--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone wants to write a book. Very few…" description: "\"Everyone wants to write a book. Very few people are able to do it.\" — John Hodgman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/john-hodgman-1811_able_everyone-wants-to-write-a-book-very-few_2983174.jpg" --- # Everyone wants to write a book. Very few people are able… ![“Everyone wants to write a book. Very few people are able to do it.” quote by John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/john-hodgman-1811_able_everyone-wants-to-write-a-book-very-few_2983174.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/john-hodgman-1811_able_everyone-wants-to-write-a-book-very-few_2983174.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/john-hodgman-1811_able_everyone-wants-to-write-a-book-very-few_2983174.jpg) > “Everyone wants to write a book. Very few people are able to do it.” [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing a book requires discipline beyond desire. **In simple terms:** Desire alone isn’t enough to write. Key Takeaway Cultivate discipline. Themes writing ambition discipline Mood determined realistic Type creative motivational When to use this quote - authoring - blogging - project planning Key Concepts creative process goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What daily habit will help you write? - How do you overcome writer’s block? A Different Perspective Procrastination often blocks progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-people-290811/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Everyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyone/) [Few](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/few/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-able/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wants/) [Wants Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wants-write-291705/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-book/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I never wanted to write a book, and people have asked me for years to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/i-never-wanted-to-write-a-book-and-people-have-asked-me-for-years-to/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [I don't think I want to write a third book. But the more people talk to me about it, the more I think maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/i-don-t-think-i-want-to-write-a-third-book-but-the-more-people-talk/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [Nobody has time to write a book. Some people just do it anyhow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharyn-mccrumb/nobody-has-time-to-write-a-book-some-people-just-do-it-anyhow/) [Sharyn McCrumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharyn-mccrumb/) > [I'd much rather have a book that a few people love intensely than a book that a lot of people like okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-barnett/i-d-much-rather-have-a-book-that-a-few-people-love-intensely-than-a/) [Mac Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-barnett/) > [Literally thousands of e-mails over the course of a book go out to people I've never met, people who might end up being the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/literally-thousands-of-e-mails-over-the-course-of-a-book-go-out-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [The fun thing we get to do is mess around playing all sorts of different people. People that really existed, people that exist in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brodie-sangster/the-fun-thing-we-get-to-do-is-mess-around-playing-all-sorts-of/) [Thomas Brodie-Sangster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brodie-sangster/) > [“This book is for people who get too much email, which is a bit like saying, “This book is for people who have email.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-samuel/this-book-is-for-people-who-get-too-much-email-which-is-a-bit-like/) [Alexandra Samuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-samuel/) > [The drama is the book of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/the-drama-is-the-book-of-the-people/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [“M. Scott Peck’s classic book People of the Lie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-j-chaput/m-scott-peck-s-classic-book-people-of-the-lie/) [Charles J. Chaput](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-j-chaput/) > [“Vincent liked to do things by the book, while John liked to throw the book at people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-conboy/vincent-liked-to-do-things-by-the-book-while-john-liked-to-throw-the/) [Justin Conboy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-conboy/) > [If I ever wrote a book, people would never believe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-dale/if-i-ever-wrote-a-book-people-would-never-believe-it/) [Dick Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-dale/) > [ When you're done \[with writing a book\], people tell you "Well, gee, I'm not interested." "Great, I'm glad I sat down and wrote this!" ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/when-you-re-done-with-writing-a-book-people-tell-you-well-gee-i-m-not/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) > [Go through your phone book, call people and ask them to drive you to the airport. The ones who will drive you are your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/go-through-your-phone-book-call-people-and-ask-them-to-drive-you-to/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I began writing books after speaking for several years and I realize that when you have a written book people think that you're smarter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-began-writing-books-after-speaking-for-several-years-and-i-realize/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [“Keep your nose in a book – and keep other people's noses out of which books you choose to stick your nose into!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/keep-your-nose-in-a-book-and-keep-other-people-s-noses-out-of-which/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) ## More by John Hodgman > [Life may be miraculous in its unlikelihood in the universe, but it would be a fallacy to suggest that its rareness makes it inextinguishable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/life-may-be-miraculous-in-its-unlikelihood-in-the-universe-but-it/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I navigated the world as a hedge maze of constant fear and worry in which I might take the wrong turn and jeopardize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-navigated-the-world-as-a-hedge-maze-of-constant-fear-and-worry-in/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“There are transitions in life whether we want them or not. 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The city is designed to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/when-you-live-in-new-york-or-any-big-city-it-is-easy-to-fail-at/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I don't wish to brag, but I'm very intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-don-t-wish-to-brag-but-i-m-very-intelligent/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [You wouldn't want to live a life in which you are loved or approved by all people on Earth or even within your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/you-wouldn-t-want-to-live-a-life-in-which-you-are-loved-or-approved/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [Well, I always had this desire to celebrate and somehow be a part of things that I thought were really great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/well-i-always-had-this-desire-to-celebrate-and-somehow-be-a-part-of/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I would be good for maybe not the center square but an upper square on 'Hollywood Squares.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-would-be-good-for-maybe-not-the-center-square-but-an-upper-square/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [One of the things about crowd work that's so exciting is when you discover a character in the audience who's interesting or funny, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/one-of-the-things-about-crowd-work-that-s-so-exciting-is-when-you/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“Maine is not a death cult. 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If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. 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