---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I write what I write and I honestly don't…"
description: "\"I write what I write and I honestly don't care if it gets on or not. I'm writing to see if I can find out some of what I think about any number of situ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/larry-gelbart-21506_care_i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don_798584.jpg"
---

#  I write what I write and I honestly don't care if it gets…

![“I write what I write and I honestly don't care if it gets on or not. I'm writing to see if I can find out some of what I think about any number of situations. I work it out in the writing.” quote by Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/larry-gelbart-21506_care_i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don_798584.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/larry-gelbart-21506_care_i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don_798584.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/larry-gelbart-21506_care_i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don_798584.jpg)

> “I write what I write and I honestly don't care if it gets on or not. I'm writing to see if I can find out some of what I think about any number of situations. I work it out in the writing.”

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

## 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 writes without concern for audience reception, using writing as a tool for self‑exploration and clarifying thoughts.

**In simple terms:** Writing is a personal experiment, not a performance.

Key Takeaway

Write to discover your own ideas.

Themes

self‑reflection creativity process authenticity

Mood

introspective curious unconventional

Type

personal process exploratory

When to use this quote

- journaling
- drafting essays
- brainstorming sessions
- personal therapy

Key Concepts

metacognition exploratory writing inner dialogue

Questions to Reflect On

- What assumptions do you uncover when you write freely?
- How does this practice change your self‑knowledge?

A Different Perspective

May neglect audience needs, limiting impact or feedback.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [It's always difficult to write honestly of one's deepest feelings, particularly without the protective veil of fiction. But the more difficult, the more rewarding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/it-s-always-difficult-to-write-honestly-of-one-s-deepest-feelings/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [Years ago I read an interview with Paula Fox in which she said that in writing, truth is just as important as story. Reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-antopol/years-ago-i-read-an-interview-with-paula-fox-in-which-she-said-that/)

[Molly Antopol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-antopol/)

> [On the whole, anything that gets you writing and keeps you writing is a good thing. Anything that stops you writing is a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/on-the-whole-anything-that-gets-you-writing-and-keeps-you-writing-is/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [Lord, how tired one gets of one's own writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/lord-how-tired-one-gets-of-one-s-own-writing/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [I'm just melancholy by nature, and a lot of that gets into my writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-m-just-melancholy-by-nature-and-a-lot-of-that-gets-into-my-writing/)

[Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/)

> [Write. Write every day. Write honestly. Write something that doesn’t exist, and you wish did. Read. Learn. Study. Watch people. Listen to what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-michael-bendis/write-write-every-day-write-honestly-write-something-that-doesn-t/)

[Brian Michael Bendis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-michael-bendis/)

> [Writing is like praying, because you stop all other activities, descend into silence, and listen patiently to the depths of your soul, waiting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/writing-is-like-praying-because-you-stop-all-other-activities-descend/)

[Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/)

> [“If you you write with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. So write your story as it needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/if-you-you-write-with-enough-assurance-and-confidence-you-re-allowed/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [You have to be quite brave to write about something that you honestly feel and think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sampha/you-have-to-be-quite-brave-to-write-about-something-that-you-honestly/)

[Sampha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sampha/)

> [For me, when I'm writing something really personal, I don't feel good about it. It's weird that people can connect to it and like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sampha/for-me-when-i-m-writing-something-really-personal-i-don-t-feel-good/)

[Sampha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sampha/)

> [I try and write honestly about what I see around me now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/i-try-and-write-honestly-about-what-i-see-around-me-now/)

[Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/)

> [ \[A writer\] must try to think clearly, to feel deeply, to write honestly. If he is fortunate he will make a living, but his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-clark-powell/a-writer-must-try-to-think-clearly-to-feel-deeply-to-write-honestly/)

[Lawrence Clark Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-clark-powell/)

> [“So I am led to one or two choices! Can I write? Will I write if I practice enough? How much should I sacrifice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/so-i-am-led-to-one-or-two-choices-can-i-write-will-i-write-if-i/)

[Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/)

> [To write honestly and with all our powers is the least we can do, and the most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/to-write-honestly-and-with-all-our-powers-is-the-least-we-can-do-and/)

[Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/)

> [“We do need to bring to our writing, over and over again, all the abundance we possess. To be able, to be ready, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/we-do-need-to-bring-to-our-writing-over-and-over-again-all-the/)

[Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/)

## More by Larry Gelbart

> [I think the greatest imagination we can exercise is one that imagines how someone else feels. Because you know how you feel, but so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-think-the-greatest-imagination-we-can-exercise-is-one-that-imagines/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [I am on sort of a diet in terms of the Internet. It's the sheer quantity. It's the Niagara of opinion, of information. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-am-on-sort-of-a-diet-in-terms-of-the-internet-it-s-the-sheer/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [If vaudeville had died, television was the box they put it in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/if-vaudeville-had-died-television-was-the-box-they-put-it-in/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [A war is like when it rains in New York and everybody crowds into doorways. They all get chummy together perfect strangers. The only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/a-war-is-like-when-it-rains-in-new-york-and-everybody-crowds-into/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [Television is a weapon of mass distractrion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/television-is-a-weapon-of-mass-distractrion/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [The subtle differences in language and humor that get lost in translation, for example, make it almost impossible for big companies to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/the-subtle-differences-in-language-and-humor-that-get-lost-in/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [Today's audience knows more about what's on television than what's in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/today-s-audience-knows-more-about-what-s-on-television-than-what-s-in/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [I don't think you can name a good picture where the production or the possible promotion isn't "cast-contingent." That means the film needs not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-don-t-think-you-can-name-a-good-picture-where-the-production-or-the/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [I think technology is such that we can reach new heights but we need some of the basics of the pre-technological age. It's counter-productive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-think-technology-is-such-that-we-can-reach-new-heights-but-we-need/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [I never watched Friends, maybe because it was written by people straight out of college…The only way to avoid age discrimination in Hollywood is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-never-watched-friends-maybe-because-it-was-written-by-people/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [Reality television is less honest than YouTube. YouTube is the real reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/reality-television-is-less-honest-than-youtube-youtube-is-the-real/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [I refuse to do anything easy. I'm writing for the smartest person out there. I'm not equating myself with the smartest person out there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-refuse-to-do-anything-easy-i-m-writing-for-the-smartest-person-out/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [One doesn't have a sense of humor. It has you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/one-doesn-t-have-a-sense-of-humor-it-has-you/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [You can write something that has continuity, but it makes happy endings all the more ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/you-can-write-something-that-has-continuity-but-it-makes-happy/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

> [I'm a recovering optimist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-m-a-recovering-optimist/)

[Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

[Explore all 29 Larry Gelbart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/)

## More Care quotes

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/)

[Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/)

[Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/)

> [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/)

[Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/)

[Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/)

[Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/)

[James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/)

> [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

> [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/)

[Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/)

> [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

[Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I write what I write and I honestly don't care if it gets on or not. I'm writing to see if I can find out some of what I think about any number of situations. I work it out in the writing.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Larry Gelbart"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don-t-care-if-it-gets-on-or-not-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Care"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don-t-care-if-it-gets-on-or-not-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/larry-gelbart-21506_care_i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don_798584.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/larry-gelbart-21506_care_i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don_798584.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/larry-gelbart-21506_care_i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don_798584.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I write what I write and I honestly don't care if it gets on or not. I'm writing to see if I can find out…” — Larry Gelbart",
                "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": "Larry Gelbart",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I write what I write and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don-t-care-if-it-gets-on-or-not-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don-t-care-if-it-gets-on-or-not-i/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
