--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I make no conscious effort to be tough…" description: "\"I make no conscious effort to be tough, or hard-boiled, or grim, or any of the things I am usually called. I merely try to write as the character would..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/james-m-cain-14109_average_i-make-no-conscious-effort-to-be-tough-o_457865.jpg" --- # I make no conscious effort to be tough, or hard-boiled, or… ![“I make no conscious effort to be tough, or hard-boiled, or grim, or any of the things I am usually called. I merely try to write as the character would write, and I never forget that the average man, from the fields, the streets, the bars, the offices and even the gutters of his country, has…” quote by James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/james-m-cain-14109_average_i-make-no-conscious-effort-to-be-tough-o_457865.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/james-m-cain-14109_average_i-make-no-conscious-effort-to-be-tough-o_457865.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/james-m-cain-14109_average_i-make-no-conscious-effort-to-be-tough-o_457865.jpg) > “I make no conscious effort to be tough, or hard-boiled, or grim, or any of the things I am usually called. I merely try to write as the character would write, and I never forget that the average man, from the fields, the streets, the bars, the offices and even the gutters of his country, has acquired a vividness of speech that goes beyond anything I could invent, and that if I stick to this heritage, this logos of the American countryside, I shall attain a maximum of effectiveness with very little effort.” [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He writes by channeling ordinary American voices, believing that authentic, everyday language yields powerful, effortless storytelling. **In simple terms:** Use real, everyday speech for stronger writing. Key Takeaway Embrace authentic voice. Themes authenticity voice storytelling Mood reflective confident Type literary instructional When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - journalism - public speaking Key Concepts American realism heritage effortless expression Questions to Reflect On - How does everyday speech shape your narrative? - When does authenticity become cliché? A Different Perspective May overlook nuanced character development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Average man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-man/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conscious effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-effort/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Countryside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countryside/) [Effectiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effectiveness/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Heritage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heritage/) [Logos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logos/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I make no conscious effort to be tough, or hard-boiled, or grim, or any of the things I am usually called.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/i-make-no-conscious-effort-to-be-tough-or-hard-boiled-or-grim-or-any-2/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [I'm studying at A&M, and that takes so much hard work, so much dedication, and that effort is very tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sage-northcutt/i-m-studying-at-a-m-and-that-takes-so-much-hard-work-so-much/) [Sage Northcutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sage-northcutt/) > [But I always need to identify with a character to write about him or her - and by 'identify,' I mean see the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/but-i-always-need-to-identify-with-a-character-to-write-about-him-or/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I can't help slightly falling in love with every character I write about. And I quite like writing about people who are vilified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-can-t-help-slightly-falling-in-love-with-every-character-i-write/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) > [In some ways, every character we write, especially the protagonist, is some version of ourselves, as a writer/director, even if they aren't the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lulu-wang/in-some-ways-every-character-we-write-especially-the-protagonist-is/) [Lulu Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lulu-wang/) > [Don't write about a character. Become that character, and then write your story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-canin/don-t-write-about-a-character-become-that-character-and-then-write/) [Ethan Canin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-canin/) > [“If you can’t be of good character, write a good character.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosen-trevithick/if-you-can-t-be-of-good-character-write-a-good-character/) [Rosen Trevithick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosen-trevithick/) > [Ultimately, any character you write - no matter how fantastic or alien - is an extension of yourself. When our characters reflect the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-dematteis/ultimately-any-character-you-write-no-matter-how-fantastic-or-alien/) J. M. DeMatteis > [I never base a character on someone I know. You can get ideas from real life, but every character you write is some aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-hinton/i-never-base-a-character-on-someone-i-know-you-can-get-ideas-from/) [S. E. Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-hinton/) > [“A well-developed and versed character will write the story for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-voss/a-well-developed-and-versed-character-will-write-the-story-for-you/) A.R. Voss > [Any setting can potentially acquire this vividness. It slowly arrives during the period of research, until it is as immediate to me as my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-tremain/any-setting-can-potentially-acquire-this-vividness-it-slowly-arrives/) [Rose Tremain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-tremain/) > [In the case of drama (stage, movies, television ), there appear to be people in almost every audience who never quite fully realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/in-the-case-of-drama-stage-movies-television-there-appear-to-be/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [The intensity of vision in the artist and of vividness in his creations are the sole tests of his imaginative power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-lewes/the-intensity-of-vision-in-the-artist-and-of-vividness-in-his/) [George Henry Lewes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-lewes/) > [Everyone remembers his past with greater vividness as the present becomes more important. Dying men in their last delirium are supposed to see their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-svevo/everyone-remembers-his-past-with-greater-vividness-as-the-present/) [Italo Svevo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-svevo/) > [Consistency in opinion is the slow poison of intellectual life, the destroyer of its vividness and energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphry-davy/consistency-in-opinion-is-the-slow-poison-of-intellectual-life-the/) [Humphry Davy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphry-davy/) ## More by James M. Cain > [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [“By nine, Mildred was powdered, puffed, perfumed, and patted to that state of semi-transparency that a woman seems to achieve when she is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/by-nine-mildred-was-powdered-puffed-perfumed-and-patted-to-that-state/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [“I ripped all her clothes off. She twisted and turned, slow, so they would slip out from under her. Then she closed her eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/i-ripped-all-her-clothes-off-she-twisted-and-turned-slow-so-they/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [“Then she got up, went to Monty's mirror, and began combing her hair, while little cadenzas absentmindedly cascaded out of her throat, and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/then-she-got-up-went-to-monty-s-mirror-and-began-combing-her-hair/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [If your writing doesn't keep you up at night, it won't keep anyone else up either".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/if-your-writing-doesn-t-keep-you-up-at-night-it-won-t-keep-anyone/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [“Up close, she could see the sharp, cold, look that she constantly shot at Mr. Treviso, particularly when there was a break, and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/up-close-she-could-see-the-sharp-cold-look-that-she-constantly-shot/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [“let's get stinko.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/let-s-get-stinko/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [I loved her like a rabbit loves a rattlesnake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/i-loved-her-like-a-rabbit-loves-a-rattlesnake/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [She was a little given to rehearsing things in her mind, and having imaginary triumphs over people who had upset her in one way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/she-was-a-little-given-to-rehearsing-things-in-her-mind-and-having/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [“She looked like the great grandmother of every whore in the world. The devil got his money's worth that night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/she-looked-like-the-great-grandmother-of-every-whore-in-the-world-the/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [They threw me off the haytruck about noon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/they-threw-me-off-the-haytruck-about-noon/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [I make no conscious effort to be tough, or hard-boiled, or grim, or any of the things I am usually called.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/i-make-no-conscious-effort-to-be-tough-or-hard-boiled-or-grim-or-any-2/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [When it’s too good, you do it over again. Too good is too easy. If it’s too easy you have to worry. If you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/when-it-s-too-good-you-do-it-over-again-too-good-is-too-easy-if-it-s/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [A guitar has moonlight in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-guitar-has-moonlight-in-it/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [A gun is like breath to a drowning man--it has to be drawn in haste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-gun-is-like-breath-to-a-drowning-man-it-has-to-be-drawn-in-haste/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) [Explore all 47 James M. Cain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) ## More Average quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [There were times last year when people looked at the scoreboard and thought my batting average was the temperature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-martinez/there-were-times-last-year-when-people-looked-at-the-scoreboard-and/) Buck Martinez > [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The average well-being of our societies is not dependent any longer on national income and economic growth. ... But the differences between us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-wilkinson/the-average-well-being-of-our-societies-is-not-dependent-any-longer/) [Richard G. Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-wilkinson/) > [I really focus more to hit for average, just try to put the ball in play as much as I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-soto/i-really-focus-more-to-hit-for-average-just-try-to-put-the-ball-in/) [Juan Soto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-soto/) > [You give me enough shots, I'll average 20. You give me a particular system where I stick close to the basket, I'll average 10 rebounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bosh/you-give-me-enough-shots-i-ll-average-20-you-give-me-a-particular/) [Chris Bosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bosh/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [The average American expends more time becoming informed about choosing a car than choosing a candidate. But, then, the consequences of the former choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/the-average-american-expends-more-time-becoming-informed-about/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [My phone rings, they call me up and say, 'Chael, your testosterone level is too high.' I say, 'Well, how high was it?' They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/my-phone-rings-they-call-me-up-and-say-chael-your-testosterone-level/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [In one century, we've added 28 years to our average life span - a change so rapid that our brains couldn't possibly have evolved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/in-one-century-we-ve-added-28-years-to-our-average-life-span-a-change/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I feel like what motivates me is what would motivate the regular average person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/i-feel-like-what-motivates-me-is-what-would-motivate-the-regular/) [Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/) > [We're trying to do something so that when the average person uses Pinterest, it has to make the service better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/we-re-trying-to-do-something-so-that-when-the-average-person-uses/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) Browse all 2,816 Average quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I make no conscious effort to be tough, or hard-boiled, or grim, or any of the things I am usually called. I merely try to write as the character would write, and I never forget that the average man, from the fields, the streets, the bars, the offices and even the gutters of his country, has acquired a vividness of speech that goes beyond anything I could invent, and that if I stick to this heritage, this logos of the American countryside, I shall attain a maximum of effectiveness with very little effort.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James M. 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