--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good writers are often excellent at a…" description: "\"Good writers are often excellent at a hundred other things, but writing promises a greater latitude for the ego.\" — John Cheever" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/john-cheever-3301_ego_good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hu_1975705.jpg" --- # Good writers are often excellent at a hundred other… ![“Good writers are often excellent at a hundred other things, but writing promises a greater latitude for the ego.” quote by John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/john-cheever-3301_ego_good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hu_1975705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/john-cheever-3301_ego_good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hu_1975705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/john-cheever-3301_ego_good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hu_1975705.jpg) > “Good writers are often excellent at a hundred other things, but writing promises a greater latitude for the ego.” [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great writers excel in many areas, yet writing offers a unique space for ego expression and freedom. **In simple terms:** Writing lets the ego explore broadly. Key Takeaway Use writing to expand personal horizons. Themes creativity ego discipline Mood reflective analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - authoring books - blogging - creative workshops Key Concepts literary talent self expression artistic freedom Questions to Reflect On - How does ego influence your creative work? - When does writing become self‑indulgent? A Different Perspective Ego can dominate and hinder objectivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Excellent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellent/) [Good writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-writers/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Hundred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hundred/) [Latitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latitude/) [Things Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-writing/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writers Excellent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-excellent-3343550/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/one-of-the-really-bad-things-you-can-do-to-your-writing-is-to-dress/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Writing is very hard mostly because until you try to write something down, it’s easy to fool yourself into believing you understand things. Writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-vonnegut/writing-is-very-hard-mostly-because-until-you-try-to-write-something/) [Mark Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-vonnegut/) > [One of the beautiful things about writing is that it offers an inner life that's disciplined and at the same time wild. Not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-sheck/one-of-the-beautiful-things-about-writing-is-that-it-offers-an-inner/) [Laurie Sheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-sheck/) > [I began to write in the first place because I expected everything to change, and I wanted to have things in writing the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-began-to-write-in-the-first-place-because-i-expected-everything-to/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [There are some different things I'm writing and developing, but I don't know where they'll go. 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It's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chath-piersath/i-think-every-writer-has-their-waves-of-inspiration-and-their-ways-of/) [Chath Piersath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chath-piersath/) > [“One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/one-of-the-really-bad-things-you-can-do-to-your-writing-is-to-dress-2/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [To me, this is one of the great things about writing kids' books: the illustrations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/to-me-this-is-one-of-the-great-things-about-writing-kids-books-the/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [The quality of writing attracts me to films, also who the other actors are, who the director is, where it's being shot. Any or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/the-quality-of-writing-attracts-me-to-films-also-who-the-other-actors/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [Little projects - not feature - film projects - you know, theater things, writing things, and jobs like doing rewriting for money, stuff like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/little-projects-not-feature-film-projects-you-know-theater-things/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) ## More by John Cheever > [Only the opium eater truly understands the pain of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/only-the-opium-eater-truly-understands-the-pain-of-death/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [The poet or storyteller who feels that he is competing with a superb double play in the World Series is a lost man. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/the-poet-or-storyteller-who-feels-that-he-is-competing-with-a-superb/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“She perceived vaguely the pitiful corruption of the adult world; how cruel and frail it was, like a worn piece of burlap, patched with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/she-perceived-vaguely-the-pitiful-corruption-of-the-adult-world-how/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [For lovers, touch is metamorphosis. All the parts of their bodies seem to change, and they seem to become something different and better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/for-lovers-touch-is-metamorphosis-all-the-parts-of-their-bodies-seem/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“I dream that someone in space says to me: So let us rush, then, to see the world. It is shaped like an egg,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/i-dream-that-someone-in-space-says-to-me-so-let-us-rush-then-to-see/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [I don't like to see all my energies, all of my youth, wasted in fur coats and radios and slipcovers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/i-don-t-like-to-see-all-my-energies-all-of-my-youth-wasted-in-fur/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [Literature has been the salvation of the damned, literature has inspired and guided lovers, routed despair and can perhaps in this case save the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/literature-has-been-the-salvation-of-the-damned-literature-has/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [At