--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As writers, we don't just need to write…" description: "\"As writers, we don't just need to write about poverty or war or the immigrant experience.\" — Jennifer Gilmore" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/jennifer-gilmore-20736_needs_as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-a_2247592.jpg" --- # As writers, we don't just need to write about poverty or… ![“As writers, we don't just need to write about poverty or war or the immigrant experience.” quote by Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/jennifer-gilmore-20736_needs_as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-a_2247592.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/jennifer-gilmore-20736_needs_as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-a_2247592.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/jennifer-gilmore-20736_needs_as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-a_2247592.jpg) > “As writers, we don't just need to write about poverty or war or the immigrant experience.” [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers should go beyond depicting hardship, aiming to explore deeper narratives and solutions. **In simple terms:** Write beyond surface issues to inspire change. Key Takeaway Broaden narrative scope beyond suffering. Themes literature responsibility representation empathy social change Mood reflective motivational thoughtful Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - author workshops - creative writing curricula - literary festivals - publishing guidelines Key Concepts narrative depth ethical storytelling cultural awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can writers balance entertainment with social insight? - What narratives inspire action without preaching? A Different Perspective Readers may prefer familiar stories about hardship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Need Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-write/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-poverty-737101/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writers Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-don/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Don't be didactic - don't write about poverty. Write about poor people. When you dramatize their lives and let life and characters be your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/don-t-be-didactic-don-t-write-about-poverty-write-about-poor-people/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [“Personal trainers and writers don't end up in history books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-vega/personal-trainers-and-writers-don-t-end-up-in-history-books/) [Caspar Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-vega/) > [Writers, most of them, don't have a lot of resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/writers-most-of-them-don-t-have-a-lot-of-resources/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [Canadian writers don't live in gated mansions; you can just talk to them when you see them lining up at the Second Cup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/canadian-writers-don-t-live-in-gated-mansions-you-can-just-talk-to/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [I very much like people. I don't much like writers who don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/i-very-much-like-people-i-don-t-much-like-writers-who-don-t/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [I think that if writers don't speak about real life, it's because they don't know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-houellebecq/i-think-that-if-writers-don-t-speak-about-real-life-it-s-because-they/) [Michel Houellebecq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-houellebecq/) > [The inspiration to write? Perhaps it's not so much inspiration, as a NEED to write. I get itchy and guilty and dissatisfied when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-brown/the-inspiration-to-write-perhaps-it-s-not-so-much-inspiration-as-a/) [Eric Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-brown/) > [You need to write about something that you really know about or you deeply connect with. Don't fake it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/you-need-to-write-about-something-that-you-really-know-about-or-you/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [“Do the books that writers don't write matter? It's easy to forget them, to assume that the apocryphal bibliography must contain nothing but bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/do-the-books-that-writers-don-t-write-matter-it-s-easy-to-forget-them/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [New writers don't throw tantrums, they have time. I can make them work on one song for a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajesh-roshan/new-writers-don-t-throw-tantrums-they-have-time-i-can-make-them-work/) [Rajesh Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajesh-roshan/) > [We choose to be writers because we don't want to talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-choose-to-be-writers-because-we-don-t-want-to-talk/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I've found that writers who don't read really can't write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/i-ve-found-that-writers-who-don-t-read-really-can-t-write/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [There's not much to be said about the period except that most writers don't reach it soon enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/there-s-not-much-to-be-said-about-the-period-except-that-most-writers/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [The only advice I can give to aspiring writers is don't do it unless you're willing to give your whole life to it. Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harrison/the-only-advice-i-can-give-to-aspiring-writers-is-don-t-do-it-unless/) [Jim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harrison/) > [Writers don't want to appear to be stupid. I don't know - maybe people become writers so that they can prove that they're not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/writers-don-t-want-to-appear-to-be-stupid-i-don-t-know-maybe-people/) [Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/) ## More by Jennifer Gilmore > [Idea of the generations continuing is really important. And that's interesting to me. I write about families; I'm interested in families. Even though I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/idea-of-the-generations-continuing-is-really-important-and-that-s/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [People might seem to have a perfectly fine life but inside, we don't even know if they've suffered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/people-might-seem-to-have-a-perfectly-fine-life-but-inside-we-don-t/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I feel like if writers used writing as therapy we'd have a ton of happy writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-feel-like-if-writers-used-writing-as-therapy-we-d-have-a-ton-of/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [While I am very much Jewish 'identified,' I'm not a very religious person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/while-i-am-very-much-jewish-identified-i-m-not-a-very-religious-person/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I want to say that, in general, when it works, open adoption is great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-want-to-say-that-in-general-when-it-works-open-adoption-is-great/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [Publishing in a way doesn't have a lot to do with writing, and writing doesn't have a lot to do with publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/publishing-in-a-way-doesn-t-have-a-lot-to-do-with-writing-and-writing/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I think we think that parenthood is confined to the country of mothers, but I think a lot of the men I've spoken to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-think-we-think-that-parenthood-is-confined-to-the-country-of/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I really don't feel that writing is therapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-really-don-t-feel-that-writing-is-therapy/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [My first two novels were set in the past, and that freed me up in a lot of ways; it allowed me to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/my-first-two-novels-were-set-in-the-past-and-that-freed-me-up-in-a/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [It would be a lie to say that people are coming to adoption with joy at all times. Hope, perhaps, but it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/it-would-be-a-lie-to-say-that-people-are-coming-to-adoption-with-joy/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [The birth mother is placing the baby out of love. I still believe that. Well, the ones weve dealt with who were actually pregnant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/the-birth-mother-is-placing-the-baby-out-of-love-i-still-believe-that/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [What is it about the blank page that makes me want to hurl myself into a game of solitaire? I ask myself these kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/what-is-it-about-the-blank-page-that-makes-me-want-to-hurl-myself/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [With domestic adoption, you get a form, you fill it out, and there are these boxes: African-American, African-American and Hispanic, and you check the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/with-domestic-adoption-you-get-a-form-you-fill-it-out-and-there-are/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I will say, in open adoption, all these choices you make about race, about the amount of mental illness you can deal with, about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-will-say-in-open-adoption-all-these-choices-you-make-about-race/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [The birth mother is placing the baby out of love. I still believe that. Well, the ones we've dealt with who were actually pregnant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/the-birth-mother-is-placing-the-baby-out-of-love-i-still-believe-that-2/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) [Explore all 30 Jennifer Gilmore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) ## More Needs quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. 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/) > [If your life's at a juncture and you need to think about things, there's nowhere better than home. However old you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/if-your-life-s-at-a-juncture-and-you-need-to-think-about-things-there/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. It ignores the health needs of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/it-is-irresponsible-to-set-an-arbitrary-cap-on-how-much-therapy-a/) [John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [I was very lucky to get well known much later in life. You need to have flopped quite a few times to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-was-very-lucky-to-get-well-known-much-later-in-life-you-need-to/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [I want a man that when I come running up to him with tears running down my face, the first thing he says is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-a-man-that-when-i-come-running-up-to-him-with-tears-running/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 40,464 Needs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As writers, we don't just need to write about poverty or war or the immigrant experience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer Gilmore" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-about-poverty-or-war-or-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Needs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-about-poverty-or-war-or-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/jennifer-gilmore-20736_needs_as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-a_2247592.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/jennifer-gilmore-20736_needs_as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-a_2247592.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/jennifer-gilmore-20736_needs_as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-a_2247592.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As writers, we don't just need to write about poverty or war or the immigrant experience.” — Jennifer Gilmore", "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": "Jennifer Gilmore", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As writers, we don't just need...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-about-poverty-or-war-or-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/as-writers-we-don-t-just-need-to-write-about-poverty-or-war-or-the/#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 } } ] } ```