--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started reading fantasy and science…" description: "\"I started reading fantasy and science fiction and writing fantasy and science fiction when I was - when I started junior high school.\" — Leigh Bardugo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/leigh-bardugo-252_fiction_i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fi_541231.png" --- # I started reading fantasy and science fiction and writing… ![“I started reading fantasy and science fiction and writing fantasy and science fiction when I was - when I started junior high school.” quote by Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/leigh-bardugo-252_fiction_i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fi_541231.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/leigh-bardugo-252_fiction_i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fi_541231.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/leigh-bardugo-252_fiction_i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fi_541231.png) > “I started reading fantasy and science fiction and writing fantasy and science fiction when I was - when I started junior high school.” [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early exposure to genre fiction sparked a lifelong passion for creating similar worlds. **In simple terms:** Reading sci‑fi/fantasy inspired writing. Key Takeaway Explore genres early to find your voice. Themes creativity genre career growth Mood enthusiastic reflective Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - school projects - writing clubs - fan conventions - personal journals Key Concepts imagination storytelling identity Questions to Reflect On - What genre first inspired you? - How did early reading shape your writing? A Different Perspective May limit exposure to other literary forms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-started-1339537/) [High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Junior high](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/junior-high/) [Reading Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-fantasy-3428805/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Started Junior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-junior-1050166/) [Started reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-reading/) [Writing Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-fantasy-305257/) ## Related quotes > [I started in junior high doing the splits and flips and that kind of stuff. It was kind of the acceptable thing to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivica-a-fox/i-started-in-junior-high-doing-the-splits-and-flips-and-that-kind-of/) [Vivica A. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivica-a-fox/) > [I thought I was going to write fiction but I fell backwards into non-fiction. It started when I got locked out of two apartments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-thought-i-was-going-to-write-fiction-but-i-fell-backwards-into-non/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [There's the typical books, Moby Dick and, I guess in my adult life I began to read biographies more than fiction. I started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/there-s-the-typical-books-moby-dick-and-i-guess-in-my-adult-life-i/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [Science fiction is where I started out, really. When I was a kid, I was a complete addict of science fiction. It was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/science-fiction-is-where-i-started-out-really-when-i-was-a-kid-i-was/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [The history of science fiction started in the caves 20,000 years ago. The ideas on the walls of the cave were problems to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-history-of-science-fiction-started-in-the-caves-20-000-years-ago/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“fiction started up, and we started burning brain cells on stories about things that didn’t happen to people who didn’t exist. Why? The only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/fiction-started-up-and-we-started-burning-brain-cells-on-stories/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [When fiction started on TV, the daily soap splurge happened and I knew that I would not get caught in a daily soap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javed-jaffrey/when-fiction-started-on-tv-the-daily-soap-splurge-happened-and-i-knew/) [Javed Jaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javed-jaffrey/) > [Guess I've been reading too much fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/guess-i-ve-been-reading-too-much-fantasy/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [Read everything! Don't just read things that are in your comfort zone or things that you think you're already going to like. Experiment; try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/read-everything-don-t-just-read-things-that-are-in-your-comfort-zone/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I've always loved reading fantasy. I used to pick out all the books in the library that had the little unicorn sticker on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-ve-always-loved-reading-fantasy-i-used-to-pick-out-all-the-books-in/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [I love fantasy. I grew up reading fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/i-love-fantasy-i-grew-up-reading-fantasy/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [If you are going to write, say, fantasy - stop reading fantasy. You've already read too much. Read other things; read westerns, read history,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/if-you-are-going-to-write-say-fantasy-stop-reading-fantasy-you-ve/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I love fantasy. I grew up reading fantasy. But, I wanted to put a somewhat different spin on it. The whole trope of absolute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/i-love-fantasy-i-grew-up-reading-fantasy-but-i-wanted-to-put-a/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [“Not for the first time, the thought occurred to Hirou that if he'd actually known he was going to be transported into a magical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/not-for-the-first-time-the-thought-occurred-to-hirou-that-if-he-d/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“Maybe that’s why I like reading fantasy novels so much. The world in there is so much more interesting than mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rucy-ban/maybe-that-s-why-i-like-reading-fantasy-novels-so-much-the-world-in/) [Rucy Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rucy-ban/) ## More by Leigh Bardugo > [“Aleksander." His eyes fluttered shut. "Don't let me be alone," he murmured. And then he was gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/aleksander-his-eyes-fluttered-shut-don-t-let-me-be-alone-he-murmured/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“I don't care if you danced naked on the roof of the Little Palace with him. I love you, Alina, even the part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-don-t-care-if-you-danced-naked-on-the-roof-of-the-little-palace/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“Inej frowned. “I thought you and Nina chose four outbreak sites on the Staves.” Kaz straightened his cuffs. “I also had her stop at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/inej-frowned-i-thought-you-and-nina-chose-four-outbreak-sites-on-the/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“I rolled my eyes. "For defending my honor, you dullard." He yanked me beneath a shadowed awning. I had a moment's