--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing doesn't require drive. It's like…" description: "\"Writing doesn't require drive. It's like saying a chicken has to have drive to lay an egg.\" — John Updike" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/931/john-updike-396_chickens_writing-doesn-t-require-drive-it-s-like_2765606.png" --- # Writing doesn't require drive. It's like saying a chicken… ![“Writing doesn't require drive. It's like saying a chicken has to have drive to lay an egg.” quote by John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/931/john-updike-396_chickens_writing-doesn-t-require-drive-it-s-like_2765606.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/931/john-updike-396_chickens_writing-doesn-t-require-drive-it-s-like_2765606.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/931/john-updike-396_chickens_writing-doesn-t-require-drive-it-s-like_2765606.png) > “Writing doesn't require drive. It's like saying a chicken has to have drive to lay an egg.” [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. Writing flows naturally; forcing it is unnecessary and counterproductive. **In simple terms:** Writing should be effortless. Key Takeaway Allow ideas to emerge organically. Themes creativity process effortlessness authenticity Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing practice - artistic expression - creative blocks Key Concepts flow state intrinsic motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance natural flow with consistent practice? - What habits support effortless creativity? A Different Perspective May ignore the need for discipline. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chickens/) [Drive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drive/) [Drive Lay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drive-lay-3203873/) [Eggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eggs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lays/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Require Drive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/require-drive-3203872/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-doesn-259801/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [You never count your chickens before they hatch. I used to keep parakeets and I never counted every egg thinking I would get all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-holloway/you-never-count-your-chickens-before-they-hatch-i-used-to-keep/) [Ian Holloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-holloway/) > [Don't put eggs under dead chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/don-t-put-eggs-under-dead-chickens/) [Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/) > [Zerts' are what I call desserts. 'Trée-trées' are entrées. I call sandwiches 'sammies,' 'sandoozles,' or 'Adam Sandlers.' Air conditioners are 'cool blasterz' with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aziz-ansari/zerts-are-what-i-call-desserts-tr-e-tr-es-are-entr-es-i-call/) [Aziz Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aziz-ansari/) > [This guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, Doc, my brother’s crazy. He thinks he’s a chicken. The doctor says, Well, why don’t you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/this-guy-goes-to-a-psychiatrist-and-says-doc-my-brother-s-crazy-he/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [“Self-pity is the hens' besetting sin," remarked Mr. Payton. "Foolish fowl. How they came to achieve anything as perfect as the egg I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-enright/self-pity-is-the-hens-besetting-sin-remarked-mr-payton-foolish-fowl/) [Elizabeth Enright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-enright/) > [Ce'Nedra returned, frowning and a little angry. "They won't give me their eggs, Lady Polgara," she complained. "They're sitting one them." "You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddings/ce-nedra-returned-frowning-and-a-little-angry-they-won-t-give-me/) [David Eddings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddings/) > [I eat only white foods: eggs, sugar, grated bones, the fat of dead animals; veal, salt, coconut, chicken cooked in white water; fruit mold,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-satie/i-eat-only-white-foods-eggs-sugar-grated-bones-the-fat-of-dead/) [Erik Satie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-satie/) > [What comes first, the chicken or the egg? You start out bad, you don't really feel right, you don't have the same explosion, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-berkman/what-comes-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg-you-start-out-bad-you-don-t/) [Lance Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-berkman/) > [In a suitable temperature, an egg becomes a chicken, and there are no chickens born of stones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/in-a-suitable-temperature-an-egg-becomes-a-chicken-and-there-are-no/) [Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/) > [I was at a restaurant, and I ordered a chicken sandwich, but I don't think the waitress understood me. She asked me, "How would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-was-at-a-restaurant-and-i-ordered-a-chicken-sandwich-but-i-don-t/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I usually eat six times a day, small meals. For breakfast, an egg and a corn tortilla, salsa and cilantro, and some ham. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sprague-grayden/i-usually-eat-six-times-a-day-small-meals-for-breakfast-an-egg-and-a/) [Sprague Grayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sprague-grayden/) > [I only eat fish - no chicken, no turkey, just fish. I get all my protein from fish and egg whites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/i-only-eat-fish-no-chicken-no-turkey-just-fish-i-get-all-my-protein/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [My biggest fault is that the faults I was born with grow bigger each year. It's like I was raising chickens inside me. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/my-biggest-fault-is-that-the-faults-i-was-born-with-grow-bigger-each/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I'm cool with whatever. I'll just keep eating my bread, sipping my soup and serving my time. But the chicken is going to lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-oakley/i-m-cool-with-whatever-i-ll-just-keep-eating-my-bread-sipping-my-soup/) [Charles Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-oakley/) ## 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 Chickens quotes > [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/) [Christoph Niemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-niemann/) > [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [I've never even been into those supplements or any of that. I don't even drink energy shakes. I'm not into that kind of stuff.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-ve-never-even-been-into-those-supplements-or-any-of-that-i-don-t/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [One of the mistakes I made was thinking chickens and penguins could sing, just like all the other animals in the 'Muppets.' But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-mckenzie/one-of-the-mistakes-i-made-was-thinking-chickens-and-penguins-could/) [Bret McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-mckenzie/) > [My dad was proud of himself when he farted. He sounds like he's strangling a chicken when he farts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-barron/my-dad-was-proud-of-himself-when-he-farted-he-sounds-like-he-s/) [Carl Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-barron/) > [I joined PETA for minks and dogs. I need my beef, my chicken, my seafood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waka-flocka-flame/i-joined-peta-for-minks-and-dogs-i-need-my-beef-my-chicken-my-seafood/) [Waka Flocka Flame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waka-flocka-flame/) > [call it chicken salad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/call-it-chicken-salad/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [In a way that somebody else converts to Judaism or becomes a Hare Krishna, I belong to the church of fried chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-lakshmi/in-a-way-that-somebody-else-converts-to-judaism-or-becomes-a-hare/) [Padma Lakshmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-lakshmi/) > [I eat a lot of chicken with salad or salmon with salad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ellison/i-eat-a-lot-of-chicken-with-salad-or-salmon-with-salad/) [Jennifer Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ellison/) > [To this day I over prepare. I draw storyboards for every scene - chicken scratches so crude that they amuse and horrify the crew.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-stoltz/to-this-day-i-over-prepare-i-draw-storyboards-for-every-scene-chicken/) [Eric Stoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-stoltz/) > [Just erotic. Nothing kinky. It's the difference between using a feather and using a chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/just-erotic-nothing-kinky-it-s-the-difference-between-using-a-feather/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You want a drumstick? Like a ice cream cone or a chicken wing!?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-joe-armstrong/you-want-a-drumstick-like-a-ice-cream-cone-or-a-chicken-wing/) [Billie Joe Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-joe-armstrong/) > [I'm such a fitness freak that I eat so plain, it's gross. I have oatmeal in the morning and then I have chicken breasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-such-a-fitness-freak-that-i-eat-so-plain-it-s-gross-i-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The chickens have come home to roast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-ace/the-chickens-have-come-home-to-roast/) [Jane Ace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-ace/) > [Dinner Special - Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/dinner-special-turkey-2-35-chicken-or-beef-2-25-children-2-00/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) [Browse all 1,079 Chickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chickens/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing doesn't require drive. 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