--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And, again, this story needs to be…" description: "\"“And, again, this story needs to be revised, is under revision as I type these words. The only way to write an autobiography, I suppose, is to keep wri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/jill-christman-65105_autobiographical_and-again-this-story-needs-to-be-revised_2355984.jpg" --- # And, again, this story needs to be revised, is under… ![“And, again, this story needs to be revised, is under revision as I type these words. The only way to write an autobiography, I suppose, is to keep writing indefinitely. As soon as your fingers stop moving, this act—your fingers stalling on the keyboard—changes the story. There. I can't keep up…” quote by Jill Christman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/jill-christman-65105_autobiographical_and-again-this-story-needs-to-be-revised_2355984.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/jill-christman-65105_autobiographical_and-again-this-story-needs-to-be-revised_2355984.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/jill-christman-65105_autobiographical_and-again-this-story-needs-to-be-revised_2355984.jpg) > ““And, again, this story needs to be revised, is under revision as I type these words. The only way to write an autobiography, I suppose, is to keep writing indefinitely. As soon as your fingers stop moving, this act—your fingers stalling on the keyboard—changes the story. There. I can't keep up. And this idea that it should all be working toward something, that the autobiographical subject in the present tense should be working through the biggest puzzle of her life and arriving somehow at... something. Something big. At what? Happiness? Understanding? Forgiveness? A baby? A book? I have not arrived.”” Jill Christman ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects that an autobiography is never finished; it evolves as we live, and we often feel unable to keep up with its endless revisions. **In simple terms:** Life stories keep changing, and we struggle to finish them. Key Takeaway Accept that personal narratives are always in progress. Themes creativity identity process Mood introspective thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - journaling - creative projects - personal growth Key Concepts self‑reflection writing life purpose Questions to Reflect On - What parts of your story feel unfinished? - How can you find meaning in ongoing growth? A Different Perspective It may imply that completion is impossible, causing paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Autobiographical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiographical/) [Present tense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-tense/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The way I would live my life is: never do something in real life that I would not want to write about in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddharth-katragadda/the-way-i-would-live-my-life-is-never-do-something-in-real-life-that/) [Siddharth Katragadda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddharth-katragadda/) > [One puts off the biography like you put off death. To write an autobiography is to etch the words on your own gravestone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/one-puts-off-the-biography-like-you-put-off-death-to-write-an/) [Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/) > [When I write my autobiography after 20-25 years, I want 2014 to be the weakest year of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/when-i-write-my-autobiography-after-20-25-years-i-want-2014-to-be-the/) [Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/) > [When you write an autobiography, it has to be authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/when-you-write-an-autobiography-it-has-to-be-authentic/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [I never thought I would write an autobiography, probably because my first novel, Go Now, is really all drawn from my life, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-never-thought-i-would-write-an-autobiography-probably-because-my/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [My dad always jokes that if I ever write an autobiography, which I'm not going to, it'll be called 'It's Tough in the Middle.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-walker/my-dad-always-jokes-that-if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-which-i-m/) [Nicola Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-walker/) > [You write an autobiography because you want to tell people how you felt about a certain matter at that time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-hatton/you-write-an-autobiography-because-you-want-to-tell-people-how-you/) [Ricky Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-hatton/) > [There may be a point where I may decide to write an autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-stephenson/there-may-be-a-point-where-i-may-decide-to-write-an-autobiography/) [Pamela Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-stephenson/) > [My mother always said that everyone should be required to write an autobiography of their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-keaton/my-mother-always-said-that-everyone-should-be-required-to-write-an/) [Diane Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-keaton/) > [I've been asked to write an autobiography, and I've started it a couple of times, on different angles, and maybe one day I will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-saxon/i-ve-been-asked-to-write-an-autobiography-and-i-ve-started-it-a/) John Saxon > [I don't want to write an autobiography because I would become public property with no privacy left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-don-t-want-to-write-an-autobiography-because-i-would-become-public/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I've been asked to write my autobiography and really they only want 8 years (1962-1970), and I keep saying it would be five volumes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ringo-starr/i-ve-been-asked-to-write-my-autobiography-and-really-they-only-want-8/) [Ringo Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ringo-starr/) > [Because I write fiction, I don't write autobiography, and to me they are very different things. The first-person narrative is a very intimate thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/because-i-write-fiction-i-don-t-write-autobiography-and-to-me-they/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [If