--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If something needed to be written, if…" description: "\"If something needed to be written, if something needed to be polished, needed to be re-written, I was just handed pages.\" — Jane Espenson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/jane-espenson-24737_ifs_if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-som_2399829.jpg" --- # If something needed to be written, if something needed to… ![“If something needed to be written, if something needed to be polished, needed to be re-written, I was just handed pages.” quote by Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/jane-espenson-24737_ifs_if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-som_2399829.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/jane-espenson-24737_ifs_if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-som_2399829.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/jane-espenson-24737_ifs_if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-som_2399829.jpg) > “If something needed to be written, if something needed to be polished, needed to be re-written, I was just handed pages.” [Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being assigned to edit or rewrite material reflects a writer’s role in refining ideas, emphasizing the importance of revision in the creative process. **In simple terms:** Editing shows the writer’s role in polishing ideas. Key Takeaway Value the revision stage in creation. Themes writing editing revision collaboration Mood practical reflective Type instructional creative When to use this quote - television scripts - novel drafts - academic papers - marketing copy Key Concepts creative process draft development Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance original intent with necessary changes? - What strategies improve efficient revision? A Different Perspective Revision can be time‑consuming and may clash with original vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I wrote 'The Facebook Era' because I felt like it needed to be written, and I was one of the people who might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/i-wrote-the-facebook-era-because-i-felt-like-it-needed-to-be-written/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [I love to talk to children about making mistakes. Its important that I tell them about how I dont get it right the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-maclachlan/i-love-to-talk-to-children-about-making-mistakes-its-important-that-i/) [Patricia MacLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-maclachlan/) > [O polished perturbation! golden care! That keep'st the ports of slumber open wide To many a watchful night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-polished-perturbation-golden-care-that-keep-st-the-ports-of-slumber/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [What did not demolish me simply polished me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie-2/what-did-not-demolish-me-simply-polished-me/) [India.Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie-2/) > [The second episode of any new show can be tough. 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You don't feel like anything's imposed. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/melissa-rosenberg-really-has-mastered-coming-from-character/) [Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/) > [I recently had to wait two and a half hours in a doctor's office, just waiting to be seen. I literally was genuinely thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/i-recently-had-to-wait-two-and-a-half-hours-in-a-doctor-s-office-just/) [Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/) > [Movies are always made by committees, and the writer is not at the head of the committee. Thus, mush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/movies-are-always-made-by-committees-and-the-writer-is-not-at-the/) [Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/) > [Mercy is the mark of a great man! (stabs defeated opponent) I guess I'm just a good man. (stabs opponent again) Well ... I'm alright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/mercy-is-the-mark-of-a-great-man-stabs-defeated-opponent-i-guess-i-m/) [Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/) > [You embraced what was already on the page, worked with it, massaged it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/you-embraced-what-was-already-on-the-page-worked-with-it-massaged-it/) [Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/) > [Forgive my rudeness. I cannot abide useless people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/forgive-my-rudeness-i-cannot-abide-useless-people/) [Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/) > [If we can't write diversity into sci-fi, then what's the point? 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If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. 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If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If something needed to be written, if something needed to be polished, needed to be re-written, I was just handed pages.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Espenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-something-needed-to-be-polished/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ifs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-something-needed-to-be-polished/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/jane-espenson-24737_ifs_if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-som_2399829.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/jane-espenson-24737_ifs_if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-som_2399829.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/jane-espenson-24737_ifs_if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-som_2399829.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If something needed to be written, if something needed to be polished, needed to be re-written, I was just…” — Jane Espenson", "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": "Jane Espenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If something needed to be written,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-something-needed-to-be-polished/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/if-something-needed-to-be-written-if-something-needed-to-be-polished/#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 } } ] } ```