--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writers always think their greatest work…" description: "\"Writers always think their greatest work is just ahead of them.\" — Ian Rankin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/ian-rankin-7748_ahead_writers-always-think-their-greatest-work_1228991.jpg" --- # Writers always think their greatest work is just ahead of… ![“Writers always think their greatest work is just ahead of them.” quote by Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/ian-rankin-7748_ahead_writers-always-think-their-greatest-work_1228991.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/ian-rankin-7748_ahead_writers-always-think-their-greatest-work_1228991.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/ian-rankin-7748_ahead_writers-always-think-their-greatest-work_1228991.jpg) > “Writers always think their greatest work is just ahead of them.” [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers often believe their best work is still forthcoming, driving perseverance. **In simple terms:** Great work is ahead. Key Takeaway Keep writing. Themes creativity perseverance expectation Mood determined hopeful Type creative inspirational When to use this quote - novel drafting - script development - artistic blocks Key Concepts authorial mindset future‑oriented thinking Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to finish a project? - How to balance ambition with contentment? A Different Perspective May cause chronic dissatisfaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahead/) [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest/) [Greatest Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-work-377311/) [Just Ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-ahead-335294/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-greatest-308500/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writers Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-think/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I declare peace as the greatest work of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolf-vostell/i-declare-peace-as-the-greatest-work-of-art/) [Wolf Vostell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolf-vostell/) > [My greatest work comes in the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-barry/my-greatest-work-comes-in-the-community/) [Marion Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-barry/) > [I still think I am the greatest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-still-think-i-am-the-greatest/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [I think the greatest of people that have ever been in society, they were never versions of someone else. They were themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-think-the-greatest-of-people-that-have-ever-been-in-society-they/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I think that's the greatest gift one can have: point of view. You know? I've come to believe that if you have a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-minnelli/i-think-that-s-the-greatest-gift-one-can-have-point-of-view-you-know/) [Liza Minnelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-minnelli/) > [The 'Lone Star' experience was tough at the time, but it really allowed me to look at things from a 3,000-foot high view. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolk/the-lone-star-experience-was-tough-at-the-time-but-it-really-allowed/) [James Wolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolk/) > [I think that's one of the greatest gifts that I have: that I can get someone to open up, and all you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karamo-brown/i-think-that-s-one-of-the-greatest-gifts-that-i-have-that-i-can-get/) [Karamo Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karamo-brown/) > [I am 65 now and the world is just ahead of me at a time when most people are retiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-hawthorne/i-am-65-now-and-the-world-is-just-ahead-of-me-at-a-time-when-most/) [Nigel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-hawthorne/) > [“Would you make a right just up ahead?” he asked. “And then?” “I’ll show you something.” “More mysteries.” “There’s nothing mysterious about it.” “You’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kai-meyer/would-you-make-a-right-just-up-ahead-he-asked-and-then-i-ll-show-you/) [Kai Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kai-meyer/) > [“I believe great things are ahead for each of us. Now we just have to go ahead and create them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-althouse/i-believe-great-things-are-ahead-for-each-of-us-now-we-just-have-to/) [Tom Althouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-althouse/) > [We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/we-re-so-busy-watching-out-for-what-s-just-ahead-of-us-that-we-don-t/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [Were so busy watching out for whats just ahead of us that we dont take time to enjoy where we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sweeney/were-so-busy-watching-out-for-whats-just-ahead-of-us-that-we-dont/) [Ash Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sweeney/) > [See I’m not a monster, I’m just ahead of the curve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heath-ledger/see-i-m-not-a-monster-i-m-just-ahead-of-the-curve/) [Heath Ledger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heath-ledger/) > [You can just go ahead and move a little bit to the left. Yeah, that's it. Great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-lumbergh/you-can-just-go-ahead-and-move-a-little-bit-to-the-left-yeah-that-s/) [Bill Lumbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-lumbergh/) > [If I'm writing and a chapter isn't coming, I just move ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/if-i-m-writing-and-a-chapter-isn-t-coming-i-just-move-ahead/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## More by Ian Rankin > [You need a great idea, but then you've got to carry it through. If you get it right, you're going to be a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/you-need-a-great-idea-but-then-you-ve-got-to-carry-it-through-if-you/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [In 1991, I won the Chandler Fulbright Prize, which came with $20,000 and the stipulation of spending six months in the U.S.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/in-1991-i-won-the-chandler-fulbright-prize-which-came-with-20-000-and/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [When I was in my early 20s and still at uni, I won a short-story competition: £200 was the prize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/when-i-was-in-my-early-20s-and-still-at-uni-i-won-a-short-story/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [“Down Where the Drunkards Roll.” “How”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/down-where-the-drunkards-roll-how/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [“1446, that's when the foundations were laid. It took forty years to complete." "Sounds like some builders I know," Rebus said. "Can't you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/1446-that-s-when-the-foundations-were-laid-it-took-forty-years-to/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [When I'm writing, I won't know whodunnit until maybe two thirds of the way through. Until then, I know as little as my detective.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/when-i-m-writing-i-won-t-know-whodunnit-until-maybe-two-thirds-of-the/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [“went to take a look at it. A plaque”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/went-to-take-a-look-at-it-a-plaque/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [My mother worked in a school canteen - then worked in the canteen of a chicken factory. Every Friday, the pay packet money would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/my-mother-worked-in-a-school-canteen-then-worked-in-the-canteen-of-a/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [I am, of course, a frustrated rock star - I'd much rather be a rock star than a writer. Or own a record shop.