--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always individuate myself from other…" description: "\"I always individuate myself from other writers who say they would die if they couldn't write. For me, I'd die if I couldn't read.\" — Junot Diaz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/junot-diaz-531_writing_i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-w_1109447.jpg" --- # I always individuate myself from other writers who say… ![“I always individuate myself from other writers who say they would die if they couldn't write. For me, I'd die if I couldn't read.” quote by Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/junot-diaz-531_writing_i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-w_1109447.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/junot-diaz-531_writing_i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-w_1109447.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/junot-diaz-531_writing_i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-w_1109447.jpg) > “I always individuate myself from other writers who say they would die if they couldn't write. For me, I'd die if I couldn't read.” [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author values reading over writing, highlighting that the act of consuming literature is as vital as creating it. **In simple terms:** Reading is essential for a writer’s survival. Key Takeaway Prioritize reading regularly. Themes creativity literature learning identity inspiration Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - writing workshops - book clubs - personal growth Key Concepts Reading habit creative process literary influence Questions to Reflect On - How does reading shape your work? - What genres inspire you? A Different Perspective Neglecting reading can limit creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“But there is also the minority of gifted, wilful people who are determined to live their own lives to the end, and writers belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/but-there-is-also-the-minority-of-gifted-wilful-people-who-are/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [There are writers who say they have no social responsibility except to write a good book, but that doesn't satisfy me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/there-are-writers-who-say-they-have-no-social-responsibility-except/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [I'm always amazed by writers who say, 'Oh you know I had a half hour so I sat down and wrote a little bit.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/i-m-always-amazed-by-writers-who-say-oh-you-know-i-had-a-half-hour-so/) [Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/) > [It wasn't that I couldn't write. I wrote every day. I actually worked really hard at writing. At my desk by 7 A.M., would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-wasn-t-that-i-couldn-t-write-i-wrote-every-day-i-actually-worked/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I'm one of those writers who say, 'I've enjoy having written.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/i-m-one-of-those-writers-who-say-i-ve-enjoy-having-written/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [I've met many, many writers who say they would never write about their family, never write about people they did not totally make up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-ve-met-many-many-writers-who-say-they-would-never-write-about-their/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [There are many people who say, 'I write for myself.' I think that if you write and publish, then you write for your readers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ngeles-mastretta/there-are-many-people-who-say-i-write-for-myself-i-think-that-if-you/) [Angeles Mastretta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ngeles-mastretta/) > [The writers who have nothing to say, are the ones you can buy, the others have too high a price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/the-writers-who-have-nothing-to-say-are-the-ones-you-can-buy-the/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [I've heard people, usually writers, say that no one wrote a great book after winning the Booker, but I honestly did not feel any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-enright/i-ve-heard-people-usually-writers-say-that-no-one-wrote-a-great-book/) [Anne Enright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-enright/) > [Great writers say things that are so beautiful, the very act of repeating them makes life itself more beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-queenan/great-writers-say-things-that-are-so-beautiful-the-very-act-of/) [Joe Queenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-queenan/) > [“Every so often I'll hear writers say that there are other writers they would read if for no other reason than to marvel at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/every-so-often-i-ll-hear-writers-say-that-there-are-other-writers/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [Writers say many true things about their own experiences with publicity and promotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-nielsen-hayden/writers-say-many-true-things-about-their-own-experiences-with/) [Teresa Nielsen Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-nielsen-hayden/) > [I am very lucky: not very many writers can say they genuinely like the film of their book. However, I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-davidson/i-am-very-lucky-not-very-many-writers-can-say-they-genuinely-like-the/) [Robyn Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-davidson/) > [People say, 'What advice do you have for people who want to be writers?' I say, they don't really need advice, they know they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-stine/people-say-what-advice-do-you-have-for-people-who-want-to-be-writers/) [R. L. Stine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-stine/) > [Writers always say, 'I always knew I wanted to be a writer; when I was a three-month-old foetus a pen formed in my hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/writers-always-say-i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-be-a-writer-when-i-was-a/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) ## More by Junot Diaz > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Tell her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/tell-her-that-you-love-her-hair-that-you-love-her-skin-her-lips/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [It took me sixteen years to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-took-me-sixteen-years-to-write/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You ask everybody you know: How long does it usually take to get over it? There are many formulas. One year for every year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-ask-everybody-you-know-how-long-does-it-usually-take-to-get-over/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Instead of finding himself in nerd heaven—where every nerd gets fifty-eight virgins to role-play with—he woke up in Robert Wood Johnson with two broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/instead-of-finding-himself-in-nerd-heaven-where-every-nerd-gets-fifty/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The one thing about being a dude and writing from a female perspective is that the baseline is, you suck. The baseline is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-one-thing-about-being-a-dude-and-writing-from-a-female/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I used to think those were the barrio rules, Latinos and blacks in, whites out —a place we down cats weren’t supposed to go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-used-to-think-those-were-the-barrio-rules-latinos-and-blacks-in/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I put my hand on her knee. I just wish you'd say you love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-put-my-hand-on-her-knee-i-just-wish-you-d-say-you-love-me/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Called her a whore and attacked her walls, tearing down her posters and throwing her books everywhere. I found out because some whitegirl ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/called-her-a-whore-and-attacked-her-walls-tearing-down-her-posters/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You're Dominican only if you do this, this, and that. And if you do this and that, you'll be accepted to a certain degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-re-dominican-only-if-you-do-this-this-and-that-and-if-you-do-this/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Ramfis fled the country after Trujillo's death, lived dissolutely off his father's swag, and ended up dying in a car crash of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/ramfis-fled-the-country-after-trujillo-s-death-lived-dissolutely-off/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [If you didn't grow up like I did then you don't know, and if you don't know it's probably better you don't judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-didn-t-grow-up-like-i-did-then-you-don-t-know-and-if-you-don-t/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“If you ask me I don't think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That's enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-ask-me-i-don-t-think-there-are-any-such-things-as-curses-i/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The only difference between a published and unpublished writer is a tolerance for imperfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-only-difference-between-a-published-and-unpublished-writer-is-a/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Explore all 486 Junot Diaz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## More Writer quotes > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [If I don't know who I'm writing for, I make it up and pick somebody I'm writing for. That's really the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/if-i-don-t-know-who-i-m-writing-for-i-make-it-up-and-pick-somebody-i/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. 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/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [“Note found in the patron suggestion box: "You have SIGNS up near the computers that say BE QUIET, but people don't be quiet. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-sheridan/note-found-in-the-patron-suggestion-box-you-have-signs-up-near-the/) [Gina Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-sheridan/) [Browse all 43,858 Writer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I always individuate myself from other writers who say they would die if they couldn't write. For me, I'd die if I couldn't read.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Diaz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-writers-who-say-they-would-die/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Writer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-writers-who-say-they-would-die/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/junot-diaz-531_writing_i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-w_1109447.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/junot-diaz-531_writing_i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-w_1109447.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/junot-diaz-531_writing_i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-w_1109447.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always individuate myself from other writers who say they would die if they couldn't write. For me, I'd…” — Junot Diaz", "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": "Junot Diaz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I always individuate myself from other...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-writers-who-say-they-would-die/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-always-individuate-myself-from-other-writers-who-say-they-would-die/#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 } } ] } ```