--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you want to write for yourself, get a…" description: "\"If you want to write for yourself, get a diary. If you want to write for your friends, get a blog. If you want to write for others...become an author.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-patterson-171_blogs_if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a_2599239.png" --- # If you want to write for yourself, get a diary. If you… ![“If you want to write for yourself, get a diary. If you want to write for your friends, get a blog. If you want to write for others...become an author.” quote by James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-patterson-171_blogs_if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a_2599239.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-patterson-171_blogs_if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a_2599239.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-patterson-171_blogs_if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a_2599239.png) > “If you want to write for yourself, get a diary. If you want to write for your friends, get a blog. If you want to write for others...become an author.” [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing for different audiences requires distinct platforms: personal diaries for self‑reflection, blogs for friends, and books for a wider readership. **In simple terms:** Choose the right medium for your audience. Key Takeaway Match medium to purpose. Themes writing audience platforms Mood reflective inspirational Type advice motivational When to use this quote - personal journaling - blogging - authoring - content strategy Key Concepts self‑expression communication publishing Questions to Reflect On - What platform best serves your current writing goal? - How does audience shape your voice? A Different Perspective Medium choice may limit reach if not aligned with audience habits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blogs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blogs/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Diaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diaries/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I don't worry about being exposed. When I'm writing about myself I think about myself as a character. There is a ton of stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-don-t-worry-about-being-exposed-when-i-m-writing-about-myself-i/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [The only really safe thing to do is to write a diary of where you've been, what time you went to bed, what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-goulding/the-only-really-safe-thing-to-do-is-to-write-a-diary-of-where-you-ve/) [Ellie Goulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-goulding/) > [Write a diary, imagining that you are trying to make an old person jealous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/write-a-diary-imagining-that-you-are-trying-to-make-an-old-person/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [One need not write in a diary what one is to remember for ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/one-need-not-write-in-a-diary-what-one-is-to-remember-for-ever/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [Exercise II. Write a diary, imagining that you are trying to make an old person jealous. I have written an example to get you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/exercise-ii-write-a-diary-imagining-that-you-are-trying-to-make-an/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [My parents offered me my first camera for my birthday and I developed an exclusive passion for it over the years. Since I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedi-slimane/my-parents-offered-me-my-first-camera-for-my-birthday-and-i-developed/) [Hedi Slimane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedi-slimane/) > [“To much has happened too fast Dear Diary. What I want is for nothing to happen at all. I don't even want good things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smith/to-much-has-happened-too-fast-dear-diary-what-i-want-is-for-nothing/) [Lee Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smith/) > [I'm so open to different things. The only thing I'd say is I've set the bar pretty high in terms of good female roles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-powley/i-m-so-open-to-different-things-the-only-thing-i-d-say-is-i-ve-set/) [Bel Powley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-powley/) > [“ I want love, Diary. I want to feel my heart melt, want to see my icy stalactites shatter and plunge into a river…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-p/i-want-love-diary-i-want-to-feel-my-heart-melt-want-to-see-my-icy/) Melissa P > [You know, some of the good part of blog theory was that blogs would be like diaries that the world could read. They would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-easterbrook/you-know-some-of-the-good-part-of-blog-theory-was-that-blogs-would-be/) [Gregg Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-easterbrook/) > [A blog is neither a diary nor a journal. Many people think of blogging in relation to those two things, confessional or practical. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemn-sissay/a-blog-is-neither-a-diary-nor-a-journal-many-people-think-of-blogging/) [Lemn Sissay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemn-sissay/) > [I don't even use italics or boldface; that's clutter, not clarity. Fancy fonts are fine for blogs, just as calligraphy is fine for diaries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-vachss/i-don-t-even-use-italics-or-boldface-that-s-clutter-not-clarity-fancy/) [Andrew Vachss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-vachss/) > [I started my blog as an online diary. I moved to New York for a job, and I kind of wanted to keep my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-madekwe/i-started-my-blog-as-an-online-diary-i-moved-to-new-york-for-a-job/) [Ashley Madekwe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-madekwe/) > [I have suffered most of the things I write about - or my friends have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-have-suffered-most-of-the-things-i-write-about-or-my-friends-have/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [ I remember wanting to write a book with someone, the someone being Kate \[DiCamillo\], and we decided to write about two friends. We had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/i-remember-wanting-to-write-a-book-with-someone-the-someone-being/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) ## More by James Patterson > [It was a little weird that they were friends. But then, maybe freaks just tended to find each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/it-was-a-little-weird-that-they-were-friends-but-then-maybe-freaks/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“The next forty-five minutes in that office was about as much fun as a day at Disney World—when it’s pouring rain. And all there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/the-next-forty-five-minutes-in-that-office-was-about-as-much-fun-as-a/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [As we go through this transition where a lot more people will be reading on devices, nobody is paying enough attention to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/as-we-go-through-this-transition-where-a-lot-more-people-will-be/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [You're lying through your fangs," Iggy accused. Fang tried to play innocent--but "innocent Fang" is an oxymoron, so it didn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/you-re-lying-through-your-fangs-iggy-accused-fang-tried-to-play/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [There are reasons people seek escape in books, and one of those reasons is that the boundary of what can happen is beyond what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/there-are-reasons-people-seek-escape-in-books-and-one-of-those/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him the—never mind.