--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing is 90% struggle. The other 10% is…" description: "\"“Writing is 90% struggle. The other 10% is up to you.”\" — Iain Cameron Williams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/iain-cameron-williams-89568_adversity_writing-is-90-struggle-the-other-10-is-u_857595.jpg" --- # Writing is 90% struggle. The other 10% is up to you. ![“Writing is 90% struggle. The other 10% is up to you.” quote by Iain Cameron Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/iain-cameron-williams-89568_adversity_writing-is-90-struggle-the-other-10-is-u_857595.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/iain-cameron-williams-89568_adversity_writing-is-90-struggle-the-other-10-is-u_857595.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/iain-cameron-williams-89568_adversity_writing-is-90-struggle-the-other-10-is-u_857595.jpg) > ““Writing is 90% struggle. The other 10% is up to you.”” Iain Cameron Williams ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing demands intense struggle, but the final effort is a personal choice of dedication. **In simple terms:** Writing is mostly struggle, partly choice. Key Takeaway Embrace struggle, choose to finish. Themes writing struggle creativity discipline motivation Mood encouraging realistic Type Adversity:1 Struggle:1 Writer:1 Writing:1 Struggle 10:0 90 Struggle:0 Writing 90:0 When to use this quote - writing workshops - personal journaling - creative retreats - author talks - self‑study Key Concepts growth mindset process orientation authorial control Questions to Reflect On - What personal choices help overcome writing struggles? - How do you balance effort and inspiration? A Different Perspective The 10% may understate the role of external factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Writing is 90 percent procrastination: reading magazines, eating cereal out of the box, watching infomercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rudnick/writing-is-90-percent-procrastination-reading-magazines-eating-cereal/) [Paul Rudnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rudnick/) > [I have been both overpraised and underpraised. I assume by the time I finish writing -- and I plan to go on writing until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-have-been-both-overpraised-and-underpraised-i-assume-by-the-time-i/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [“All great myths and stories follow a similar pattern. The hero gets distracted and questions his power. He struggles and flounders until he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-main/all-great-myths-and-stories-follow-a-similar-pattern-the-hero-gets/) [Darren Main](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-main/) > [Language is also a place of struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/language-is-also-a-place-of-struggle/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The facts of variability, of the struggle for existence, of adaptation to conditions, were notorious enough; but none of us had suspected that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-facts-of-variability-of-the-struggle-for-existence-of-adaptation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I do not believe in struggle. Struggle is a state of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kubra-sait/i-do-not-believe-in-struggle-struggle-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Kubra Sait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kubra-sait/) > [Obstacles are necessary for success because in selling, as in all careers of importance, victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/obstacles-are-necessary-for-success-because-in-selling-as-in-all/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [Everybody was in struggle, in the grind trying to make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-buck/everybody-was-in-struggle-in-the-grind-trying-to-make-it/) [Young Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-buck/) > [For many oppositional movements, the Internet, while providing the opportunity to distribute information more quickly and cheaper, may have actually made their struggle more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/for-many-oppositional-movements-the-internet-while-providing-the/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [Whenever you are faced with darkness, hardship and adversity; be brave, courageous, smile and keep pushing forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-housham/whenever-you-are-faced-with-darkness-hardship-and-adversity-be-brave/) [Ricardo Housham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-housham/) > [Learn to be thankful in your trials, because in order to get your breakthrough, you need a trial to break through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-williams/learn-to-be-thankful-in-your-trials-because-in-order-to-get-your/) [Craig Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-williams/) > [Success is less interesting than struggle. There is great pleasure in the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/success-is-less-interesting-than-struggle-there-is-great-pleasure-in/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) ## More by Iain Cameron Williams > [“Excellence is the gateway to an infinite world of possibilities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-cameron-williams/excellence-is-the-gateway-to-an-infinite-world-of-possibilities/) Iain Cameron Williams Explore all 2 Iain Cameron Williams quotes ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. 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SEVER > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Writing is 90% struggle. 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