---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't change the preconceived notions a…"
description: "\"I can't change the preconceived notions a reader brings to a work, but I can do my best to be aware of, address, and subvert tropes and expectations th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/kameron-hurley-2960_best_i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions_979562.png"
---

#  I can't change the preconceived notions a reader brings to…

![“I can't change the preconceived notions a reader brings to a work, but I can do my best to be aware of, address, and subvert tropes and expectations that readers may have as best I can and hope I don't screw it up too much.” quote by Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/kameron-hurley-2960_best_i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions_979562.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/kameron-hurley-2960_best_i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions_979562.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/kameron-hurley-2960_best_i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions_979562.png)

> “I can't change the preconceived notions a reader brings to a work, but I can do my best to be aware of, address, and subvert tropes and expectations that readers may have as best I can and hope I don't screw it up too much.”

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Authors cannot control readers' preconceptions, but they can acknowledge and subvert expectations to enrich the narrative.

**In simple terms:** Writers can try to outsmart readers' biases.

Key Takeaway

Be aware of tropes and challenge them.

Themes

writing bias audience perception

Mood

analytical creative

Type

literary instructional

When to use this quote

- novel writing
- screenwriting
- editing
- teaching writing

Key Concepts

subversion expectation management literary theory

Questions to Reflect On

- What tropes do you rely on?
- How can you surprise without alienating?

A Different Perspective

Readers may still interpret unintended meanings.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Expectations Readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations-readers-1935241/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Notions Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notions-reader-1935243/) [Preconceived notions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preconceived-notions/) [Reader Brings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader-brings-1321855/) [Subvert Tropes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subvert-tropes-1935244/) [Tropes Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tropes-expectations-1935242/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [The way a book is read, which is to say, the qualities a reader brings to a book can have as much to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-the-qualities-a-reader-brings-2/)

[Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/)

> [“The reader brings to the work personality traits, memories of past events, present needs and preoccupations, a particular mood of the moment and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-rosenblatt/the-reader-brings-to-the-work-personality-traits-memories-of-past/)

[Louise Rosenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-rosenblatt/)

> [“A book, to me, is almost sacrosanct: such an individual and private thing. The reader brings his or her own history and beliefs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/a-book-to-me-is-almost-sacrosanct-such-an-individual-and-private/)

[Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/)

> [Sometimes a book is better than it ever had a right to be because of the history the reader brings to the reading and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/sometimes-a-book-is-better-than-it-ever-had-a-right-to-be-because-of/)

[Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/)

> [The way a book is read - which is to say, the qualities a reader brings to a book - can have as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-the-qualities-a-reader-brings/)

[Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/)

> [ You have this preconceived notion of him \[Sly Stallone\] as a big, tough guy, but he speaks four languages and he likes to watercolor. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-leigh-cook/you-have-this-preconceived-notion-of-him-sly-stallone-as-a-big-tough/)

[Rachael Leigh Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-leigh-cook/)

> [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-think-most-of-us-are-raised-with-preconceived-notions-of-the-2/)

[Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/)

> [I want to be in a position where I get to start off fresh. I don't have any preconceived notion of how I should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-want-to-be-in-a-position-where-i-get-to-start-off-fresh-i-don-t/)

[Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/)

> [Music should come crashing out of your speakers and grab you, and the lyrics should challenge whatever preconceived notions that listener has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/music-should-come-crashing-out-of-your-speakers-and-grab-you-and-the/)

[Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/)

> [I wanted to make it a really strong point to not watch 'Battlestar Galactica' before starting 'Caprica' because I was afraid it was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-apanowicz/i-wanted-to-make-it-a-really-strong-point-to-not-watch-battlestar/)

[Magda Apanowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-apanowicz/)

> [I understand people have preconceived notions of who I am or what I do. But I do find it a bit bizarre that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-moore/i-understand-people-have-preconceived-notions-of-who-i-am-or-what-i/)

[Mandy Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-moore/)

> [So much good music has been looked over because of preconceived notions of genre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/so-much-good-music-has-been-looked-over-because-of-preconceived/)

[Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/)

> [“Are decisions really products of analysis of a situation; or are simply out of preconceived notions? I believe, at some point of one's existence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ldr/are-decisions-really-products-of-analysis-of-a-situation-or-are/)