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-the-never-mind/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I get up every morning and chop wood, and I pretty much do it seven days a week, and I like to do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-get-up-every-morning-and-chop-wood-and-i-pretty-much-do-it-seven/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Witihin seconds the headhunter had lost control of his car and it squealed, sliding sideways right into several other cars. Cool!' said the Gasman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/witihin-seconds-the-headhunter-had-lost-control-of-his-car-and-it/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“It was scary. More than Sara could possibly know. More than anybody ought to know, or ever would. History wasn't for the general public--it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/it-was-scary-more-than-sara-could-possibly-know-more-than-anybody/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Did I want a dog? No. Did I need a dog? Also no. We were six kids running for our lives, not knowing where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/did-i-want-a-dog-no-did-i-need-a-dog-also-no-we-were-six-kids-running/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I'm a girl who has been tamping down her emotions and keeping them tightly guarded her whole life. And that works really well for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-m-a-girl-who-has-been-tamping-down-her-emotions-and-keeping-them/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [When my son, Jack, was four, I had to make a trip to Los Angeles. I asked him if he was going to miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/when-my-son-jack-was-four-i-had-to-make-a-trip-to-los-angeles-i-asked/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“that kid’s nothing but a little hoodlum.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/that-kid-s-nothing-but-a-little-hoodlum/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Jeezum—humans were like eggshells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/jeezum-humans-were-like-eggshells/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) [Explore all 983 James Patterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## More Blogs quotes > [It turns out that social networks drive a heck of a lot of traffic to blogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/it-turns-out-that-social-networks-drive-a-heck-of-a-lot-of-traffic-to/) [Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/) > [Authors of published papers and editors of scientific journals can, unfortunately, be slow to come to terms with criticism, and it's good that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gelman/authors-of-published-papers-and-editors-of-scientific-journals-can/) Andrew Gelman > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Here's the point - and Jonah Goldberg reminds us of this. He wrote a blog post that was titled "The MacGuffinization of American Politics."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/here-s-the-point-and-jonah-goldberg-reminds-us-of-this-he-wrote-a/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I have a blog where I keep in touch with my fans. I write about things that are important to me. Sometimes on there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-have-a-blog-where-i-keep-in-touch-with-my-fans-i-write-about-things/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I also like to use a sensational headline. Many people read blogs in aggregators, which generally show only the headline. So you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-wilson/i-also-like-to-use-a-sensational-headline-many-people-read-blogs-in/) [Fred Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-wilson/) > [I get questions from Richard Sandomir at the New York Times or Michael Hiestand at USA Today about issues .., 'well, there's a blog…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/i-get-questions-from-richard-sandomir-at-the-new-york-times-or/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) > [If the word police want to come and get me, they can come and get me. If someone wants to blog about me, fine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/if-the-word-police-want-to-come-and-get-me-they-can-come-and-get-me/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [The audience has spoken, they want stories. They're dying for them. They're rooting for us to give them the right thing and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/the-audience-has-spoken-they-want-stories-they-re-dying-for-them-they/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [I hated the blog hype and how fast everything was happening. It didn't feel natural to me. But at the same time, what's more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelakos/i-hated-the-blog-hype-and-how-fast-everything-was-happening-it-didn-t/) [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) > [The biggest journalistic game-changer of our time has been the rise of social media and the overgrowth of faux news sources - league- and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lipsyte/the-biggest-journalistic-game-changer-of-our-time-has-been-the-rise/) [Robert Lipsyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lipsyte/) > [One of the very few things that I actually read about myself on blogs that got to me was people saying, 'Ne-Yo doesn't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/one-of-the-very-few-things-that-i-actually-read-about-myself-on-blogs/) [Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [I think a lot of journal articles should really be blogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/i-think-a-lot-of-journal-articles-should-really-be-blogs/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) > [I keep in touch with my fans by keeping a blog online and I try to answer questions every day. I also have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-keep-in-touch-with-my-fans-by-keeping-a-blog-online-and-i-try-to/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [As Barbara Streisand discovered, adopting a militaristic posture against a tech-savvy mob of civil libertarians is not going to be of much help: Many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/as-barbara-streisand-discovered-adopting-a-militaristic-posture/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) [Browse all 380 Blogs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blogs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you want to write for yourself, get a diary. If you want to write for your friends, get a blog. If you want to write for others...become an author.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Patterson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a-diary-if-you-want-to-write/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blogs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a-diary-if-you-want-to-write/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-patterson-171_blogs_if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a_2599239.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-patterson-171_blogs_if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a_2599239.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-patterson-171_blogs_if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a_2599239.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you want to write for yourself, get a diary. If you want to write for your friends, get a blog. If you…” — James Patterson", "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": "James Patterson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you want to write for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a-diary-if-you-want-to-write/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/if-you-want-to-write-for-yourself-get-a-diary-if-you-want-to-write/#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 } } ] } ```