--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don’t go back and look at my early…" description: "\"I don’t go back and look at my early work, because the last time I did, many years ago, it left me cringing. If one publishes, then one is creating a p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/lorrie-moore-870_creating_i-don-t-go-back-and-look-at-my-early-wor_3102620.png" --- # I don’t go back and look at my early work, because the… ![“I don’t go back and look at my early work, because the last time I did, many years ago, it left me cringing. If one publishes, then one is creating a public record of Learning to Write.” quote by Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/lorrie-moore-870_creating_i-don-t-go-back-and-look-at-my-early-wor_3102620.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/lorrie-moore-870_creating_i-don-t-go-back-and-look-at-my-early-wor_3102620.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/lorrie-moore-870_creating_i-don-t-go-back-and-look-at-my-early-wor_3102620.png) > “I don’t go back and look at my early work, because the last time I did, many years ago, it left me cringing. If one publishes, then one is creating a public record of Learning to Write.” [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reflecting on early work can cause embarrassment; publishing creates a lasting record of learning. **In simple terms:** Looking back at early work can be painful but shows growth. Key Takeaway Embrace past work as learning milestones. Themes writing self‑critique growth public record Mood introspective cautious Type advice reflective When to use this quote - author workshops - self‑review - career retrospectives Key Concepts creative process learning curve vulnerability Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance humility and confidence? - What can early drafts teach you? A Different Perspective Public scrutiny may hinder creative risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [Cringing Publishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cringing-publishes-5384048/) [Last time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-time/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Left Cringing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-cringing-5384049/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Publish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publish/) [Record Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-learning-257029/) [Records](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/records/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [If one publishes, then one is creating a public record of Learning to Write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/if-one-publishes-then-one-is-creating-a-public-record-of-learning-to/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [I find that with each new record I'm learning more and dipping my toes into new things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-find-that-with-each-new-record-i-m-learning-more-and-dipping-my/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [Every record I do is a learning process for how I want to do the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/every-record-i-do-is-a-learning-process-for-how-i-want-to-do-the-next/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [I publish my own music. I'm creating my own songbook. It works that way for me; I'm very independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-friedman/i-publish-my-own-music-i-m-creating-my-own-songbook-it-works-that-way/) [David Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-friedman/) > [I think most people played both variants and regular games. It was a period when variants were very popular and there were a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-davis/i-think-most-people-played-both-variants-and-regular-games-it-was-a/) [Fred Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-davis/) > [My Lord, I have nothing to do in this World, but to seek and serve thee; I have nothing to do with a Heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/my-lord-i-have-nothing-to-do-in-this-world-but-to-seek-and-serve-thee/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Way back in 1989, I got lucky with my first published story when it was selected for the Journey Prize anthology. 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You cannot dictate how people read it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/once-you-publish-a-book-it-is-out-of-your-control-you-cannot-dictate/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [A thing may in itself be the finest piece of writing one has ever done, and yet have absolutely no place in the manuscript…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-forche/a-thing-may-in-itself-be-the-finest-piece-of-writing-one-has-ever/) [Carolyn Forche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-forche/) > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## More by Lorrie Moore > [But I believed in starting over. There was finally, I knew, only rupture and hurt and falling short between all persons, but, Shirley, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/but-i-believed-in-starting-over-there-was-finally-i-knew-only-rupture/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [I'm very interested in what people will do for money. Money: it's timeless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/i-m-very-interested-in-what-people-will-do-for-money-money-it-s/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“One of the problems with people in Chicago, she remembered, was that they were never lonely at the same time. Their sadness occurred in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/one-of-the-problems-with-people-in-chicago-she-remembered-was-that/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“If you had forgotten, it would quickly come back to you. Aloneness was like riding a bike. At gunpoint. 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If she had been shy, not one of us would be at Perkins right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/amber-was-not-shy-if-she-had-been-shy-not-one-of-us-would-be-at/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [People will do anything, anything, for a really nice laugh,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/people-will-do-anything-anything-for-a-really-nice-laugh/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“Farmers aren't rich. They have land but no money." Actually, my father didn't even have that much land. 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Here is someone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/life-is-sad-here-is-someone/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [I had never feared insomnia before--like prison, wouldn't it just give you more time to read?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/i-had-never-feared-insomnia-before-like-prison-wouldn-t-it-just-give/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) [Explore all 340 Lorrie Moore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) ## More Creating quotes > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [People who are creating history don't realize they're creating it at the time it's happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-dreymon/people-who-are-creating-history-don-t-realize-they-re-creating-it-at/) [Alexander Dreymon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-dreymon/) > [When I am creating art, I have absolutely no social responsibility. It's like dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cronenberg/when-i-am-creating-art-i-have-absolutely-no-social-responsibility-it/) [David Cronenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cronenberg/) > [Europe is creating the flight of refugees that's tearing it apart politically, and leading rightwing nationalist parties to gain power to withdraw from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/europe-is-creating-the-flight-of-refugees-that-s-tearing-it-apart/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [You can disseminate your art, and it's all such easy access now. The upside to it is that more people are creating than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/you-can-disseminate-your-art-and-it-s-all-such-easy-access-now-the/) [Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/) > [“It didn’t matter that the scarves weren’t even all that special or great or that I was making far too many to actually keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-vercillo/it-didn-t-matter-that-the-scarves-weren-t-even-all-that-special-or/) [Kathryn Vercillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-vercillo/) > [I think, if I had my choice, I would spend all my time in the studio writing, and creating music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-condon/i-think-if-i-had-my-choice-i-would-spend-all-my-time-in-the-studio/) [Zach Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-condon/) > [Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/your-problem-is-how-you-are-going-to-spend-this-one-odd-and-precious/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [The ultimate goal of radical politics is gradually to displace the limit of social exclusions, empowering the excluded agents (sexual and ethnic minorities) by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/the-ultimate-goal-of-radical-politics-is-gradually-to-displace-the/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [Creating a top team and being in a position to win the Tour de France will give me a nice feeling. 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