my back I hear the word-"homosexual"-and it seems to split my world in two… It is ignorance, our ignorance of one another, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/at-my-back-i-hear-the-word-homosexual-and-it-seems-to-split-my-world/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [One would never have guessed that the world had such a capacity for genuine grief. The most we can do is exploit our memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/one-would-never-have-guessed-that-the-world-had-such-a-capacity-for/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“His stepmother -wearing a nightgown for comfort and a flowered hat for looks- had spent her days sitting in their parlor window in Baltimore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/his-stepmother-wearing-a-nightgown-for-comfort-and-a-flowered-hat-for/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [Fear tastes like a rusty knife and do not let her into your house. Courage tastes of blood. Stand up straight. Admire the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/fear-tastes-like-a-rusty-knife-and-do-not-let-her-into-your-house/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [I dream that my face appears on a postage stamp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/i-dream-that-my-face-appears-on-a-postage-stamp/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [Wisdom is the knowledge of good and evil, not the strength to choose between the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/wisdom-is-the-knowledge-of-good-and-evil-not-the-strength-to-choose/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“There was some faint coughing, a moan, and then a man spoke. "Are you all right, darling?" he asked. "Yes," a woman said wearily.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/there-was-some-faint-coughing-a-moan-and-then-a-man-spoke-are-you-all/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“It was one of those midsummer Sundays when everyone sits around saying, "I drank too much last night." You might have heard it whispered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/it-was-one-of-those-midsummer-sundays-when-everyone-sits-around/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) [Explore all 132 John Cheever quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) ## More Ego quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [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/) > [I love playing ego and insecurity combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-love-playing-ego-and-insecurity-combined/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I'm a straight shooter, and most of the time my ego doesn't interrupt my relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-macht/i-m-a-straight-shooter-and-most-of-the-time-my-ego-doesn-t-interrupt/) [Gabriel Macht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-macht/) > [Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/thinking-or-more-precisely-identification-with-thinking-gives-rise-to/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [“There are two kinds of people: goal-oriented and ego-oriented. Goal-oriented people work together and get things gone. Ego-oriented people don’t work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-goal-oriented-and-ego-oriented-goal/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) > [Heart surgeons do not have the world's smallest egos: when you ask them to name the world's three leading practitioners, they never can remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/heart-surgeons-do-not-have-the-world-s-smallest-egos-when-you-ask/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [I hate acting when I see it. I don't want to feel it, I don't want to see it, I want to be taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/i-hate-acting-when-i-see-it-i-don-t-want-to-feel-it-i-don-t-want-to/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) > [It's a constant man-ego-check going on in the streets, in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/it-s-a-constant-man-ego-check-going-on-in-the-streets-in-this-world/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [“... a man doesn't like to have his ego popped, especially when he prides himself on his sagacity, and then to be proved wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/a-man-doesn-t-like-to-have-his-ego-popped-especially-when-he-prides/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [Our real nature is not our imaginary, limited ego. Our true nature is vast, all-comprehensive, and intangible as empty space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anagarika-govinda/our-real-nature-is-not-our-imaginary-limited-ego-our-true-nature-is/) [Anagarika Govinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anagarika-govinda/) > [The man of wisdom is devoid of ego even though he may appear to use it. His vacant or fasting mind is neither doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-s-balsekar/the-man-of-wisdom-is-devoid-of-ego-even-though-he-may-appear-to-use/) [Ramesh S Balsekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-s-balsekar/) > [Show me success without ego!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivana-trump/show-me-success-without-ego/) [Ivana Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivana-trump/) [Browse all 3,462 Ego quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Good writers are often excellent at a hundred other things, but writing promises a greater latitude for the ego.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Cheever" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hundred-other-things-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ego" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hundred-other-things-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/john-cheever-3301_ego_good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hu_1975705.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/john-cheever-3301_ego_good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hu_1975705.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/john-cheever-3301_ego_good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hu_1975705.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Good writers are often excellent at a hundred other things, but writing promises a greater latitude for the…” — John Cheever", "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": "John Cheever", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Good writers are often excellent at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hundred-other-things-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/good-writers-are-often-excellent-at-a-hundred-other-things-but/#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 } } ] } ```