--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From fried witchetty grubs to gold-plated…" description: "\"From fried witchetty grubs to gold-plated turnips, when you're a writer you never know what's going to appear on your plate next. It keeps a woman aler..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_doe_from-fried-witchetty-grubs-to-gold-plate_2705551.jpg" --- # From fried witchetty grubs to gold-plated turnips, when… ![“From fried witchetty grubs to gold-plated turnips, when you're a writer you never know what's going to appear on your plate next. It keeps a woman alert, it does.” quote by Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_doe_from-fried-witchetty-grubs-to-gold-plate_2705551.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_doe_from-fried-witchetty-grubs-to-gold-plate_2705551.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_doe_from-fried-witchetty-grubs-to-gold-plate_2705551.jpg) > “From fried witchetty grubs to gold-plated turnips, when you're a writer you never know what's going to appear on your plate next. It keeps a woman alert, it does.” [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers face unpredictable ideas; staying alert lets creativity thrive. **In simple terms:** Expect the unexpected in writing. Key Takeaway Stay alert, embrace surprise. Themes creativity uncertainty adaptability Mood playful curious Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - author brainstorming - plot development - character creation - deadline pressure - genre experimentation Key Concepts literary craft improvisation Questions to Reflect On - How do you channel surprise into story? - What methods keep you grounded? A Different Perspective Too much surprise can cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Fried Witchetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fried-witchetty-2766455/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Plate Keeps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plate-keeps-2766456/) [Plates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plates/) [Turnips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turnips/) [Turnips Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turnips-writer-2766453/) [Woman Alert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-alert-2766454/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-know-698548/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Every writer I know, when asked how to become a writer, responds with one word:Read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/every-writer-i-know-when-asked-how-to-become-a-writer-responds-with/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [If you're a writer, you know that the stories don't come to you - you have to go looking for them. The old men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/if-you-re-a-writer-you-know-that-the-stories-don-t-come-to-you-you/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [You are told that you have to eliminate un-useful sentences, but as a writer you know how important details are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-zambra/you-are-told-that-you-have-to-eliminate-un-useful-sentences-but-as-a/) [Alejandro Zambra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-zambra/) > [I don't believe the writer should know too much where he's going. 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Like flies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-worst-thing-for-a-writer-is-to-know-another-writer-and-worse-than/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Virtually every writer I know would rather be a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/virtually-every-writer-i-know-would-rather-be-a-musician/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“One writer I know tells me that he sits down every morning and says to himself nicely, "It's not like you don't have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/one-writer-i-know-tells-me-that-he-sits-down-every-morning-and-says/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I don't understand how you can be a decent writer and not know people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-don-t-understand-how-you-can-be-a-decent-writer-and-not-know-people/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [Every writer I know has trouble writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/every-writer-i-know-has-trouble-writing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“A writer may not know the way at first; but if he endeavors to complete his task, he carves a path with his story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-mcintire/a-writer-may-not-know-the-way-at-first-but-if-he-endeavors-to/) [Susan J. McIntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-mcintire/) ## More by Lois McMaster Bujold > [What you are is a question only you can answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/what-you-are-is-a-question-only-you-can-answer/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Never do yourself, what you can con professionals into doing for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/never-do-yourself-what-you-can-con-professionals-into-doing-for-you/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“It reminded him of that definition of his father's. A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind. The mind was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/it-reminded-him-of-that-definition-of-his-father-s-a-weapon-is-a/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“I was imagining the most bizarre things befalling you.” “Did they include a six-hundred-pound ice bear and a pirate poet?” “No…” “Then they weren’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/i-was-imagining-the-most-bizarre-things-befalling-you-did-they/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [There is a sad disconnectedness that overcomes a library when its owner is gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/there-is-a-sad-disconnectedness-that-overcomes-a-library-when-its/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“No, amusing me only, I wonder if they realize how they are used?" "Not a bit. They think they are the emperors of creation."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/no-amusing-me-only-i-wonder-if-they-realize-how-they-are-used-not-a/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“You bastards are on the top of Imperial Lord Auditor Miles Vorkosigan's very own shit list now, you bet. But under what name? Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/you-bastards-are-on-the-top-of-imperial-lord-auditor-miles-vorkosigan/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“Anyway, if the Cetagandans really wanted to assassinate you, they'd hardly do it here. They'd slip something subtle under your skin that wouldn't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/anyway-if-the-cetagandans-really-wanted-to-assassinate-you-they-d/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Endure pain, find joy, and make your own meaning, because the universe certainly isn't going to supply it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/endure-pain-find-joy-and-make-your-own-meaning-because-the-universe/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Your Reverence, I do not hate any man in this world enough to inflict the results of my prayers upon him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/your-reverence-i-do-not-hate-any-man-in-this-world-enough-to-inflict/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“I always thought my parents could fix anything. Now it's my turn. Dear God, how did this happen?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/i-always-thought-my-parents-could-fix-anything-now-it-s-my-turn-dear/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“I think it is not so much the growth of virtue, as simply the replacement of prior vices with an addiction to one’s god.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/i-think-it-is-not-so-much-the-growth-of-virtue-as-simply-the/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“Mark’s ideas tended to the bland, and there was no point in asking Miles, whose embittered suggestions all ran to things like Vomit Vanilla…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/mark-s-ideas-tended-to-the-bland-and-there-was-no-point-in-asking/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [The dead cannot cry out for justice. It is a duty of the living to do so for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/the-dead-cannot-cry-out-for-justice-it-is-a-duty-of-the-living-to-do/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“Gardens were meant to be seen, smelled, walked through, grubbed in. A hundred objective measurements didn't sum the worth of a garden; only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/gardens-were-meant-to-be-seen-smelled-walked-through-grubbed-in-a/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) [Explore all 392 Lois McMaster Bujold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) ## More Doe quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. 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