--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ever since 'Strange Heaven,' I haven't…" description: "\"Ever since 'Strange Heaven,' I haven't really reread my old work. Not so much because I don't like the writer I was, or because I find flaws in the wri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/lynn-coady-5173_books_ever-since-strange-heaven-i-haven-t-real_106890.png" --- # Ever since 'Strange Heaven,' I haven't really reread my… ![“Ever since 'Strange Heaven,' I haven't really reread my old work. Not so much because I don't like the writer I was, or because I find flaws in the writing, but more because I get so burnt out on a novel once I've finished writing, revising, editing and copy editing it that I genuinely never want…” quote by Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/lynn-coady-5173_books_ever-since-strange-heaven-i-haven-t-real_106890.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/lynn-coady-5173_books_ever-since-strange-heaven-i-haven-t-real_106890.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/lynn-coady-5173_books_ever-since-strange-heaven-i-haven-t-real_106890.png) > “Ever since 'Strange Heaven,' I haven't really reread my old work. Not so much because I don't like the writer I was, or because I find flaws in the writing, but more because I get so burnt out on a novel once I've finished writing, revising, editing and copy editing it that I genuinely never want to look at it again after it's gone to press.” [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author feels exhausted after completing a novel, so the desire to revisit the work disappears despite acknowledging its value. **In simple terms:** Finishing a book creates burnout, not self‑criticism. Key Takeaway Creative fatigue can block revisiting finished work. Themes creative process authorial burnout revision self‑assessment Mood reflective tired Type authorial confession creative insight When to use this quote - author reviewing a manuscript - artist looking at a finished painting - researcher revisiting a published paper Key Concepts psychology of completion attachment to finished product Practical Applications - schedule a break before re‑reading - use a fresh perspective by having a peer review first Questions to Reflect On - How can creators balance completion with ongoing reflection? - What habits reduce post‑completion burnout? A Different Perspective Sometimes stepping away can reveal hidden strengths rather than just fatigue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [If you must reread old love letters, better pick a room without mirrors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/if-you-must-reread-old-love-letters-better-pick-a-room-without-mirrors/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [When finished writing a post, go back and add bullets, sub heads, spacing; eliminate long paragraphs or sentences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hyatt/when-finished-writing-a-post-go-back-and-add-bullets-sub-heads/) [Michael Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hyatt/) > [One of the big breakthroughs, I think for me, was reading Robert A. Heinlein's four rules of writing, one of which was, 'You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/one-of-the-big-breakthroughs-i-think-for-me-was-reading-robert-a/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [I had spent five years not earning a penny, getting rejected. Thank God I had a husband who was supportive and encouraging. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-abbott/i-had-spent-five-years-not-earning-a-penny-getting-rejected-thank-god/) [Karen Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-abbott/) > [“I’m writing a book, one letter at a time. After thirteen days, I just finished writing “Once upon a time.” Since it’s a fairy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-m-writing-a-book-one-letter-at-a-time-after-thirteen-days-i-just/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Be expectant...God is not finished writing your story!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-marino/be-expectant-god-is-not-finished-writing-your-story/) [Joy Marino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-marino/) > [ When I finished \[writing it\], I was crying. I knew at long last, after ten years of trying, I had written something good. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/when-i-finished-writing-it-i-was-crying-i-knew-at-long-last-after-ten/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I do not read the works of Salman Rushdie, I write them. 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So as not to trouble the path of the text.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-author-should-die-once-he-has-finished-writing-so-as-not-to/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [I am never as clear about any matter as when I have finished writing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-allen/i-am-never-as-clear-about-any-matter-as-when-i-have-finished-writing/) [James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-allen/) > [Right now I just finished writing the music for a Rugrats feature film and the third week of September I go to London, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/right-now-i-just-finished-writing-the-music-for-a-rugrats-feature/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [Never close the book of your life when GOD HAS NOT FINISHED writing your story. Never hang up when GOD IS STILL ON THE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-close-the-book-of-your-life-when-god-has-not-finished-writing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Lynn Coady > [“Then there are the other days, when nothing is enough. The poem grins. It grins because it knows it is a terrible poem. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/then-there-are-the-other-days-when-nothing-is-enough-the-poem-grins/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [A dominant misconception among believers is that their atheist brethren are a slavering pack of hell-bound debauchees, gleefully wining and wenching their way through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/a-dominant-misconception-among-believers-is-that-their-atheist/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [There are people out there who genuinely love literature, who genuinely love to read and read widely, who will never like, or even necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/there-are-people-out-there-who-genuinely-love-literature-who/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [Here's the thing about lingerie: The only time we see it outside our own bedrooms, it is on women who are gloriously freakish in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/here-s-the-thing-about-lingerie-the-only-time-we-see-it-outside-our/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [The one thing I've always done as an author is talk to my publicists. 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People come to atheism because they have a problem with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/one-does-not-become-an-atheist-out-of-a-desire-for-hassle-free-sunday/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [Atheism is a moral position - a rather rigid one, if you've ever read the opinions of its highest-profile espousers, Christopher Hitchens and Richard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/atheism-is-a-moral-position-a-rather-rigid-one-if-you-ve-ever-read/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [Filtering can be a very good thing when it comes to human relationships and familial harmony. 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