--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I write, I aim in my mind not toward…" description: "\"When I write, I aim in my mind not toward New York but toward a vague spot a little to the east of Kansas.\" — John Updike" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/270/john-updike-396_aim_when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward_1380237.png" --- # When I write, I aim in my mind not toward New York but… ![“When I write, I aim in my mind not toward New York but toward a vague spot a little to the east of Kansas.” quote by John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/270/john-updike-396_aim_when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward_1380237.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/270/john-updike-396_aim_when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward_1380237.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/270/john-updike-396_aim_when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward_1380237.png) > “When I write, I aim in my mind not toward New York but toward a vague spot a little to the east of Kansas.” [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He visualizes a distant, undefined goal rather than a specific famous place, encouraging imaginative focus. **In simple terms:** Aim for an abstract, personal target. Key Takeaway Focus on personal vision. Themes creativity writing imagination Mood reflective inspired Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - novel writing - poetry - personal projects - creative brainstorming Key Concepts goal setting abstract thinking Questions to Reflect On - What personal "east of Kansas" guides your work? - How does abstract aiming affect motivation? A Different Perspective May be vague, making concrete planning difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Kansas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kansas/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Vague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vague/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [When I write, I aim in my mind not toward New York but to a vague spot a little to the east of Kansas.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward-new-york-but-to-a-vague-spot/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call ‘out there.’ . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/the-village-of-holcomb-stands-on-the-high-wheat-plains-of-western/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [The first professional training I received of any kind was when I was 14 years old and we were in Kansas City, Missouri. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-davis/the-first-professional-training-i-received-of-any-kind-was-when-i-was/) [Marc Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-davis/) > [Kansas City is truly an awesome town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/kansas-city-is-truly-an-awesome-town/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [I would like Kansas be a place that future generations feel comfortable staying here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kelly/i-would-like-kansas-be-a-place-that-future-generations-feel/) [Laura Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kelly/) > [I have been robbed of three million dollars all told. Everyone today is playing my stuff and I don't even get credit. Kansas City…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jelly-roll-morton/i-have-been-robbed-of-three-million-dollars-all-told-everyone-today/) [Jelly Roll Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jelly-roll-morton/) > [There was a part in my life where I didn't go home for at least five years. I just didn't want to be home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-everett/there-was-a-part-in-my-life-where-i-didn-t-go-home-for-at-least-five/) [Bridget Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-everett/) > [Legislators in Kansas, Arizona and 23 other states who are properly determined to protect religious freedom can begin by asking themselves: Does any religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blankenhorn/legislators-in-kansas-arizona-and-23-other-states-who-are-properly/) [David Blankenhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blankenhorn/) > [Too many of the organizations I have observed resemble a farm in Kansas. They have lots of fences and silos as well as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/too-many-of-the-organizations-i-have-observed-resemble-a-farm-in/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Um ,sorry. I cant read the last line." "Fish. Have you stolen any fish from the holy lakes?" "I lived in Kansas..So ..no](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/um-sorry-i-cant-read-the-last-line-fish-have-you-stolen-any-fish-from/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [ We \[ The Kansas\]'re somewhat hard-pressed at this time to imagine any bands that'll be around 40 years from now (and that's our personal opinion). ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ehart/we-the-kansas-re-somewhat-hard-pressed-at-this-time-to-imagine-any/) [Phil Ehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ehart/) > [After graduating in engineering I went to the University of Kansas to get an MA in economics as a vehicle for allowing me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-l-smith/after-graduating-in-engineering-i-went-to-the-university-of-kansas-to/) [Vernon L. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-l-smith/) > [I've been home-schooled since I was in the fifth grade, mainly because I had two brothers who were acting. We were from Kansas but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-schmidt/i-ve-been-home-schooled-since-i-was-in-the-fifth-grade-mainly-because/) [Kevin Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-schmidt/) > [“You can never really escape. It goes with you, wherever you go. Somehow, the prairie dust gets in your blood, and it flows through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-baber/you-can-never-really-escape-it-goes-with-you-wherever-you-go-somehow/) [P.S. Baber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-baber/) > [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) ## More by John Updike > [Life is a roller coaster, you have your ups and downs unless you fall off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/life-is-a-roller-coaster-you-have-your-ups-and-downs-unless-you-fall/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I assume my stance, and take back the club, low, slowly; at the top, my eyes fog over, and my joints dip and swirl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-assume-my-stance-and-take-back-the-club-low-slowly-at-the-top-my/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The New England spirit does not seek solutions in a crowd; raw light and solitariness are less dreaded than welcomed as enhancers of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-new-england-spirit-does-not-seek-solutions-in-a-crowd-raw-light/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I imagine most of that stuff on the information highway is roadkill anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-imagine-most-of-that-stuff-on-the-information-highway-is-roadkill/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Families, doing everything for each other out of imagined obligation and always getting in each other's way, what a tangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/families-doing-everything-for-each-other-out-of-imagined-obligation/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The fucking world is running out of gas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-fucking-world-is-running-out-of-gas/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The theme of old age doesn't seem to fascinate Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-theme-of-old-age-doesn-t-seem-to-fascinate-hollywood/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The mind cannot fall asleep as long as it watches itself. Only when the mind moves unwatched and becomes absorbed in images that tug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-mind-cannot-fall-asleep-as-long-as-it-watches-itself-only-when/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“it was somehow wonderful of her to be, in every detail, herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/it-was-somehow-wonderful-of-her-to-be-in-every-detail-herself/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [In fiction, imaginary people become realer to us than any named celebrity glimpsed in a series of rumored events, whose causes and subtler ramifications…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/in-fiction-imaginary-people-become-realer-to-us-than-any-named/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Her hair had been going gray as long as he could remember; she bundled it behind in a bun held with hairpins that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/her-hair-had-been-going-gray-as-long-as-he-could-remember-she-bundled/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Possession diminishes perception of value, immediately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/possession-diminishes-perception-of-value-immediately/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I can't bear to finish things, beyond a certain point they get heavy. There's something so dead about a finished painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-can-t-bear-to-finish-things-beyond-a-certain-point-they-get-heavy/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Some people find fall depressing, others hate spring. I've always been a spring person myself. All that growth, you can feel Nature groaning, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/some-people-find-fall-depressing-others-hate-spring-i-ve-always-been/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Explore all 592 John Updike quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## More Aim quotes > [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [My main aim has always been to do good quality films with roles that have some substance. With Power and Beauty there were loads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-henstridge/my-main-aim-has-always-been-to-do-good-quality-films-with-roles-that/) [Natasha Henstridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-henstridge/) > [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [My aim is to be counted among the top players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/my-aim-is-to-be-counted-among-the-top-players/) [Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/) > [The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/the-single-aim-of-my-life-is-that-every-child-is-free-to-be-a-child/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/prescribing-hard-work-for-the-soft-or-easy-work-for-the-hardy-is/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [To be normal is the ultimate aim of the unsuccessful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/to-be-normal-is-the-ultimate-aim-of-the-unsuccessful/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) Browse all 3,047 Aim quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I write, I aim in my mind not toward New York but toward a vague spot a little to the east of Kansas.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Updike" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward-new-york-but-toward-a-vague/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aim" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward-new-york-but-toward-a-vague/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/270/john-updike-396_aim_when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward_1380237.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/270/john-updike-396_aim_when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward_1380237.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/270/john-updike-396_aim_when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward_1380237.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I write, I aim in my mind not toward New York but toward a vague spot a little to the east of Kansas.” — John Updike", "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 Updike", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I write, I aim in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward-new-york-but-toward-a-vague/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/when-i-write-i-aim-in-my-mind-not-toward-new-york-but-toward-a-vague/#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 } } ] } ```