--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: writing is perilous, as you can’t always…" description: "\"“writing is perilous, as you can’t always guarantee your words will be read in the spirit in which they were written.”\" — Jojo Moyes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/jojo-moyes-1045_language_writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always_2119462.jpg" --- # writing is perilous, as you can’t always guarantee your… ![“writing is perilous, as you can’t always guarantee your words will be read in the spirit in which they were written.” quote by Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/jojo-moyes-1045_language_writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always_2119462.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/jojo-moyes-1045_language_writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always_2119462.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/jojo-moyes-1045_language_writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always_2119462.jpg) > ““writing is perilous, as you can’t always guarantee your words will be read in the spirit in which they were written.”” [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing can be misinterpreted; intent may not survive the reader’s perspective. **In simple terms:** Words can be read differently than intended. Key Takeaway Write clearly and consider diverse interpretations. Themes communication interpretation authorial intent literature Mood thoughtful cautious Type literary reflective When to use this quote - creative writing - editing - publishing - literary criticism Key Concepts semantics reader response clarity misunderstanding Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your message is understood? - What role does context play? A Different Perspective Assumes all readers share cultural context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I was once told by someone wise that writing is perilous as you cannot always guarantee your words will be read in the spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/i-was-once-told-by-someone-wise-that-writing-is-perilous-as-you/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [The letter kills the spirit. The written text is mute in the face of responding challenge. It does not admit of inward growth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-letter-kills-the-spirit-the-written-text-is-mute-in-the-face-of/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [“It may be that the numinous spirit of the written word does not perish and so, too, bestows life after death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/it-may-be-that-the-numinous-spirit-of-the-written-word-does-not/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [You are a child of God. He is father of your spirit. Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyd-k-packer/you-are-a-child-of-god-he-is-father-of-your-spirit-spiritually-you/) [Boyd K. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyd-k-packer/) > [A few years ago, I bought an old red bicycle with the words Free Spirit written across its side - which is exactly what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/a-few-years-ago-i-bought-an-old-red-bicycle-with-the-words-free/) [Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/) > [Kate Boo's reporting is a form of kinship. Abdul and Manju and Kalu of Annawadi will not be forgotten. She leads us through their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-nicole-leblanc/kate-boo-s-reporting-is-a-form-of-kinship-abdul-and-manju-and-kalu-of/) Adrian Nicole LeBlanc > [A strength to harm is perilous in the hand of an ambitious head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/a-strength-to-harm-is-perilous-in-the-hand-of-an-ambitious-head/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [Regarding R. H. Blyth: Blyth is sometimes perilous, naturally, since he's a high-handed old poem himself, but he's also sublime - and who goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-horace-blyth/regarding-r-h-blyth-blyth-is-sometimes-perilous-naturally-since-he-s/) [Reginald Horace Blyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-horace-blyth/) > [“An alliance with the haramu-ful has always been a perilous thing. Perilous for his mother and father. For his friends. For his wife. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/an-alliance-with-the-haramu-ful-has-always-been-a-perilous-thing/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“Love is a perilous dance too, you see. And if we stop dancing, we'll die. Don't ever stop dancing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-avery-ellison/love-is-a-perilous-dance-too-you-see-and-if-we-stop-dancing-we-ll-die/) [Kate Avery Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-avery-ellison/) > [Fortune's wheel never stands still the highest point is therefore the most perilous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-edgeworth/fortune-s-wheel-never-stands-still-the-highest-point-is-therefore-the/) [Maria Edgeworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-edgeworth/) > [By far my most perilous assignment was covering a tank car explosion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/by-far-my-most-perilous-assignment-was-covering-a-tank-car-explosion/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [“The fact that pigs were abroad in the night seemed to bring home to me the perilous nature of my enterprise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/the-fact-that-pigs-were-abroad-in-the-night-seemed-to-bring-home-to/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > ["Lawyers Are": Perilous mouths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/lawyers-are-perilous-mouths/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Everyone seems agreed that writing about sex is perilous, partly because it threatens to swamp highly individualised characters in a generic, featureless activity (much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/everyone-seems-agreed-that-writing-about-sex-is-perilous-partly/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) ## More by Jojo Moyes > [“How was she supposed to bear the prospect of never seeing him again? Never seeing his face light up simply because she had walked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/how-was-she-supposed-to-bear-the-prospect-of-never-seeing-him-again/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“I had a vague memory of the intensity of teenage female relationships; more of a passion than a normal friendship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/i-had-a-vague-memory-of-the-intensity-of-teenage-female-relationships/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“I want him to live if HE wants to live. If he doesn't, then by forcing him to carry on, you, me… we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/i-want-him-to-live-if-he-wants-to-live-if-he-doesn-t-then-by-forcing/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [How is it possible to exist with so much pain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/how-is-it-possible-to-exist-with-so-much-pain/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“I often think that the ability to earn a living by doing the thing one loves must be one of life's greatest gifts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/i-often-think-that-the-ability-to-earn-a-living-by-doing-the-thing/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“Nobody ever says "sweet girl" about someone they were in love with. It's like the whole "we'll still be friends" thing. 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"Oh, just trying to help my girlfriend get the best out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/good-to-meet-you-patrick-will-said-and-thank-you-for-the-advice-oh/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“How could I explain to this man how much I wanted to work? Did he have the slightest idea how much I missed my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/how-could-i-explain-to-this-man-how-much-i-wanted-to-work-did-he-have/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [If I don't cry while writing a key emotional scene, my gut feeling is it's failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/if-i-don-t-cry-while-writing-a-key-emotional-scene-my-gut-feeling-is/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“Still watches too much porn, though. You can tell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/still-watches-too-much-porn-though-you-can-tell/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“Four hours later Liv wakes in a box room with an Arsenal duet cover and a head that thumps so hard she has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/four-hours-later-liv-wakes-in-a-box-room-with-an-arsenal-duet-cover/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“It was a terrible thing to discover you no longer wanted the life that stretched out ahead of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/it-was-a-terrible-thing-to-discover-you-no-longer-wanted-the-life/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [You cut yourself off from all sorts of experiences because you tell yourself you are ‘not that sort of person’” “But, I’m not.” “How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/you-cut-yourself-off-from-all-sorts-of-experiences-because-you-tell/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) [Explore all 274 Jojo Moyes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) ## More Language quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. 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Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) TimBur > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) [Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“writing is perilous, as you can’t always guarantee your words will be read in the spirit in which they were written.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jojo Moyes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always-guarantee-your-words-will-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Language" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always-guarantee-your-words-will-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/jojo-moyes-1045_language_writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always_2119462.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/jojo-moyes-1045_language_writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always_2119462.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/jojo-moyes-1045_language_writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always_2119462.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“writing is perilous, as you can’t always guarantee your words will be read in the spirit in which they were…” — Jojo Moyes", "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": "Jojo Moyes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“writing is perilous, as you can’t...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always-guarantee-your-words-will-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/writing-is-perilous-as-you-can-t-always-guarantee-your-words-will-be/#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 } } ] } ```