--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know what the secret is when I am…" description: "\"I don't know what the secret is when I am writing it - it really is a surprise to me.\" — Lee Child" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/lee-child-980_secret_i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-a_1408714.jpg" --- # I don't know what the secret is when I am writing it - it… ![“I don't know what the secret is when I am writing it - it really is a surprise to me.” quote by Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/lee-child-980_secret_i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-a_1408714.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/lee-child-980_secret_i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-a_1408714.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/lee-child-980_secret_i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-a_1408714.jpg) > “I don't know what the secret is when I am writing it - it really is a surprise to me.” [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing can be mysterious even to the author, turning the process into a surprise. **In simple terms:** Writing can surprise even the writer. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty in creative work. Themes creativity surprise process author mystery Mood intrigued reflective Type literary self-help When to use this quote - writing sessions - brainstorming - creative workshops Key Concepts literary craft self-reflection Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle unexpected twists in your work? - What strategies keep you adaptable? A Different Perspective Surprises may cause frustration or lack of direction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [No one will ever know from what secret I am writing and the fact that I say so changes nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-derrida/no-one-will-ever-know-from-what-secret-i-am-writing-and-the-fact-that/) [Jacques Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-derrida/) > [My advice is don't keep asking yourself if you can do something. Just get out there and do it. You can really surprise yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/my-advice-is-don-t-keep-asking-yourself-if-you-can-do-something-just/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [Truely Said: Once You Accept Someone For What They Really Are... They Will Really Surprise You By Being Better Than You Ever Expected...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/truely-said-once-you-accept-someone-for-what-they-really-are-they/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [I really believe that if people put everything they have into something, they can really surprise themselves most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-kerr/i-really-believe-that-if-people-put-everything-they-have-into/) [Jim Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-kerr/) > [Once u accept someone 4 what they Really r... They'll Really Surprise u by being better than U ever Expected...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/intoxicated-leo/once-u-accept-someone-4-what-they-really-r-they-ll-really-surprise-u/) Intoxicated Leo > [Even though I'd been invited to the combine, I didn't test particularly well. That didn't really surprise me, I had I no expectation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-amendola/even-though-i-d-been-invited-to-the-combine-i-didn-t-test/) [Danny Amendola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-amendola/) > [“...the secret to writing is to get your own pain - shout it out till it hurts your throat - weep it into your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/the-secret-to-writing-is-to-get-your-own-pain-shout-it-out-till-it/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [If there is a secret to writing, I haven’t found it yet. All I know is you need to sit down, clear your mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/if-there-is-a-secret-to-writing-i-haven-t-found-it-yet-all-i-know-is/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [The secret is writing down one simple line after another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-secret-is-writing-down-one-simple-line-after-another/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“From the early days of its existence, cryptology had served to obscure critical portions of writings dealing with the potent subject of magic—divinations, spells,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kahn/from-the-early-days-of-its-existence-cryptology-had-served-to-obscure/) [David Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kahn/) > [Few persons can be made to believe that it is not quite an easy thing to invent a method of secret writing that shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/few-persons-can-be-made-to-believe-that-it-is-not-quite-an-easy-thing/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Nu shu means women's writing. And it was a secret writing system that was invented by women, used by women and kept a secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/nu-shu-means-women-s-writing-and-it-was-a-secret-writing-system-that/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [Is there a secret? Yes. Anaïs Nin and Pauline Réage and Anne Rampling and Erica Jong all knew it. E. L. James knows it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-rose/is-there-a-secret-yes-ana-s-nin-and-pauline-r-age-and-anne-rampling/) [M.J. Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-rose/) > [“Vātsyāyana’s famous textbook of erotics, the Kāma-sūtra, lists secret writing as one of the 64 arts, or yogas, that women should know and practice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kahn/v-tsy-yana-s-famous-textbook-of-erotics-the-k-ma-s-tra-lists-secret/) [David Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kahn/) > [“There's a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don't, and the secret is this: It's not the writing part that's hard. What's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/there-s-a-secret-that-real-writers-know-that-wannabe-writers-don-t/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) ## More by Lee Child > [“Reacher got to them on the plane. He put them out of action and stole their wallets.” “On the plane?” “He broke Lozano’s fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/reacher-got-to-them-on-the-plane-he-put-them-out-of-action-and-stole/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“A maintenance dose. It would keep her asleep all night. It would keep her warm, and gentle, and relaxed, and at peace, and cradled,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/a-maintenance-dose-it-would-keep-her-asleep-all-night-it-would-keep/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“It