--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I first concluded to print the book…" description: "\"When I first concluded to print the book, I made an honest effort to construct it in the third person.\" — John Sergeant Wise" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/john-sergeant-wise-25485_book_when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book_2368312.jpg" --- # When I first concluded to print the book, I made an honest… ![“When I first concluded to print the book, I made an honest effort to construct it in the third person.” quote by John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/john-sergeant-wise-25485_book_when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book_2368312.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/john-sergeant-wise-25485_book_when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book_2368312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/john-sergeant-wise-25485_book_when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book_2368312.jpg) > “When I first concluded to print the book, I made an honest effort to construct it in the third person.” [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing third‑person narration shapes the story’s distance and objectivity **In simple terms:** Third‑person offers narrative distance and clarity Key Takeaway Consider narrative perspective early Themes writing narrative craft Mood analytical thoughtful Type instructional reflective When to use this quote - novel writing - biography - journalism Key Concepts Point of view authorial distance Questions to Reflect On - When does third‑person serve your story? - How to balance distance and intimacy? A Different Perspective Third‑person may reduce emotional intimacy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-honest-2244535/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Concluded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concluded/) [Concluded Print](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concluded-print-5824234/) [Construct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/construct/) [Construct Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/construct-person-5824235/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honest Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-effort-1264629/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Print](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/print/) [Print Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/print-book-1185057/) [Third](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third/) [Third person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third-person/) ## Related quotes > [Well, it's my age group, anywhere from, I'd say 30 to 70. The biggest comment I get about the book is how honest it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-love/well-it-s-my-age-group-anywhere-from-i-d-say-30-to-70-the-biggest/) [Darlene Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-love/) > [I was a bad guy. If I was gonna write a book that was true, and I was gonna write a book that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-was-a-bad-guy-if-i-was-gonna-write-a-book-that-was-true-and-i-was/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [If I was gonna write a book that was true, and I was gonna write a book that was honest, then I was gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/if-i-was-gonna-write-a-book-that-was-true-and-i-was-gonna-write-a/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [I certainly wanted to write a book that was honest about New Orleans without explaining it to death, so much so that the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/i-certainly-wanted-to-write-a-book-that-was-honest-about-new-orleans/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [I feel that if I'm writing a book, it has to be an honest book: it has to say what I believe to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-junor/i-feel-that-if-i-m-writing-a-book-it-has-to-be-an-honest-book-it-has/) [Penny Junor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-junor/) > ['Tis pleasant, sure, to see one's name in print. A book's a book, although there's nothing in 't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/tis-pleasant-sure-to-see-one-s-name-in-print-a-book-s-a-book-although/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [“After all, our main business in art, as in life, is to strive. Honest effort meets with its own reward, even where it does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubertine-woodward-moore/after-all-our-main-business-in-art-as-in-life-is-to-strive-honest/) [Aubertine Woodward Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubertine-woodward-moore/) > [When you're making a print book in 2012, I actually think the onus is on you - and on your publisher - to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/when-you-re-making-a-print-book-in-2012-i-actually-think-the-onus-is/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [“You can print a book, unfortunately you can’t print the audience”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-bellamacina/you-can-print-a-book-unfortunately-you-can-t-print-the-audience/) [Benny Bellamacina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-bellamacina/) > [He that desires to print a book, should much more desire, to be a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/he-that-desires-to-print-a-book-should-much-more-desire-to-be-a-book/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [“All honest effort produces lessons. We must embrace every type of learning, even failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-honest-effort-produces-lessons-we-must-embrace-every-type-of/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“I didn't know with certainty what to say about the large world, and didn't care to risk speculating. And I still don't. That we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/i-didn-t-know-with-certainty-what-to-say-about-the-large-world-and/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [A print book is really a kind of tree zombie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-sigler/a-print-book-is-really-a-kind-of-tree-zombie/) [Scott Sigler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-sigler/) > [Today, if you want to access a typical out-of-print book, you have only one choice - fly to one of a handful of leading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-brin/today-if-you-want-to-access-a-typical-out-of-print-book-you-have-only/) [Sergey Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergey-brin/) > [Kindle Singles is publishing on skates. It prints like lightning; our book meets readers in hours. I've spent so many years waiting for publishers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/kindle-singles-is-publishing-on-skates-it-prints-like-lightning-our/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) ## More by John Sergeant Wise > [America is good enough for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/america-is-good-enough-for-us/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [The first American ancestor of our name was a younger son of these old Devonshire people, and came to the Virginia colony in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/the-first-american-ancestor-of-our-name-was-a-younger-son-of-these/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [I was a tried seaman when, for the first time, I set foot upon the soil of my country, and took up my residence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/i-was-a-tried-seaman-when-for-the-first-time-i-set-foot-upon-the-soil/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [It is true, there was no public-school system, and the reason for it was very plain. The wealth of the upper classes enabled them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/it-is-true-there-was-no-public-school-system-and-the-reason-for-it/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [Virginians were no more angels or philanthropists than people to the north or to the south of them. They were moved by their affections,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/virginians-were-no-more-angels-or-philanthropists-than-people-to-the/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [In such a condition of affairs, the practical difference between the abolitionist and the sympathizer, to the man who lost his slave and could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/in-such-a-condition-of-affairs-the-practical-difference-between-the/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [The attack of John Brown upon Harper's Ferry came upon Virginia like a clap of thunder out of a clear sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/the-attack-of-john-brown-upon-harper-s-ferry-came-upon-virginia-like/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [And let me tell you, you boys of America, that there is no higher inspiration to any man to be a good man, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/and-let-me-tell-you-you-boys-of-america-that-there-is-no-higher/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [In all her history, from the formation of the federal government until the hour of secession, no year stands out more prominently than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/in-all-her-history-from-the-formation-of-the-federal-government-until/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [In the year 1857, passing through Washington on our return from the annual visit to Philadelphia, I had the distinguished honor of visiting a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/in-the-year-1857-passing-through-washington-on-our-return-from-the/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [Even if my mother had no qualms of conscience concerning ownership of negroes, her sense of duty carried her far beyond the mere supplying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/even-if-my-mother-had-no-qualms-of-conscience-concerning-ownership-of/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [John Brown was tried for treason, murder, and inciting slaves to insurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/john-brown-was-tried-for-treason-murder-and-inciting-slaves-to/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [Father had notions about manhood suffrage, public schools, the education and the elevation of the masses, and the gradual emancipation of the slaves, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/father-had-notions-about-manhood-suffrage-public-schools-the/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [However the Southern man may have been master of the negro, there were compensatory processes whereby certain negroes were masters of their masters' children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/however-the-southern-man-may-have-been-master-of-the-negro-there-were/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [THE autumn of 1850 brought an event freighted with deep significance to me. My mother died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/the-autumn-of-1850-brought-an-event-freighted-with-deep-significance/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) [Explore all 23 John Sergeant Wise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I first concluded to print the book, I made an honest effort to construct it in the third person.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Sergeant Wise" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book-i-made-an-honest-effort-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book-i-made-an-honest-effort-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/john-sergeant-wise-25485_book_when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book_2368312.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/john-sergeant-wise-25485_book_when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book_2368312.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/john-sergeant-wise-25485_book_when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book_2368312.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I first concluded to print the book, I made an honest effort to construct it in the third person.” — John Sergeant Wise", "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 Sergeant Wise", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I first concluded to print...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book-i-made-an-honest-effort-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/when-i-first-concluded-to-print-the-book-i-made-an-honest-effort-to/#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 } } ] } ```