panic when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-rolled-my-eyes-for-defending-my-honor-you-dullard-he-yanked-me/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“I've been waiting for you a long time, Alina" He said. "You and I are going to change the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-ve-been-waiting-for-you-a-long-time-alina-he-said-you-and-i-are/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“They're all crazy, Oncat. Invisible armies, monster princes. Let's go set fire to something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/they-re-all-crazy-oncat-invisible-armies-monster-princes-let-s-go-set/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“Saints!" I swore. "I forgot how often I want to stab you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/saints-i-swore-i-forgot-how-often-i-want-to-stab-you/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“Inej knew the moment Kaz entered the Slat. His presence reverberated through the cramped rooms and crooked hallways as every thug, thief, dealer, con…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/inej-knew-the-moment-kaz-entered-the-slat-his-presence-reverberated/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“I've risked my life for you. I've walked half the length of Ravka for you, and I'd do it again and again and again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-ve-risked-my-life-for-you-i-ve-walked-half-the-length-of-ravka-for/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“You never know," said Nikolai. "I've been busy. I might have some surprises in store for the Darkling yet." "Please tell me you plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/you-never-know-said-nikolai-i-ve-been-busy-i-might-have-some/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“Sure we do," said Theo, swatting at a branch. "We get to the spring, Alia gets cured. We argue over the best choice for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/sure-we-do-said-theo-swatting-at-a-branch-we-get-to-the-spring-alia/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“But I pushed down my confused tears and did as she asked, still hoping that whatever I’d broken might be repaired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/but-i-pushed-down-my-confused-tears-and-did-as-she-asked-still-hoping/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“There, she wrote fantastical tales that charmed children, and under another name, she penned rather more lurid works that kept her in nougat and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/there-she-wrote-fantastical-tales-that-charmed-children-and-under/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“Short on friends, your highness?" "And long on enemies," replied Nikolai.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/short-on-friends-your-highness-and-long-on-enemies-replied-nikolai/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“Jesper knocked his head against the hull and cast his eyes heavenward. “Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I’m going to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/jesper-knocked-his-head-against-the-hull-and-cast-his-eyes-heavenward/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) [Explore all 782 Leigh Bardugo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) ## More Fiction quotes > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [The thing about science fiction is that it's totally wide open. But it's wide open in a conditional way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/the-thing-about-science-fiction-is-that-it-s-totally-wide-open-but-it/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [I do think that theater is a great venue for science fiction, and not just adaptations but also original work. I also think some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-einhorn/i-do-think-that-theater-is-a-great-venue-for-science-fiction-and-not/) [Edward Einhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-einhorn/) > [Fiction is a way of exploring possibilities present but undreamt of in the living of a single life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/fiction-is-a-way-of-exploring-possibilities-present-but-undreamt-of/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [I love writing fiction and can do it anywhere - I once even missed a flight because I was so engrossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/i-love-writing-fiction-and-can-do-it-anywhere-i-once-even-missed-a/) [Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/) > [“The fiction will seek the real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coheed-and-cambria/the-fiction-will-seek-the-real/) [Coheed and Cambria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coheed-and-cambria/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [I'm not interested in making a diagnostic novel or a concern. I'm 100 percent committed in fiction to the pleasure principle - that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-m-not-interested-in-making-a-diagnostic-novel-or-a-concern-i-m-100/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“His hands on my waist he gently pulled me n embrace. I could feel his breath on my face our lips were about to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-eglinger/his-hands-on-my-waist-he-gently-pulled-me-n-embrace-i-could-feel-his/) [Nicole Eglinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-eglinger/) > [In early drafts, one of the trickiest things for me to do was to realize that the techniques and devices that make readable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rooney/in-early-drafts-one-of-the-trickiest-things-for-me-to-do-was-to/) [Kathleen Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rooney/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [Metafiction says something. It has to do with taking a large fiction itself and writing within it; that kind of self-reflecting writing that emerges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coover/metafiction-says-something-it-has-to-do-with-taking-a-large-fiction/) [Robert Coover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-coover/) [Browse all 7,410 Fiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I started reading fantasy and science fiction and writing fantasy and science fiction when I was - when I started junior high school.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leigh Bardugo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fiction-and-writing-fantasy-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fiction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fiction-and-writing-fantasy-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/leigh-bardugo-252_fiction_i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fi_541231.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/leigh-bardugo-252_fiction_i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fi_541231.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/leigh-bardugo-252_fiction_i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fi_541231.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I started reading fantasy and science fiction and writing fantasy and science fiction when I was - when I…” — Leigh Bardugo", "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": "Leigh Bardugo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I started reading fantasy and science...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fiction-and-writing-fantasy-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-started-reading-fantasy-and-science-fiction-and-writing-fantasy-and/#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 } } ] } ```