--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My characters were...rebelling against…" description: "\"“My characters were...rebelling against something...My own bad writing. I wouldn't do for my characters what they needed for me to do - be courageous e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/john-scalzi-2071_bad-writing_my-characters-were-rebelling-against-som_599088.png" --- # My characters were...rebelling against something...My own… ![“My characters were...rebelling against something...My own bad writing. I wouldn't do for my characters what they needed for me to do - be courageous enough in my writing to make them interesting.” quote by John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/john-scalzi-2071_bad-writing_my-characters-were-rebelling-against-som_599088.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/john-scalzi-2071_bad-writing_my-characters-were-rebelling-against-som_599088.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/john-scalzi-2071_bad-writing_my-characters-were-rebelling-against-som_599088.png) > ““My characters were...rebelling against something...My own bad writing. I wouldn't do for my characters what they needed for me to do - be courageous enough in my writing to make them interesting.”” [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author acknowledges his characters suffer because his own writing is weak, urging himself to be braver for their sake. **In simple terms:** Bad writing hurts characters; be courageous to improve. Key Takeaway Write boldly for your characters. Themes creativity self‑critique growth Mood reflective inspirational Type advice creative When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - self‑improvement Key Concepts authorial responsibility character development Questions to Reflect On - What would you change in your work if you were less afraid? - How does courage affect character depth? A Different Perspective Risk of over‑editing may stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-writing/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Strong characters are needed in the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ms-dhoni/strong-characters-are-needed-in-the-game/) [MS Dhoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ms-dhoni/) > [A story works when there's momentum, life behind the words. Some stories have this and others don't, and it's difficult to say why this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-miller/a-story-works-when-there-s-momentum-life-behind-the-words-some/) [Mary J. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-miller/) > [Remember you love writing. It wouldn’t be worth it if you didn’t. If the love fades, do what you need to and get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-l-kennedy/remember-you-love-writing-it-wouldn-t-be-worth-it-if-you-didn-t-if-2/) [A.L. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-l-kennedy/) > [If I had to write a rough draft, all the way through and then go back and start over, I probably would just stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/if-i-had-to-write-a-rough-draft-all-the-way-through-and-then-go-back/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I enjoy writing but I wouldn't want to do it all the time because generally you are not writing about things you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-widdicombe/i-enjoy-writing-but-i-wouldn-t-want-to-do-it-all-the-time-because/) [Josh Widdicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-widdicombe/) > [“A Cyclops on a unicycle juggling three giant eyeballs couldn’t compare to the balanced vision my writing presents. 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Brianna: But it's not - it's a different kind of truth - it would be your truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/grayson-fiction-is-just-a-lie-anyway-brianna-but-it-s-not-it-s-a/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) ## More by John Scalzi > [“To everyone who thinks writing a sequel should be easy because you've already clreated the universe: Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha! Heh.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/to-everyone-who-thinks-writing-a-sequel-should-be-easy-because-you-ve/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [When you're a kid all you want to do is be somewhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/when-you-re-a-kid-all-you-want-to-do-is-be-somewhere-else/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [Being poor is people wondering why you didn't leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/being-poor-is-people-wondering-why-you-didn-t-leave/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [“It’s a hell of a thing to say good-bye to your whole life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/it-s-a-hell-of-a-thing-to-say-good-bye-to-your-whole-life/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [“That as far as I can tell,” Jenkins said, “it’s not actually a very good show.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/that-as-far-as-i-can-tell-jenkins-said-it-s-not-actually-a-very-good/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [I both love and am terrified by Greg Van Eekhout's vision of Los Angeles. 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They were beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/the-diagnostics-and-modifications-screens-ugly-and-utilitarian-just/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [“You can’t afford anthropomorphic biases when some of the aliens most like us would rather make human hamburgers than peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/you-can-t-afford-anthropomorphic-biases-when-some-of-the-aliens-most/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [Ultimately the first, best step in getting your work noticed is to write good work. If people don't engage in your writing, no amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/ultimately-the-first-best-step-in-getting-your-work-noticed-is-to/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [“It was this philosophy that had Harvey taking the hovercraft Sagan had stolen, mounting it, and, after a few moments to glean the fundamentals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/it-was-this-philosophy-that-had-harvey-taking-the-hovercraft-sagan/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [I tell people the first time I decided to write a novel I was in my mid-20s, and it was, 'Well, it's time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/i-tell-people-the-first-time-i-decided-to-write-a-novel-i-was-in-my/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [“I don't think food safety laws are going to protect you from a third carnitas burrito," Hanson said. "That's not about food safety. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/i-don-t-think-food-safety-laws-are-going-to-protect-you-from-a-third/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/i-did-two-things-on-my-seventy-fifth-birthday-i-visited-my-wife-s/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) [Explore all 187 John Scalzi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) ## 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 > [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. It doesn't really seem to be moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/think-game-of-thrones-in-the-old-days-this-sort-of-show-might-be/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“I wanted to let go, drop him, anything to get him out of my arms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-bodeen/i-wanted-to-let-go-drop-him-anything-to-get-him-out-of-my-arms/) [S.A. Bodeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-bodeen/) > [“You can only write regularly if you're willing to write badly. You can't write regularly and well. 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": "“My characters were...rebelling against something...My own bad writing. 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