--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that books must go through a…" description: "\"“I believe that books must go through a fairly slow birthing process...”\" — Margaret Westhaven" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/margaret-westhaven-36753_birth_i-believe-that-books-must-go-through-a-f_1830424.jpg" --- # I believe that books must go through a fairly slow… ![“I believe that books must go through a fairly slow birthing process...” quote by Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/margaret-westhaven-36753_birth_i-believe-that-books-must-go-through-a-f_1830424.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/margaret-westhaven-36753_birth_i-believe-that-books-must-go-through-a-f_1830424.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/margaret-westhaven-36753_birth_i-believe-that-books-must-go-through-a-f_1830424.jpg) > ““I believe that books must go through a fairly slow birthing process...”” [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Books develop slowly, undergoing a gradual creative birth before reaching readers. **In simple terms:** Books need time to form. Key Takeaway Allow ideas to mature naturally. Themes writing creation patience development Mood thoughtful encouraging Type creative educational When to use this quote - author drafting - editing phases - publishing timeline - reading groups Key Concepts narrative structure creative process Questions to Reflect On - How does patience affect a story’s quality? - What signs indicate a manuscript is ready? A Different Perspective Rushing can compromise depth and coherence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ## Related quotes > [I read kind of serious books about fairly arcane subjects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-guest/i-read-kind-of-serious-books-about-fairly-arcane-subjects/) [Christopher Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-guest/) > [When I asked what people would change about their bodies on Twitter, the birthing process was an extremely popular response!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-roberts/when-i-asked-what-people-would-change-about-their-bodies-on-twitter/) [Alice Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-roberts/) > [It is necessary for the birthing process to begin to move in its own organic time. It is necessary that the artist have this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/it-is-necessary-for-the-birthing-process-to-begin-to-move-in-its-own/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [I believe books will never disappear. It is impossible for it to happen. Of all man's diverse tools, undoubtedly the most astounding are his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/i-believe-books-will-never-disappear-it-is-impossible-for-it-to/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I firmly believe there are books whose greatness actually enable you to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/i-firmly-believe-there-are-books-whose-greatness-actually-enable-you/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) > [I believe that books, once they are written, have no need of their authors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/i-believe-that-books-once-they-are-written-have-no-need-of-their/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [We were raised to believe in books, music, and nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-were-raised-to-believe-in-books-music-and-nature/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I believe the books we write are the dreams we couldn't find on the bookshelves...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-zeiter/i-believe-the-books-we-write-are-the-dreams-we-couldn-t-find-on-the/) Ty Zeiter > [I believe with books as with money, you dont loan you get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mitchell/i-believe-with-books-as-with-money-you-dont-loan-you-get/) [Elizabeth Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mitchell/) > [I do believe that books can change lives and give people this kind of language they wouldn't have had otherwise,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/i-do-believe-that-books-can-change-lives-and-give-people-this-kind-of/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [I believe in books. I believe more in 'cross-media' - how characters are adapting across mediums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bing-gordon/i-believe-in-books-i-believe-more-in-cross-media-how-characters-are/) [Bing Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bing-gordon/) > [I think books are like people, in the sense that they'll turn up in your life when you most need them. I firmly believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/i-think-books-are-like-people-in-the-sense-that-they-ll-turn-up-in-2/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) > [The difference between people who believe they have books inside of them and those who actually write books is sheer cussed persistence - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/the-difference-between-people-who-believe-they-have-books-inside-of/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [We didn't have much, but I was raised to believe if you had books, you had a lot. My grandfather and my parents made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-scott/we-didn-t-have-much-but-i-was-raised-to-believe-if-you-had-books-you/) [Christian Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-scott/) > [“Because what it's come down to, after that whole messy spring, that whole tortured summer, all the time since, is this: I no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/because-what-it-s-come-down-to-after-that-whole-messy-spring-that/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) ## More by Margaret Westhaven > [“It might not be so unpleasant, you know, to do me one or two favours in exchange for becoming a famous authoress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/it-might-not-be-so-unpleasant-you-know-to-do-me-one-or-two-favours-in/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) > [“Was tomorrow going to see the end of her long-guarded virginity?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/was-tomorrow-going-to-see-the-end-of-her-long-guarded-virginity/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) > [“The real world isn't like one of those lending library novels that you ladies read--and write--so avidly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/the-real-world-isn-t-like-one-of-those-lending-library-novels-that/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) > [“It's a simple domestic tale, about a girl who has problems getting married, and how she deals with her relations and friends. Miss Dalrymple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/it-s-a-simple-domestic-tale-about-a-girl-who-has-problems-getting/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) > [“...it would seem that whoever did write this book knows you very well. You appear in it, sir. As...as the hero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/it-would-seem-that-whoever-did-write-this-book-knows-you-very-well/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) > [“I recall how I suspected at the time that my young friend was indulging in her first bout of calf love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/i-recall-how-i-suspected-at-the-time-that-my-young-friend-was/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) > [“...Great-Uncle Powell, an archaeologist, had spent most of his time digging about in foreign parts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/great-uncle-powell-an-archaeologist-had-spent-most-of-his-time/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) > [“...ever since she had read the girl's novel, a piece of artistry that struck her as wish-fulfilment at its most blatant...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/ever-since-she-had-read-the-girl-s-novel-a-piece-of-artistry-that/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) > [“I swear, Papa, I'd give my virtue if it would get my novels published,' she exclaimed in vexation. 'I'm certain we've tried everything else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/i-swear-papa-i-d-give-my-virtue-if-it-would-get-my-novels-published/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) > [“Really, the insufferable conceit of the man. How dared he have the unutterable gall to know how her knees weakened at the sight of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/really-the-insufferable-conceit-of-the-man-how-dared-he-have-the/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) > [“What do you say to furthering our cousinly relationship by a drive in the Park this afternoon?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-westhaven/what-do-you-say-to-furthering-our-cousinly-relationship-by-a-drive-in/) [Margaret Westhaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) [Explore all 12 Margaret Westhaven quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-westhaven/) ## More Birth quotes > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974 > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The greatest mystery in life is not life itself, but death. Death is the culmination of life, the ultimate blossoming of life. In death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-greatest-mystery-in-life-is-not-life-itself-but-death-death-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/guns-have-little-or-nothing-to-do-with-juvenile-violence-the-causes/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. 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