--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a man means his writing seriously, he…" description: "\"If a man means his writing seriously, he must mean to write well. But how can he write well until he learns to see what he has written badly. His progr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/john-ciardi-10262_bad-writing_if-a-man-means-his-writing-seriously-he_1840043.png" --- # If a man means his writing seriously, he must mean to… ![“If a man means his writing seriously, he must mean to write well. But how can he write well until he learns to see what he has written badly. His progress toward good writing and his recognition of bad writing are bound to unfold at something like the same rate.” quote by John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/john-ciardi-10262_bad-writing_if-a-man-means-his-writing-seriously-he_1840043.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/john-ciardi-10262_bad-writing_if-a-man-means-his-writing-seriously-he_1840043.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/john-ciardi-10262_bad-writing_if-a-man-means-his-writing-seriously-he_1840043.png) > “If a man means his writing seriously, he must mean to write well. But how can he write well until he learns to see what he has written badly. His progress toward good writing and his recognition of bad writing are bound to unfold at something like the same rate.” [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good writing requires seriousness and the ability to recognize one's own flaws; improvement comes as awareness of errors grows alongside skill. **In simple terms:** Writing well needs honesty about mistakes and practice. Key Takeaway Write, review, and improve continuously. Themes writing self‑critique growth discipline Mood reflective encouraging Type instructional motivational When to use this quote - drafting - editing - creative workshops - academic assignments Key Concepts metacognition literary skill self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify your biggest writing weakness? - What strategies help you turn criticism into improvement? A Different Perspective Self‑critique can become paralyzing; balance confidence with humility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-writing/) [Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bounds/) [Good writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-writing/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mean Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-write-272423/) [Means Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-writing-1096259/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Recognition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognition/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Seriously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-seriously-688444/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) ## Related quotes > [Good writers hate bad writing but hating bad writing doesn’t make you good. 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It may be bad, but that's the only way you can do anything really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/get-it-down-take-chances-it-may-be-bad-but-that-s-the-only-way-you/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [People do not deserve to have good writing, they are so pleased with bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/people-do-not-deserve-to-have-good-writing-they-are-so-pleased-with/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“…After all, it isn't really difficult to write books. Especially if you either write a rotten story in good English or a good story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/after-all-it-isn-t-really-difficult-to-write-books-especially-if-you/) [Dorothy L. 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I think people want to think they privilege the new in writing, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-think-there-s-much-more-privileging-of-the-new-in-art-i-think/) [Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/) ## More by John Ciardi > [Tell me how much a nation knows about its own language, and I will tell you how much that nation knows about its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/tell-me-how-much-a-nation-knows-about-its-own-language-and-i-will/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [Modern art is what happens when painters stop looking at girls and persuade themselves that they have a better idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/modern-art-is-what-happens-when-painters-stop-looking-at-girls-and/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [The day will happen whether or not you get up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/the-day-will-happen-whether-or-not-you-get-up/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [But when the pen is in his hand he has to write by itch and twitch, though certainly his itch and twitch are intimately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/but-when-the-pen-is-in-his-hand-he-has-to-write-by-itch-and-twitch/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [Who could believe an ant in theory? 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Whoever said: we're not free spenders- doesn't know our like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/boys-are-the-cash-of-war-whoever-said-we-re-not-free-spenders-doesn-t/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [“Hell is the denial of the ordinary...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/hell-is-the-denial-of-the-ordinary/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [General rules have been legislated into being by past masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/general-rules-have-been-legislated-into-being-by-past-masters/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [Written by a sponge dipped in warm milk and sprinkled with sugar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/written-by-a-sponge-dipped-in-warm-milk-and-sprinkled-with-sugar/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [Love is the word used to label the sexual excitement of the young, the habituation of the middle-aged, and the mutual dependence of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/love-is-the-word-used-to-label-the-sexual-excitement-of-the-young-the/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [A man is what he does with his attention and mine is not for sale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/a-man-is-what-he-does-with-his-attention-and-mine-is-not-for-sale/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) [Explore all 67 John Ciardi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) ## More Bad writing quotes > [“Except in stock locutions, such as "You were paid yesterday," "The Germans were defeated," or "The project was abandoned," the passive voice is virtually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/except-in-stock-locutions-such-as-you-were-paid-yesterday-the-germans/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [“There is one surefire way to produce bad writing: submit to the slavery of a deadline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavia-id/there-is-one-surefire-way-to-produce-bad-writing-submit-to-the/) [Flavia Idà](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flavia-id/) > [The world is a hellish place, and bad writing is destroying the quality of our suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/the-world-is-a-hellish-place-and-bad-writing-is-destroying-the/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [Jokes that are gratuitously offensive are synonymous with bad writing to me. I'm offended as a writer first and as a person second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-bloom/jokes-that-are-gratuitously-offensive-are-synonymous-with-bad-writing/) [Rachel Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-bloom/) > [“A person who wrote badly did better than a person who does not write at all. A bad writing can be corrected. An empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/a-person-who-wrote-badly-did-better-than-a-person-who-does-not-write/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Heresy is usually quite sophisticated, actually has a meaning, and is to be taken very seriously. It is therefore to be carefully distinguished from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/heresy-is-usually-quite-sophisticated-actually-has-a-meaning-and-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He isn't a - well...eh." She made a face. "Well, yeah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-mcadams/he-isn-t-a-well-eh-she-made-a-face-well-yeah/) [Molly McAdams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-mcadams/) > [Good writers hate bad writing but hating bad writing doesn’t make you good. Writing badly does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/good-writers-hate-bad-writing-but-hating-bad-writing-doesn-t-make-you/) [Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/) > [A day of bad writing is always better than a day of no writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-roff/a-day-of-bad-writing-is-always-better-than-a-day-of-no-writing/) [Don Roff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-roff/) > [“Is this a case of “Do as I say, not as I do?” The reader has a perfect right to ask the question, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/is-this-a-case-of-do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do-the-reader-has-a-perfect/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [There is no left and right in writing. There is only good and bad writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-is-no-left-and-right-in-writing-there-is-only-good-and-bad/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [The way the show was conceived originally and developed, has always had good writing at the heart of it, it's very difficult to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-lawson/the-way-the-show-was-conceived-originally-and-developed-has-always/) [Denis Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-lawson/) > [Think 'Game of Thrones.' In the old days, this sort of show might be considered bad writing. 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One should accept bad writing as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/you-can-only-write-regularly-if-you-re-willing-to-write-badly-you-can/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) [Browse all 94 Bad writing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-writing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If a man means his writing seriously, he must mean to write well. But how can he write well until he learns to see what he has written badly. 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