had maroon paint and exposed brick and scarred wood, and a chalkboard menu about ninety percent full of things that don’t really belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/it-had-maroon-paint-and-exposed-brick-and-scarred-wood-and-a/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Spread love and understanding,” Reacher said. “Use force if necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/spread-love-and-understanding-reacher-said-use-force-if-necessary/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“or especially fragile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/or-especially-fragile/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Now they broke my toothbrush, I don't own anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/now-they-broke-my-toothbrush-i-don-t-own-anything/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“The Zip Code is about the size of Chicago. With five people. But hey, welcome to Wyoming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/the-zip-code-is-about-the-size-of-chicago-with-five-people-but-hey/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“You got to imagine your memory is like an old bucket, you know? Once it’s filled up with old stuff there ain’t no way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/you-got-to-imagine-your-memory-is-like-an-old-bucket-you-know-once-it/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“foreign legal systems. So I made”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/foreign-legal-systems-so-i-made/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [That should be your town motto. It's all I ever hear. Like: New Hampshire, Live Free or Die. It should be: Despair, You Need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/that-should-be-your-town-motto-it-s-all-i-ever-hear-like-new/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Writing is showbusiness for shy people. That's how I see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/writing-is-showbusiness-for-shy-people-that-s-how-i-see-it/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“OK, Finlay, let’s get it done,” I said. “I don’t have an address because I don’t live anywhere. Maybe one day I’ll live somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/ok-finlay-let-s-get-it-done-i-said-i-don-t-have-an-address-because-i/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“He changed his final wad up at the train station. Which was a sad place now. There were homeless people and disturbed people hanging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/he-changed-his-final-wad-up-at-the-train-station-which-was-a-sad/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“They had come for us in the night. Hey had come expecting a lot of blood. They had come with all their gear. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/they-had-come-for-us-in-the-night-hey-had-come-expecting-a-lot-of/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“He hauled the right-hand guy next to the left-hand guy, close together, shoulder to shoulder, and he picked up the heavy box like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/he-hauled-the-right-hand-guy-next-to-the-left-hand-guy-close-together/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) [Explore all 306 Lee Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) ## More Secret quotes > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [(knitting while on a motorcycle) "For several years she knitted in secret (my father would not approve; she was to concentrate on motorcycling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-zimmermann/knitting-while-on-a-motorcycle-for-several-years-she-knitted-in/) [Elizabeth Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-zimmermann/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [“By so giving up, of course, it renews itself- that is the secret”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/by-so-giving-up-of-course-it-renews-itself-that-is-the-secret/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I have a lot of secret uses for sour cream, which is the magic ingredient in my mac and cheese. It's an old-timey, Southern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-deen/i-have-a-lot-of-secret-uses-for-sour-cream-which-is-the-magic/) [Paula Deen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-deen/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [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/) > [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [A place has almost the shyness of a person, with strangers; and its secret is not to be surprised by a too direct interrogation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-symons/a-place-has-almost-the-shyness-of-a-person-with-strangers-and-its/) [Arthur Symons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-symons/) > [When I talked to him earlier, he said he had to work tonight,” Peter explained, “but that we should go ahead and draw for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/when-i-talked-to-him-earlier-he-said-he-had-to-work-tonight-peter/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [I don't know if it's naivete or just narcissism, but I start out with this notion that I can do anything. It's not until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-naivete-or-just-narcissism-but-i-start-out-with/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) [Browse all 8,958 Secret quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know what the secret is when I am writing it - it really is a surprise to me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lee Child" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-am-writing-it-it-really-is-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Secret" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-am-writing-it-it-really-is-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/lee-child-980_secret_i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-a_1408714.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/lee-child-980_secret_i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-a_1408714.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/lee-child-980_secret_i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-a_1408714.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't know what the secret is when I am writing it - it really is a surprise to me.” — Lee Child", "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": "Lee Child", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't know what the secret...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-am-writing-it-it-really-is-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/i-don-t-know-what-the-secret-is-when-i-am-writing-it-it-really-is-a/#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 } } ] } ```