--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing is a form of herding. I herd…" description: "\"Writing is a form of herding. I herd words into little paragraph-like clusters.\" — Larry McMurtry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/larry-mcmurtry-2540_clusters_writing-is-a-form-of-herding-i-herd-word_2638170.jpg" --- # Writing is a form of herding. I herd words into little… ![“Writing is a form of herding. I herd words into little paragraph-like clusters.” quote by Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/larry-mcmurtry-2540_clusters_writing-is-a-form-of-herding-i-herd-word_2638170.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/larry-mcmurtry-2540_clusters_writing-is-a-form-of-herding-i-herd-word_2638170.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/larry-mcmurtry-2540_clusters_writing-is-a-form-of-herding-i-herd-word_2638170.jpg) > “Writing is a form of herding. I herd words into little paragraph-like clusters.” [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The metaphor compares writing to herding, where the author gathers words into organized, cohesive paragraphs, emphasizing control and arrangement. **In simple terms:** Writing is herding words into organized clusters. Key Takeaway Treat writing as organizing ideas deliberately. Themes writing organization creativity control metaphor Mood reflective analytical Type creative educational When to use this quote - editing - creative workshops Key Concepts literary craft process writing Questions to Reflect On - How much freedom should words have? - When does organization hinder creativity? A Different Perspective Over‑structuring can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clusters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clusters/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Form Herding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form-herding-2246037/) [Herd Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herd-words-2246036/) [Herding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herding/) [Herding Herd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herding-herd-2246038/) [Herds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herds/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Paragraph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paragraph/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The tradition I was born into was essentially nomadic, a herdsmen tradition, following animals across the earth. The bookshops are a form of ranching;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/the-tradition-i-was-born-into-was-essentially-nomadic-a-herdsmen/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [His herding instinct is so strong that he confuses tractors on a baseball field for sheep. He was hospitalized twice. Once by a line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/his-herding-instinct-is-so-strong-that-he-confuses-tractors-on-a/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [“herding cats and shoveling smoke.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/herding-cats-and-shoveling-smoke/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [No matter how old and intelligent a cow may be, will never collect the stick from the young Fulani boy herding the flock..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-uolt/no-matter-how-old-and-intelligent-a-cow-may-be-will-never-collect-the/) [Hussein Uolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-uolt/) > [ The cities of Italy are now deluged with droves of these creatures \[tour groups\], for they never separate, and you see them, forty in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-cities-of-italy-are-now-deluged-with-droves-of-these-creatures/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [I brought a Border Collie back home to Vancouver from Wales - where some of my ancestors are from - and needed to challenge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/i-brought-a-border-collie-back-home-to-vancouver-from-wales-where/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [“Trying to corral the suburban stampede with a bunch of school buses was like herding cats. Actually, it was worse than herding cats. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanner-colby/trying-to-corral-the-suburban-stampede-with-a-bunch-of-school-buses/) [Tanner Colby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanner-colby/) > [When herding behaviour among investors ramps up, a stock's or index's growth rate can increase faster than exponentially, leading to more herding. This positive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/didier-sornette/when-herding-behaviour-among-investors-ramps-up-a-stock-s-or-index-s/) [Didier Sornette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/didier-sornette/) > [“To discern profits only when it is within the ken of the market herd is not the acme of investing excellence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amah-lambert/to-discern-profits-only-when-it-is-within-the-ken-of-the-market-herd/) [Amah Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amah-lambert/) > [“Herding is tough,If a herder leaves his goats they deviate from their path and So is maths,If u stop practicing,your concepts recede from view”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rz/herding-is-tough-if-a-herder-leaves-his-goats-they-deviate-from-their/) [Rz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rz/) > [“organizing atheists has been compared to herding cats, because they tend to think independently and will not conform to authority. But a good first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/organizing-atheists-has-been-compared-to-herding-cats-because-they/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The biggest was me running Lionhead at its peak. That was about 305 people. I'd say that was, for me as a creative, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-molyneux/the-biggest-was-me-running-lionhead-at-its-peak-that-was-about-305/) [Peter Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-molyneux/) > [Making movies is like herding cats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fellner/making-movies-is-like-herding-cats/) [Eric Fellner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fellner/) > [You look around the world at geniuses, and they don't appear randomly, they appear in genius clusters. Athens in 50 BC, Florence 1500, Silicon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/you-look-around-the-world-at-geniuses-and-they-don-t-appear-randomly/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [It shows you exactly how a star is formed; nothing else can be so pretty! A cluster of vapor, the cream of the milky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/it-shows-you-exactly-how-a-star-is-formed-nothing-else-can-be-so/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) ## More by Larry McMurtry > [“if you repeat a temporary answer often enough, it acquires a degree of permanency.