they are when they think that they stop falling in love when they grow old, without knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/to-all-i-would-say-how-mistaken-they-are-when-they-think-that-they/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The influence of John Hughes is fully felt in the melodrama 'Donnie Darko.' This first film written and directed by Richard Kelly is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/the-influence-of-john-hughes-is-fully-felt-in-the-melodrama-donnie/) [Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/) > [“ List of Artists Who Created Fantasy Worlds to Try and Cure Bouts of Sadness 1. Italo Calvino 2. Gabriel Garcia Marquez 3. Jim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-jones/list-of-artists-who-created-fantasy-worlds-to-try-and-cure-bouts-of/) [Shane Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-jones/) > [I think that it's important to try to keep reality. I think that Gabriel Garcia Marquez speaks a lot about reality in his magical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/i-think-that-it-s-important-to-try-to-keep-reality-i-think-that/) [Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/) ## More by Helen Oyeyemi > [“Juju is not enough to protect you. Everything you have I will turn against you. I'll turn sugar bitter for you. I'll take your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/juju-is-not-enough-to-protect-you-everything-you-have-i-will-turn/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [“Marriage is no real excuse for not loving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/marriage-is-no-real-excuse-for-not-loving/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [I do tend to feel more connected to dead writers, perhaps because they have finished their work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/i-do-tend-to-feel-more-connected-to-dead-writers-perhaps-because-they/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [“People don’t make too much money around here, but what comes with that is a different definition of what it means to be well-off.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/people-don-t-make-too-much-money-around-here-but-what-comes-with-that/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [“He looked honored, extraordinarily honored, seeming to care for that which tore his flesh than he did for the flesh itself, embracing the blade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/he-looked-honored-extraordinarily-honored-seeming-to-care-for-that/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [“White-flowered shrubs thickened around her and so did sleep; it directed her limbs. Lie down now, sleep said sweetly. Lie down. These are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/white-flowered-shrubs-thickened-around-her-and-so-did-sleep-it/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [I don't despise 'Don Quixote,' but it is a book I don't... get. I'll have to come back it. Maybe there'll be a gateway…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/i-don-t-despise-don-quixote-but-it-is-a-book-i-don-t-get-i-ll-have-to/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [“I think her favorite thing about our . . . collaboration was her actor and musician friends rubbing shoulders with my academic colleagues, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/i-think-her-favorite-thing-about-our-collaboration-was-her-actor-and/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [“After half an hour the Senora emerged, short of breath, with flushed cheeks…as uf she'd been seized and shaken like a faulty thermometer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/after-half-an-hour-the-senora-emerged-short-of-breath-with-flushed/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [“It was the usual struggle between one who loves by accepting burdens and one who loves by refusing to be”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/it-was-the-usual-struggle-between-one-who-loves-by-accepting-burdens/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [“Pops says he loves me just the way I am, but not everyone in the world is like my father. Maman, for example. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/pops-says-he-loves-me-just-the-way-i-am-but-not-everyone-in-the-world/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [“With boys there was a fundamental assumption that they had a right to be there—not always, but more often than not. With girls, Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/with-boys-there-was-a-fundamental-assumption-that-they-had-a-right-to/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [The more forcibly I'm made aware of the fact that I'll never be the kind of storyteller I most admire, the less I'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/the-more-forcibly-i-m-made-aware-of-the-fact-that-i-ll-never-be-the/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [The girl was lighter without her heart. She danced barefoot on the hot roads, and her feet were not cut by the glass or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/the-girl-was-lighter-without-her-heart-she-danced-barefoot-on-the-hot/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [“So her missing person's poster features a girl with long hair and dreamy eyes that don't see the fracture coming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/so-her-missing-person-s-poster-features-a-girl-with-long-hair-and/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) [Explore all 218 Helen Oyeyemi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) ## More Actually 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/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Authors I've longed to write like - but realize I actually can't even begin to - include Poe, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Kafka, Daniil Kharms, Witold Gombrowicz, Emily Dickinson, Robert Walser, Barbara Comyns, Ntozake Shange, Camille Laurens, Zbigniew Herbert, and Jose Saramago.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Helen Oyeyemi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-realize-i-actually-can-t-even/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actually" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-realize-i-actually-can-t-even/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/helen-oyeyemi-1658_actually_authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-re_3049272.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/helen-oyeyemi-1658_actually_authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-re_3049272.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/helen-oyeyemi-1658_actually_authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-re_3049272.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Authors I've longed to write like - but realize I actually can't even begin to - include Poe, Gabriel Garcia…” — Helen Oyeyemi", "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": "Helen Oyeyemi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Authors I've longed to write like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-realize-i-actually-can-t-even/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/authors-i-ve-longed-to-write-like-but-realize-i-actually-can-t-even/#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 } } ] } ```