[ldR](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ldr/)

> [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. We waste so much time making decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-think-most-of-us-are-raised-with-preconceived-notions-of-the/)

[Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/)

> [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/)

[Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/)

## More by Kameron Hurley

> [I'm terribly particular about what I read: lush writing, secondary world or seriously far-out science fiction, strong worldbuilding, dynamic characters. I need to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-m-terribly-particular-about-what-i-read-lush-writing-secondary/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [“Living is the purpose, Roh. For however long we have to do it, we live. That's all. That's all the ever was." "We aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/living-is-the-purpose-roh-for-however-long-we-have-to-do-it-we-live/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [“Nyx was a lot of things, but forgettable wasn't one of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/nyx-was-a-lot-of-things-but-forgettable-wasn-t-one-of-them/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> ['The Stars are Legion' is part space opera, part thriller, about two warring families battling it out for control over a legion of organic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/the-stars-are-legion-is-part-space-opera-part-thriller-about-two/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [“Nyx was not a nice woman. She knew she didn’t deal with nice women. But she also knew the worst sorts of things these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/nyx-was-not-a-nice-woman-she-knew-she-didn-t-deal-with-nice-women-but/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [“We all create the stories we need to survive”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/we-all-create-the-stories-we-need-to-survive/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [“independence is one of the greatest delusions of youth”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/independence-is-one-of-the-greatest-delusions-of-youth/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [I understand that space travel and expansion is just as much about altering ourselves, our attitudes, our social structures, our very biology, as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-understand-that-space-travel-and-expansion-is-just-as-much-about/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [I want to be constantly in awe of the possibilities of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-want-to-be-constantly-in-awe-of-the-possibilities-of-the-universe/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [When I was a kid, I watched a lot of 'Twilight Zone.' My mother was obsessed with the show, as it was a staple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/when-i-was-a-kid-i-watched-a-lot-of-twilight-zone-my-mother-was/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [Short fiction isn't my natural form. It's taken a lot of work over the years to finally feel more comfortable writing stories under 80,000 words!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/short-fiction-isn-t-my-natural-form-it-s-taken-a-lot-of-work-over-the/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [Know that you're gonna screw up, and be OK with it, and do better next time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/know-that-you-re-gonna-screw-up-and-be-ok-with-it-and-do-better-next/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [I don't like to write about things that bore me, and that means I steer far clear of writing books that are just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-don-t-like-to-write-about-things-that-bore-me-and-that-means-i/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [“Rumour has it you've turned castration into an occupation." "You go cutting one guy's cock off and you never hear the end of it,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/rumour-has-it-you-ve-turned-castration-into-an-occupation-you-go/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

> [“Perhaps every society is a utopia when you fail to peel up all the layers and look at what's underneath”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/perhaps-every-society-is-a-utopia-when-you-fail-to-peel-up-all-the/)

[Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

[Explore all 144 Kameron Hurley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/)

## More Best quotes

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/)

[Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/)

[Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/)

> [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/)

[Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/)

> [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/)

[Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/)

> [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/)

[Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/)

> [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/)

[Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/)

> [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/)

[Gene Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-scott/)

> [I'm looking to fight the best guys in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/i-m-looking-to-fight-the-best-guys-in-the-world/)

[Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/)

> [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/)

[Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/)

> [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/)

[Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/)

[Browse all 21,674 Best quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I can't change the preconceived notions a reader brings to a work, but I can do my best to be aware of, address, and subvert tropes and expectations that readers may have as best I can and hope I don't screw it up too much.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kameron Hurley"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions-a-reader-brings-to-a-work-but/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Best"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions-a-reader-brings-to-a-work-but/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/kameron-hurley-2960_best_i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions_979562.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/kameron-hurley-2960_best_i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions_979562.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/kameron-hurley-2960_best_i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions_979562.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I can't change the preconceived notions a reader brings to a work, but I can do my best to be aware of…” — Kameron Hurley",
                "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": "Kameron Hurley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I can't change the preconceived notions...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions-a-reader-brings-to-a-work-but/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions-a-reader-brings-to-a-work-but/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