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/if-you-repeat-a-temporary-answer-often-enough-it-acquires-a-degree-of/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [“The first difference Newt noticed about being grown up was that time didn't pass as slow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/the-first-difference-newt-noticed-about-being-grown-up-was-that-time/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [-she remembered them kindly, for there was a sweetness in boys that didn't last long, once they became men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/she-remembered-them-kindly-for-there-was-a-sweetness-in-boys-that/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [A man who wouldn't cheat for a poke don't want one bad enough. --Augustus "Gus" McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/a-man-who-wouldn-t-cheat-for-a-poke-don-t-want-one-bad-enough/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [“Ride with an outlaw, die with him," he added. 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Computers now literally drive out books from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/books-can-accommodate-the-proximity-of-computers-but-it-doesn-t-seem/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [The reason men are so awful is because some woman has spoiled them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/the-reason-men-are-so-awful-is-because-some-woman-has-spoiled-them/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [“Sometimes Sonny felt like he was the only human creature in the town. It was a bad feeling, and it usually came on him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/sometimes-sonny-felt-like-he-was-the-only-human-creature-in-the-town/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [“. . . he had learned in his years of tracking Indians that things which seemed impossible often weren't. They only became so if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/he-had-learned-in-his-years-of-tracking-indians-that-things-which/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [It's a fine world, though rich in hardships at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/it-s-a-fine-world-though-rich-in-hardships-at-times/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [Nobody run off with her,” Roscoe said. "She just run off with herself, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/nobody-run-off-with-her-roscoe-said-she-just-run-off-with-herself-i/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [Americans' lack of passion for history is well known. 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A cluster of vapor, the cream of the milky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/it-shows-you-exactly-how-a-star-is-formed-nothing-else-can-be-so/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [You look around the world at geniuses, and they don't appear randomly, they appear in genius clusters. Athens in 50 BC, Florence 1500, Silicon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/you-look-around-the-world-at-geniuses-and-they-don-t-appear-randomly/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [I think the recent cluster of WWII novels is so good because we have reached an optimal distance from the war. Just as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-think-the-recent-cluster-of-wwii-novels-is-so-good-because-we-have/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [In turbulent times, in times of great change, people head for the two extremes: fundamentalism and personal, spiritual experience...With no membership lists or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-naisbitt/in-turbulent-times-in-times-of-great-change-people-head-for-the-two/) [John Naisbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-naisbitt/) > [Whenever learners or those beyond learning awaken the mind, for the first time they plant one buddha-nature. Working with the four elements and five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/whenever-learners-or-those-beyond-learning-awaken-the-mind-for-the/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [There's an attraction to emotional clusters or hypocrisies or awkwardness. A desire to expose something or point at something that's already poking out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-chang/there-s-an-attraction-to-emotional-clusters-or-hypocrisies-or/) [Victoria Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-chang/) > [Without doing injustice to the living, it may safely be asserted that our loss is irreparable; and that among the shining hosts of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-davis/without-doing-injustice-to-the-living-it-may-safely-be-asserted-that/) [Jefferson Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-davis/) > [What wondrous life is this I lead! Ripe apples drop about my head; The luscious clusters of the vine Upon my mouth do crush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-marvell/what-wondrous-life-is-this-i-lead-ripe-apples-drop-about-my-head-the/) [Andrew Marvell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-marvell/) > [What the Londoner sees in his mind’s eye is that cluster of towers and pinnacles seen from Pentonville Hill and outlined against a foggy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-betjeman/what-the-londoner-sees-in-his-mind-s-eye-is-that-cluster-of-towers/) [John Betjeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-betjeman/) > [Look around when you have got your first mushroom or made your first discovery: they grow in clusters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/look-around-when-you-have-got-your-first-mushroom-or-made-your-first/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [In a sense the world dies every time a writer dies, because, if he is any good, he has been a wet nurse to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/in-a-sense-the-world-dies-every-time-a-writer-dies-because-if-he-is/) [E. 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Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-n-wilson/) > [They've (Israel) lost the battle for public opinion. They claim it's because American Jews know too little.. I claim it's because they know too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/they-ve-israel-lost-the-battle-for-public-opinion-they-claim-it-s/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) [Browse all 80 Clusters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clusters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing is a form of herding. 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