--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My philosophy on writing books is that if…" description: "\"My philosophy on writing books is that if you learn only one new thing, or even get a new take on something you already know, it's worth it.\" — James S..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/james-scott-bell-22468_book_my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-i_882741.png" --- # My philosophy on writing books is that if you learn only… ![“My philosophy on writing books is that if you learn only one new thing, or even get a new take on something you already know, it's worth it.” quote by James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/james-scott-bell-22468_book_my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-i_882741.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/james-scott-bell-22468_book_my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-i_882741.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/james-scott-bell-22468_book_my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-i_882741.png) > “My philosophy on writing books is that if you learn only one new thing, or even get a new take on something you already know, it's worth it.” [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning something new or gaining a fresh perspective makes the effort of writing worthwhile. **In simple terms:** New insights justify the work of writing. Key Takeaway Seek fresh ideas in every writing session. Themes learning creativity writing Mood inspired curious Type advice motivational When to use this quote - author workshops - research - draft revisions - reading diverse genres Key Concepts Perspective shift knowledge acquisition Questions to Reflect On - What new perspective did you discover today? - How can you turn a fresh take into a compelling narrative? A Different Perspective If the new idea is superficial, it may not deepen the work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [New things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-things/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing a book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-a-book/) ## Related quotes > [“More and more I don't have any philosophy about writing, except that it is something we can do if God is good to us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-v-carey/more-and-more-i-don-t-have-any-philosophy-about-writing-except-that/) M.V. Carey > [While I am happy to make the occasional foray into educational philosophy - writing, for example, of the difficulty in the contemporary context for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-cooper/while-i-am-happy-to-make-the-occasional-foray-into-educational/) [David E. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-cooper/) > [“The discords of our experience--delight in change, fear of change; the death of the individual and the survival of the species, the pains and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-kermode/the-discords-of-our-experience-delight-in-change-fear-of-change-the/) [Frank Kermode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-kermode/) > [My philosophy on writing a song for myself is that I always, always, always want to write a song. I always want to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/my-philosophy-on-writing-a-song-for-myself-is-that-i-always-always/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [Writing books is certainly a most unpleasant occupation. It is lonesome, unsanitary, and maddening. Many authors go crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/writing-books-is-certainly-a-most-unpleasant-occupation-it-is/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [There is the myth that writing books for children is easier than writing books for grownups, whereas we know that truly great books for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/there-is-the-myth-that-writing-books-for-children-is-easier-than/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [Fahrenheit 451 is one of those books that is about how amazing books are and how amazing the people who write books are. Writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/fahrenheit-451-is-one-of-those-books-that-is-about-how-amazing-books/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [Most established novelists are writing books informed by experiences gained in their youth. Middle age is not the best time to be changing smartphones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/most-established-novelists-are-writing-books-informed-by-experiences/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [I like writing books. I'd rather be at home with my wife. I can write, take a break, come out, have a glass of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-like-writing-books-i-d-rather-be-at-home-with-my-wife-i-can-write/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [And yes, there's a simplicity to writing books because you're not a member of a team, so you make all the decisions yourself instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/and-yes-there-s-a-simplicity-to-writing-books-because-you-re-not-a/) [Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/) > [If you were a fully realized person-whatever the hell that would be-you wouldn't fool around writing books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/if-you-were-a-fully-realized-person-whatever-the-hell-that-would-be/) [William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/) > [The fun one can have writing books about books is limitless, to be honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/the-fun-one-can-have-writing-books-about-books-is-limitless-to-be/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [There are no grown-ups. We suspect this when we are younger, but can confirm it only once we are the ones writing books and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/there-are-no-grown-ups-we-suspect-this-when-we-are-younger-but-can/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) > [I began writing books after speaking for several years and I realize that when you have a written book people think that you're smarter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-began-writing-books-after-speaking-for-several-years-and-i-realize/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [Nothing mattered ... but writing books, and living the kind of life that made it possible to write them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/nothing-mattered-but-writing-books-and-living-the-kind-of-life-that/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) ## More by James Scott Bell > [Status, worry and comparison are ways to madness, not victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/status-worry-and-comparison-are-ways-to-madness-not-victory/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [Many writers struggle with exposition in their novels. Often they heap it on in large chunks of straight narrative. Back story – what happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/many-writers-struggle-with-exposition-in-their-novels-often-they-heap/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [“The exclamation point is a loud party-goer, demanding attention. Overdone, it can be annoying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/the-exclamation-point-is-a-loud-party-goer-demanding-attention/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [“At this point in the story, the character looks at himself. He takes stock of where he is in the conflict and––depending on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/at-this-point-in-the-story-the-character-looks-at-himself-he-takes/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [The thing I do at the beginning is a "voice journal," a free form doc that is the character speaking to me. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/the-thing-i-do-at-the-beginning-is-a-voice-journal-a-free-form-doc/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [“Dwight Swain, the great writing teacher, once said that the secret of excitement is to go deeper into your characters. Create more backstory, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/dwight-swain-the-great-writing-teacher-once-said-that-the-secret-of/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [Think of it as the Doorway of No Return. The feeling must be that your lead character, once she passes through, cannot go home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/think-of-it-as-the-doorway-of-no-return-the-feeling-must-be-that-your/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [“A good story transports the reader to a new place via experience. Not through arguments or facts, but through the illusion that life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/a-good-story-transports-the-reader-to-a-new-place-via-experience-not/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [The most important rule: Do not, I repeat, do not censor yourself in any way. Leave your editorial mind out of the loop. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/the-most-important-rule-do-not-i-repeat-do-not-censor-yourself-in-any/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [“At some point you’re going to have to formulate your copy, and if you do it early, it will keep you from writing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/at-some-point-you-re-going-to-have-to-formulate-your-copy-and-if-you/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [“Transformation is about change, and change needs to be proven. People can talk a good game. Someone can say he's sorry for stealing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/transformation-is-about-change-and-change-needs-to-be-proven-people/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [Superb historical romance, with a spiritual theme woven seamlessly throughout. I much enjoyed The Covered Deep and look forward to more from its author!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/superb-historical-romance-with-a-spiritual-theme-woven-seamlessly/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [Every hour you spend writing is an hour you don't spend worrying about your writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/every-hour-you-spend-writing-is-an-hour-you-don-t-spend-worrying/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [Write like you're in love. Edit like you're in charge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/write-like-you-re-in-love-edit-like-you-re-in-charge/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [“Psychological death is the key to all romances, isn't it? If the two lovers don't get together, they will each miss out on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/psychological-death-is-the-key-to-all-romances-isn-t-it-if-the-two/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) [Explore all 27 James Scott Bell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My philosophy on writing books is that if you learn only one new thing, or even get a new take on something you already know, it's worth it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Scott Bell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-if-you-learn-only-one-new/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-if-you-learn-only-one-new/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/james-scott-bell-22468_book_my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-i_882741.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/james-scott-bell-22468_book_my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-i_882741.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/james-scott-bell-22468_book_my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-i_882741.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My philosophy on writing books is that if you learn only one new thing, or even get a new take on something…” — James Scott Bell", "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 Scott Bell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My philosophy on writing books is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-if-you-learn-only-one-new/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/my-philosophy-on-writing-books-is-that-if-you-learn-only-one-new/#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 } } ] } ```