Anticipation Quote by Margaret Atwood
“You can never read your own book with the innocent anticipation that comes with that first delicious page of a new book, because you wrote the thing. You've been backstage. You've seen how the rabbits were smuggled into the hat. Therefore ask a reading friend or two to look at it before you give it to anyone in the publishing business. This friend should not be someone with whom you have a romantic relationship, unless you want to break up.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Margaret Atwood Podcast, 2020
Authors lack fresh perspective on their own work because they are too familiar with its creation.
In simple terms: Writers see their work with bias.
Key Takeaway
Seek external feedback before publishing.
Themes
self‑awareness
editing
trust
collaboration
Mood
reflective
pragmatic
Type
advice
creative
When to use this quote
- writing drafts
- publishing proposals
- creative workshops
- mentor feedback
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
creative process
peer review
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you ensure feedback remains honest?
- What steps protect you from echo‑chamber bias?
A Different Perspective
Friends may be too close to judge objectively; personal relationships can cloud critique.
![“[It is hard to know what is good luck and what isn't and therefore whether we should be happy or sad about it. Only time will tell. For example...] The Talmud relates a story about two people who wanted to travel by boat. One broke his foot and was unable to make the trip, while his friend got on…” quote by Zelig Pliskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/68d/zelig-pliskin-22951_anticipation_it-is-hard-to-know-what-is-good-luck-and_34545.jpg)
![“The only thing is that ordinarily when I do dance with [women] they think I am suddenly going to throw them over a table or twist them all around. All I want to do is one-two, one-two-three - a simple fox trot. But they're shaking with anticipation at the thought that I'm about to whip them around…” quote by Gene Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/073/gene-kelly-11878_anticipation_the-only-thing-is-that-ordinarily-when-i_44100.jpg)