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/i-am-of-course-a-frustrated-rock-star-i-d-much-rather-be-a-rock-star/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [I don't want the books to become PR exercises for the police; I want to have the freedom to write about cops who cross…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/i-don-t-want-the-books-to-become-pr-exercises-for-the-police-i-want/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [“...despite rumors to the contrary, you're on the side of the angels. (...) Whether you like it or not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/despite-rumors-to-the-contrary-you-re-on-the-side-of-the-angels/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [Rebus was eating breakfast in the canteen and wishing there was more caffeine in the coffee, or more coffee in the coffee come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/rebus-was-eating-breakfast-in-the-canteen-and-wishing-there-was-more/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [I would have loved to have been a rock n' roll star. But none of us was musical, and none of us had any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/i-would-have-loved-to-have-been-a-rock-n-roll-star-but-none-of-us-was/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [I don't hang out with cops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/i-don-t-hang-out-with-cops/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [ \[About a tiresome colleague\]: He could bore for Scotland. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/about-a-tiresome-colleague-he-could-bore-for-scotland/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) [Explore all 85 Ian Rankin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) ## More Ahead quotes > [Anybody who thinks that they should lead the country should go ahead and put their hat in the ring. I am not among them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/anybody-who-thinks-that-they-should-lead-the-country-should-go-ahead/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [If I have a problem with somebody, I go ahead and say what's on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-hulkenberg/if-i-have-a-problem-with-somebody-i-go-ahead-and-say-what-s-on-my-mind/) [Nico Hulkenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-hulkenberg/) > [I once invested in a risky business. Quite a few people warned me not to do so, but I still went ahead and invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-rode/i-once-invested-in-a-risky-business-quite-a-few-people-warned-me-not/) [Gautam Rode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-rode/) > [“What lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us and ahead of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/what-lies-behind-us-is-nothing-compared-to-what-lies-within-us-and/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [In Life, We May Never Get The Same Opportunity Again, But There's Always Something Better Ahead...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/in-life-we-may-never-get-the-same-opportunity-again-but-there-s/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [Makeup is only fun if it's occasional and capricious - just like it's a treat to have an empty day ahead, but it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/makeup-is-only-fun-if-it-s-occasional-and-capricious-just-like-it-s-a/) [Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/) > [There is no such thing as disposable time if you want to stay ahead of the game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-such-thing-as-disposable-time-if-you-want-to-stay-ahead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm the kind of guy who comes home and checks scores for everything. I'm a sports fan in general, so I pretty much keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/i-m-the-kind-of-guy-who-comes-home-and-checks-scores-for-everything-i/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [People are flying you places in business class. Everyone wants to take pictures of you and find out information about you. It's a freak-out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolandi-visser/people-are-flying-you-places-in-business-class-everyone-wants-to-take/) [Yolandi Visser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolandi-visser/) > [I wasn't putting my all into it and I was still managing to score goals, and that gave me something to dream about, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gray/i-wasn-t-putting-my-all-into-it-and-i-was-still-managing-to-score/) [Andre Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gray/) > [There's no limit to what you can accomplish, but there's always someone one step ahead of you, so it's a constant uphill battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-mary-stewart/there-s-no-limit-to-what-you-can-accomplish-but-there-s-always/) [Catherine Mary Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-mary-stewart/) > [I was never bothered about my position in the industry. If I had believed in it, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to get ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmendra/i-was-never-bothered-about-my-position-in-the-industry-if-i-had/) [Dharmendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmendra/) > [I don't want to look too far ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jofra-archer/i-don-t-want-to-look-too-far-ahead/) [Jofra Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jofra-archer/) > [“one who takes the first step always remains one step ahead”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabi-shaheen/one-who-takes-the-first-step-always-remains-one-step-ahead/) [Rabi Shaheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabi-shaheen/) > [I am not interested to sing in Bollywood. I sing for only those actors whom I admire. I sing free of cost for them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-honey-singh/i-am-not-interested-to-sing-in-bollywood-i-sing-for-only-those-actors/) [Yo Yo Honey Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-honey-singh/) [Browse all 1,773 Ahead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahead/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writers always think their greatest work is just ahead of them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ian Rankin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/writers-always-think-their-greatest-work-is-just-ahead-of-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ahead" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/writers-always-think-their-greatest-work-is-just-ahead-of-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/ian-rankin-7748_ahead_writers-always-think-their-greatest-work_1228991.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/ian-rankin-7748_ahead_writers-always-think-their-greatest-work_1228991.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/ian-rankin-7748_ahead_writers-always-think-their-greatest-work_1228991.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writers always think their greatest work is just ahead of them.” — Ian Rankin", "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": "Ian Rankin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Writers always think their greatest work...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/writers-always-think-their-greatest-work-is-just-ahead-of-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/writers-always-think-their-greatest-work-is-just-ahead-of-them/#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 } } ] } ```