--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Though I am never exactly \"blocked\" I do…" description: "\"Though I am never exactly \"blocked\" I do have difficult periods. I am led by a fascination with material - the challenge of presenting it in an origina..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61e/joyce-carol-oates-344_adversity_though-i-am-never-exactly-blocked-i-do-h_811650.png" --- # Though I am never exactly "blocked" I do have difficult… ![“Though I am never exactly "blocked" I do have difficult periods. I am led by a fascination with material - the challenge of presenting it in an original and engaging way. I have no problem imagining stories, characters, distinctive settings & themes - but the difficulty is choosing a voice & a…” quote by Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61e/joyce-carol-oates-344_adversity_though-i-am-never-exactly-blocked-i-do-h_811650.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61e/joyce-carol-oates-344_adversity_though-i-am-never-exactly-blocked-i-do-h_811650.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61e/joyce-carol-oates-344_adversity_though-i-am-never-exactly-blocked-i-do-h_811650.png) > “Though I am never exactly "blocked" I do have difficult periods. I am led by a fascination with material - the challenge of presenting it in an original and engaging way. I have no problem imagining stories, characters, distinctive settings & themes - but the difficulty is choosing a voice & a language in which to present it.” [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer struggles with selecting the right narrative voice despite having vivid ideas and settings. **In simple terms:** Choosing the right voice is hard. Key Takeaway Focus on voice early in drafts. Themes creativity writing voice selection Mood frustrated reflective Type advice personal When to use this quote - novel drafting - screenwriting - blog posts - teaching writing Key Concepts narrative voice storytelling creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you test if a voice feels genuine? - What cues help you decide between styles? A Different Perspective A strong voice may still feel forced if not authentic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Blocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blocked/) [Blocked Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blocked-difficult-265637/) [Challenge Presenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenge-presenting-265638/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-periods-265635/) [Difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty/) [Distinctive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinctive/) [Engaging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engaging/) [Fascination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascination/) [Imagining Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagining-stories-265636/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Materials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materials/) [No problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-problem/) [Originals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/originals/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Presenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presenting/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Settings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settings/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Theme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theme/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I believe scientists have a duty to share the excitement and pleasure of their work with the general public, and I enjoy the challenge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-hewish/i-believe-scientists-have-a-duty-to-share-the-excitement-and-pleasure/) [Antony Hewish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-hewish/) > [There is no right or wrong way to tell a story. You have to find your own way. You can get your idea from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/there-is-no-right-or-wrong-way-to-tell-a-story-you-have-to-find-your/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [Sometimes in writing you have difficult periods and then other times it just flows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-coppola/sometimes-in-writing-you-have-difficult-periods-and-then-other-times/) [Roman Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-coppola/) > [I read a lot of history. It has taught me that any politician has to overcome difficult periods in order to achieve their goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-poilievre/i-read-a-lot-of-history-it-has-taught-me-that-any-politician-has-to/) [Pierre Poilievre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-poilievre/) > [I honestly feel, that difficult periods can be used as a means for radical rethinking and reconnection with some of the fundamental qualities that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-english/i-honestly-feel-that-difficult-periods-can-be-used-as-a-means-for/) [Lawrence English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-english/) > [It's impossible to read a distinctive stylist like Faulkner, Joyce, Kafka, Mann, Woolf, James - and many more - without wanting to write, however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/it-s-impossible-to-read-a-distinctive-stylist-like-faulkner-joyce/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I have not been on any river that has more of a distinctive personality than does the Missouri River. It's a river that immediately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/i-have-not-been-on-any-river-that-has-more-of-a-distinctive/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [There's a guy in the audience with a distinctive laugh. I hope that guy is miked. The only problem with having a distinctive laugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/there-s-a-guy-in-the-audience-with-a-distinctive-laugh-i-hope-that/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [God has spoken very boldly about his desire to be a presence in our lives. If I want to heal the ache and loneliness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/god-has-spoken-very-boldly-about-his-desire-to-be-a-presence-in-our/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [While cities are distinguished by their architecture and physical appearance, Bell and de-Shalit make a compelling case that many major world cities--and their inhabitants--also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witold-rybczynski/while-cities-are-distinguished-by-their-architecture-and-physical/) [Witold Rybczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/witold-rybczynski/) > [For a human being, to possess a consciously experienced first-person perspective means to have acquired a very specific functional profile and distinctive level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-metzinger/for-a-human-being-to-possess-a-consciously-experienced-first-person/) [Thomas Metzinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-metzinger/) > [There are some weaknesses that are peculiar and distinctive to generous characters, as freckles are to a fair skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/there-are-some-weaknesses-that-are-peculiar-and-distinctive-to/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [I have always considered The Merry Wives one of the worst plays, if not altogether the worst, that Shakespeare has left us. The wit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-lewes/i-have-always-considered-the-merry-wives-one-of-the-worst-plays-if/) [George Henry Lewes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-lewes/) > [I don't think that we really know a whole lot about Barack Obama at all that you would really call distinctive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-mcwhorter/i-don-t-think-that-we-really-know-a-whole-lot-about-barack-obama-at/) [John H. McWhorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-mcwhorter/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) ## More by Joyce Carol Oates > [“A woman who has lost her husband is invalid, thus an invalid. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-woman-who-has-lost-her-husband-is-invalid-thus-an-invalid-in/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't think of what it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/running-if-there-s-any-activity-happier-more-exhilarating-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [You need so much energy and encouragement to write that if someone says something negative, some of that energy goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/you-need-so-much-energy-and-encouragement-to-write-that-if-someone/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Paradox: how do we know what we have failed to see because we have no language to express it, thus we cannot know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/paradox-how-do-we-know-what-we-have-failed-to-see-because-we-have-no/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [At all crucial moments in our lives we want to speak without knowing what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/at-all-crucial-moments-in-our-lives-we-want-to-speak-without-knowing/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The challenge is to resist circumstances. Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-challenge-is-to-resist-circumstances-any-idiot-can-be-happy-in-a/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The first sentence cant be written until the final sentence is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-first-sentence-cant-be-written-until-the-final-sentence-is-written/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Did you know, Marianne: how by breaking the code that day, you broke it forever? For us all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/did-you-know-marianne-how-by-breaking-the-code-that-day-you-broke-it/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > ['The Accursed' is very much a novel about social injustice as the consequence of the terrible, tragic division of classes - the exploitation not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-accursed-is-very-much-a-novel-about-social-injustice-as-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/keep-a-light-hopeful-heart-but-expect-the-worst/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [And this is the forbidden truth, the unspeakable taboo - that evil is not always repellent but frequently attractive; that it has the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/and-this-is-the-forbidden-truth-the-unspeakable-taboo-that-evil-is/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I don't think that writer's block exists really. I think that when you're trying to do something prematurely, it just won't come. Certain subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-don-t-think-that-writer-s-block-exists-really-i-think-that-when-you/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [... such speculation is like staring into the hot white sun. you know the sun is there but you can't see a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/such-speculation-is-like-staring-into-the-hot-white-sun-you-know-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Explore all 658 Joyce Carol Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) [James Buckham Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-buckham-kennedy/) > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) [S.E. SEVER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-sever/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Though I am never exactly \"blocked\" I do have difficult periods. I am led by a fascination with material - the challenge of presenting it in an original and engaging way. 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