--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writers take words seriously-perhaps the…" description: "\"Writers take words seriously-perhaps the last professional class that does-and they struggle to steer their own through the crosswinds of meddling edit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/john-updike-396_books_writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the_1259735.png" --- # Writers take words seriously-perhaps the last professional… ![“Writers take words seriously-perhaps the last professional class that does-and they struggle to steer their own through the crosswinds of meddling editors and careless typesetters and obtuse and malevolent reviewers into the lap of the ideal reader.” quote by John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/john-updike-396_books_writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the_1259735.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/john-updike-396_books_writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the_1259735.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/john-updike-396_books_writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the_1259735.png) > “Writers take words seriously-perhaps the last professional class that does-and they struggle to steer their own through the crosswinds of meddling editors and careless typesetters and obtuse and malevolent reviewers into the lap of the ideal reader.” [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 emphasizes writers’ seriousness, battling editorial meddling to reach ideal readers. **In simple terms:** Writers face many obstacles to convey their vision. Key Takeaway Persist despite editorial challenges to honor your voice. Themes writing creativity editing Mood reflective analytical Type literary professional When to use this quote - publishing - self‑editing - reader engagement Key Concepts authorial intent literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance editorial input with personal vision? - What defines the “ideal reader” for you? A Different Perspective Market pressures may dilute artistic integrity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Careless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careless/) [Careless Typesetters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careless-typesetters-4001250/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editors/) [Editors Careless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editors-careless-4001251/) [Lap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lap/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Meddling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meddling/) [Meddling Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meddling-editors-4001249/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Typesetters Obtuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/typesetters-obtuse-4001253/) [Words Seriously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-seriously-4001252/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Important part of our diplomacy is that people take our words seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/important-part-of-our-diplomacy-is-that-people-take-our-words/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Our problems are both acute and chronic, yet all we hear from those in positions of leadership are the same tired proposals for more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/our-problems-are-both-acute-and-chronic-yet-all-we-hear-from-those-in/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [A noiseless course, not meddling with the affairs of others, unattractive of notice, is a mark that society is going on in happiness. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-noiseless-course-not-meddling-with-the-affairs-of-others/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [All countries in my part of the world, we want democracy to prevail. 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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. 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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 Books 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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writers take words seriously-perhaps the last professional class that does-and they struggle to steer their own through the crosswinds of meddling editors and careless typesetters and obtuse and malevolent reviewers into the lap of the ideal reader.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Updike" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the-last-professional-class-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the-last-professional-class-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/john-updike-396_books_writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the_1259735.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/john-updike-396_books_writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the_1259735.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/john-updike-396_books_writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the_1259735.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writers take words seriously-perhaps the last professional class that does-and they struggle to steer their…” — 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": "Writers take words seriously-perhaps the last...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the-last-professional-class-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/writers-take-words-seriously-perhaps-the-last-professional-class-that/#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 } } ] } ```