---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are two kinds of writing; the one…"
description: "\"“There are two kinds of writing; the one you write and the one that writes you. The one that writes you is dangerous. You go where you don't want to go..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/jeanette-winterson-166_write_there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-y_3120423.png"
---

#  There are two kinds of writing; the one you write and the…

![“There are two kinds of writing; the one you write and the one that writes you. The one that writes you is dangerous. You go where you don't want to go. You look where you don't want to look.” quote by Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/jeanette-winterson-166_write_there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-y_3120423.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/jeanette-winterson-166_write_there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-y_3120423.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/jeanette-winterson-166_write_there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-y_3120423.png)

> ““There are two kinds of writing; the one you write and the one that writes you. The one that writes you is dangerous. You go where you don't want to go. You look where you don't want to look.””

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Writing can dominate the writer, forcing confronting uncomfortable truths and unexpected paths.

**In simple terms:** Writing can control you and push you into uneasy places.

Key Takeaway

Embrace the unsettling influence of writing.

Themes

creativity self‑discovery danger control

Mood

reflective introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- therapy sessions
- creative retreats
- personal journaling

Key Concepts

authorial voice psychological conflict autonomy

Questions to Reflect On

- How does writing shape your identity?
- When have you felt writing forced you somewhere?

A Different Perspective

The quote may overstate the power of writing, neglecting agency.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [“It took me a long time to realise that there are two kinds of writing: the one you write and the one that writes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realise-that-there-are-two-kinds-of-writing/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [...there are two kinds of writing: the one you write and the one that writes you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-you-write-and-the-one-that/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [Writing must be a machine for breaking down, that is, allowing the now uncontrolled and uncontrollable reconstitutions of thoughts and expressions. All other kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/writing-must-be-a-machine-for-breaking-down-that-is-allowing-the-now/)

[Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/)

> [there are - as every one knows - two kinds of writing: one coming out of your vitals and the other from the top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-e-buckrose/there-are-as-every-one-knows-two-kinds-of-writing-one-coming-out-of/)

[J. E. Buckrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-buckrose/)

> [In certain kinds of writing, particularly in art criticism and literary criticism, it is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-certain-kinds-of-writing-particularly-in-art-criticism-and/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [I think a blog is a catalyst for a number of possible kinds of writing besides being its own medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-think-a-blog-is-a-catalyst-for-a-number-of-possible-kinds-of/)

[Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/)

> [I don’t think ‘science fiction’ is a very good name for it, but it’s the name that we’ve got. It is different from other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-don-t-think-science-fiction-is-a-very-good-name-for-it-but-it-s-the/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

> [I suppose in the long run, it's the good work that outlasts the shoddy work, but there's enough room for all kinds of writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/i-suppose-in-the-long-run-it-s-the-good-work-that-outlasts-the-shoddy/)

[Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/)

> [Literature is one of the few kinds of writing in the world that does not tell you what to buy, want, see, be, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/literature-is-one-of-the-few-kinds-of-writing-in-the-world-that-does/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [There are so many different kinds of writing and so many ways to work that the only rule is this: do what works. Almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophy-burnham/there-are-so-many-different-kinds-of-writing-and-so-many-ways-to-work/)

[Sophy Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophy-burnham/)

> [Don't try to write what other people are writing - write what is true to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/don-t-try-to-write-what-other-people-are-writing-write-what-is-true/)

[Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/)

> [There's a great freedom in writing by yourself. You can write anything you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/there-s-a-great-freedom-in-writing-by-yourself-you-can-write-anything/)

[Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/)

> [“Write it. Just write it. Write it on receipts in the car while you wait for your kid to finish their piano lessons, scribble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melodie-ramone/write-it-just-write-it-write-it-on-receipts-in-the-car-while-you-wait/)

[Melodie Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melodie-ramone/)

> [In 2011, I announced that I was going to retire, and my agent panicked. So she says: 'No, no, no. You have to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/in-2011-i-announced-that-i-was-going-to-retire-and-my-agent-panicked/)

[Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/)

> [“A writer lives, at least, in a state of astonishment. Beneath any feeling he has of the good or evil of the world lies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sansom/a-writer-lives-at-least-in-a-state-of-astonishment-beneath-any/)

[William Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sansom/)