you wish to understand me at all (and to write an autobiography is only to open a window into one's heart) you must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-melba/if-you-wish-to-understand-me-at-all-and-to-write-an-autobiography-is/) [Nellie Melba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-melba/) > [I shall never write an autobiography, I'm much too jealous of my privacy for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-shall-never-write-an-autobiography-i-m-much-too-jealous-of-my/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) ## More by Jill Christman > [“My mother defines collage as a combination of things unexpected. The artist can choose things that appeal to her visually, and put them together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-christman/my-mother-defines-collage-as-a-combination-of-things-unexpected-the/) Jill Christman > [“What if I took the picture books that my grandmother made and snapped open the rings in every binder, let the plastic pages spill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-christman/what-if-i-took-the-picture-books-that-my-grandmother-made-and-snapped/) Jill Christman > [ “Which brings me to one more thing about the Sheridan FCI \[prison\]. After you make it through the metal detector, you re stamped on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-christman/which-brings-me-to-one-more-thing-about-the-sheridan-fci-prison-after/) Jill Christman Explore all 4 Jill Christman quotes ## More Autobiographical quotes > [“I am not and autobiographical writer--one can't be without a solid and explicable self--and read all autobiographical writers with the same curiosity. What kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/i-am-not-and-autobiographical-writer-one-can-t-be-without-a-solid-and/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [I'm always saying that my books are not autobiographical because they're not. I can't choose any one scene and say, 'Oh, this is exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-von-ziegesar/i-m-always-saying-that-my-books-are-not-autobiographical-because-they/) [Cecily von Ziegesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-von-ziegesar/) > [Race as a subject only comes about because of what I look like. If I say something truthfully, people say "Oh, she's so angry."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/race-as-a-subject-only-comes-about-because-of-what-i-look-like-if-i/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [Of necessity, the autobiographical self is not just about one individual but about all the others that an individual interacts with. Of necessity, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/of-necessity-the-autobiographical-self-is-not-just-about-one/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [Because of the wonderfully positive response to 'Life's That Way,' I am considering writing some more autobiographical stuff - maybe another book. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-beaver/because-of-the-wonderfully-positive-response-to-life-s-that-way-i-am/) [Jim Beaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-beaver/) > [I occasionally experience the discomfort of people assuming my work is autobiographical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort-of-people-assuming-my-work/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [Autobiographical comics, I love them. I love them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-bechdel/autobiographical-comics-i-love-them-i-love-them/) [Alison Bechdel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-bechdel/) > [It's actually easier to do autobiographical stories. The story is already there. It's a matter of carving away what doesn't fit rather than building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/it-s-actually-easier-to-do-autobiographical-stories-the-story-is/) [Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/) > [My books aren't autobiographical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/my-books-aren-t-autobiographical/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“Attempting to express a person’s objective reality and subjective state of mind with the written word is an endless task because writing alters our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/attempting-to-express-a-person-s-objective-reality-and-subjective/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [Memoir is actually the most egoless genre, even though it might seem ostensibly so much ego-driven. In order for it to succeed, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-flynn/memoir-is-actually-the-most-egoless-genre-even-though-it-might-seem/) [Nick Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-flynn/) > [I'm not an autobiographical writer, but I am a writer who deals with human emotion on all levels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-an-autobiographical-writer-but-i-am-a-writer-who-deals-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“is a little remarkable, that—though disinclined to talk overmuch of myself and my affairs at the fireside, and to my personal friends—an autobiographical impulse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/is-a-little-remarkable-that-though-disinclined-to-talk-overmuch-of/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [There certainly is no secret in that there are plenty of people who don't like plenty of my movies. Each one of my films…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/there-certainly-is-no-secret-in-that-there-are-plenty-of-people-who/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > ['Normal' is not clinical, it's not autobiographical, and I don't claim to be objective. It's strictly my perceptions and thoughts about the people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/normal-is-not-clinical-it-s-not-autobiographical-and-i-don-t-claim-to/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) [Browse all 202 Autobiographical quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiographical/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And, again, this story needs to be revised, is under revision as I type these words. The only way to write an autobiography, I suppose, is to keep writing indefinitely. As soon as your fingers stop moving, this act—your fingers stalling on the keyboard—changes the story. There. 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