## More by Jeanette Winterson

> [“After nine nights must come ten and every desperate meeting only leaves you desperate for another. There is never enough to eat, never enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/after-nine-nights-must-come-ten-and-every-desperate-meeting-only/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [I have found that I am not a space where people want to live, at least not without decorating first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-have-found-that-i-am-not-a-space-where-people-want-to-live-at-least/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“Yes. Just pass me my leg will you? It's on top of the wardrobe where he threw it, and I think my right arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/yes-just-pass-me-my-leg-will-you-it-s-on-top-of-the-wardrobe-where-he/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [Every second the Universe divides into possibilities and most of those possibilities never happen. It is not a uni-verse -- there is more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/every-second-the-universe-divides-into-possibilities-and-most-of/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [You are a pool of clear water where the light plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-are-a-pool-of-clear-water-where-the-light-plays/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“It's the cliches that cause the trouble. A precise emotion seeks a precise expression. If what I feel is not precise than how should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-s-the-cliches-that-cause-the-trouble-a-precise-emotion-seeks-a/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [What would it have meant to be happy? What would it have meant if things had been bright, clear, good between us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-would-it-have-meant-to-be-happy-what-would-it-have-meant-if/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“Mrs Ratlow was a widow, and she was head of English, but she still did all the cooking and cleaning for her two sons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/mrs-ratlow-was-a-widow-and-she-was-head-of-english-but-she-still-did/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“I shall have nowt to talk to now the baby is boiled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-shall-have-nowt-to-talk-to-now-the-baby-is-boiled/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“What art does is to coax us away from the mechanical and towards the miraculous. The so-called uselessness of art is a clue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-art-does-is-to-coax-us-away-from-the-mechanical-and-towards-the/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [Happy Valentines Day to those who have found love, in whatever shape or form, and to those who are still hunting, don’t give up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/happy-valentines-day-to-those-who-have-found-love-in-whatever-shape/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“It took me a long time to realise that there are two kinds of writing: the one you write and the one that writes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realise-that-there-are-two-kinds-of-writing/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [A curse on this game. How can you stick at a game when the rules keep on changing? I shall call myself Alice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/a-curse-on-this-game-how-can-you-stick-at-a-game-when-the-rules-keep/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“He turned away and I turned to him in vivid heat to look on the sun-dried world. The groves and towers were gone. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/he-turned-away-and-i-turned-to-him-in-vivid-heat-to-look-on-the-sun/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

[Explore all 1,016 Jeanette Winterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

## More Write quotes

> [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/)

[John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/)

[Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/)

> [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/)

[Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/)

> [“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/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [It's a shame that when you've actually lived some life and have something to write about, they're saying you're too old to come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/it-s-a-shame-that-when-you-ve-actually-lived-some-life-and-have/)

[KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/)

> [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/)

[Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/)

> [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/)

[Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/)

> [Everything I write is highly personal, but put in such a way that it's not dropping everything in someone's lap. Although sometimes I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/everything-i-write-is-highly-personal-but-put-in-such-a-way-that-it-s/)

[Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/)

> [You make me want to write bad poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-make-me-want-to-write-bad-poetry/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [If I wanted to change the world, the last thing I would do is write a play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-i-wanted-to-change-the-world-the-last-thing-i-would-do-is-write-a/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [I write my story in my books, It show that your name filled in my books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-write-my-story-in-my-books-it-show-that-your-name-filled-in-my-books/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The midwest is great because it hasn't been entirely claimed. There's more room to write about it; it's harder to write about New York,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/the-midwest-is-great-because-it-hasn-t-been-entirely-claimed-there-s/)

[Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/)

Browse all 9,848 Write quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“There are two kinds of writing; the one you write and the one that writes you. The one that writes you is dangerous. You go where you don't want to go. You look where you don't want to look.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jeanette Winterson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-you-write-and-the-one-that-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Write"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-you-write-and-the-one-that-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/jeanette-winterson-166_write_there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-y_3120423.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/jeanette-winterson-166_write_there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-y_3120423.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/jeanette-winterson-166_write_there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-y_3120423.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There are two kinds of writing; the one you write and the one that writes you. The one that writes you is…” — Jeanette Winterson",
                "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": "Jeanette Winterson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“There are two kinds of writing;...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-you-write-and-the-one-that-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/there-are-two-kinds-of-writing-the-one-you-write-and-the-one-that-2/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
