--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The manuscript in the drawer either rots…" description: "\"The manuscript in the drawer either rots or ripens.\" — Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_drawer_the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots_3081933.png" --- # The manuscript in the drawer either rots or ripens. ![“The manuscript in the drawer either rots or ripens.” quote by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_drawer_the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots_3081933.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_drawer_the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots_3081933.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_drawer_the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots_3081933.png) > “The manuscript in the drawer either rots or ripens.” [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unattended ideas either decay or develop over time. **In simple terms:** Ideas need attention to grow. Key Takeaway Nurture your projects. Themes growth time potential Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - writing projects - research - personal development - startup ideas Key Concepts psychology creative process Questions to Reflect On - What ideas have you left unattended? - How can you revive a stalled project? A Different Perspective Neglect can also lead to stagnation, not just decay. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [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/) > [Instead of taking a year off, I started 'Dreamers of the Day' exactly 36 hours after I sent the manuscript for 'A Thread of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/instead-of-taking-a-year-off-i-started-dreamers-of-the-day-exactly-36/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [It is not as easy to emigrate with steel mills as it is with the manuscript of a novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golo-mann/it-is-not-as-easy-to-emigrate-with-steel-mills-as-it-is-with-the/) Golo Mann > [A manuscript not submitted is a book not published.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-poynter/a-manuscript-not-submitted-is-a-book-not-published/) [Dan Poynter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-poynter/) > [All writing seems to me worse in the state of proof than in any other form. In manuscript one's own wisdom is rather remarkable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/all-writing-seems-to-me-worse-in-the-state-of-proof-than-in-any-other/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [If you invent two or three people and turn them loose in your manuscript, something is bound to happen to them -- you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-invent-two-or-three-people-and-turn-them-loose-in-your/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [ The manuscript you submit \[should not\] contain any flaws that you can identify - it is up to the writer to do the work,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-north-patterson/the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-contain-any-flaws-that-you-can/) [Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-north-patterson/) > [I think once you have done all you can to a manuscript, let it find its way in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-think-once-you-have-done-all-you-can-to-a-manuscript-let-it-find/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Books are like your children. They take nine months to write; the manuscript weighs six pounds and...you send them out into the world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-buchanan/books-are-like-your-children-they-take-nine-months-to-write-the/) [Edna Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-buchanan/) > [You should be writing for the love of the story, and when it comes time to return to the manuscript, everything else belongs behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-koryta/you-should-be-writing-for-the-love-of-the-story-and-when-it-comes/) [Michael Koryta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-koryta/) > [Would you please publish the enclosed manuscript or return it without delay, as I have other irons in the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elinor-glyn/would-you-please-publish-the-enclosed-manuscript-or-return-it-without/) [Elinor Glyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elinor-glyn/) > [There is never finality in the display terminal's screen, but an irresponsible whimsicality, as words, sentences, and paragraphs are negated at the touch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-is-never-finality-in-the-display-terminal-s-screen-but-an/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [I began writing 'Matterhorn' in 1975 and for more than 30 years I kept working on my novel in my spare time, unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marlantes/i-began-writing-matterhorn-in-1975-and-for-more-than-30-years-i-kept/) [Karl Marlantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marlantes/) > [To me, all the juice of a book is in an unpublished manuscript, and the published book is like a dead tree - just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/to-me-all-the-juice-of-a-book-is-in-an-unpublished-manuscript-and-the/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [Sometimes I do work on a longer manuscript in tandem with one or two shorter pieces - whether it's a short story or an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-sneed/sometimes-i-do-work-on-a-longer-manuscript-in-tandem-with-one-or-two/) [Christine Sneed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-sneed/) ## More by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach > [An opinion may be controverted; a prejudice, never.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/an-opinion-may-be-controverted-a-prejudice-never/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Imaginary evils are incurable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/imaginary-evils-are-incurable/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Even virtue is an art; and even its devotees are divided into those who practise it and those who are merely amateurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/even-virtue-is-an-art-and-even-its-devotees-are-divided-into-those/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Parents forgive their children least readily for the faults they themselves instilled in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/parents-forgive-their-children-least-readily-for-the-faults-they/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Genius points the way, talent takes it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/genius-points-the-way-talent-takes-it/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Whoever prefers the material comforts of life over intellectual wealth is like the owner of a palace who moves into the servants’ quarters and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/whoever-prefers-the-material-comforts-of-life-over-intellectual/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [The incurable ills are the imaginary ills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/the-incurable-ills-are-the-imaginary-ills/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Pain is the great teacher of mankind. Beneath its breath souls develop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/pain-is-the-great-teacher-of-mankind-beneath-its-breath-souls-develop/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Where would the power of women be, were it not for the vanity of men?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/where-would-the-power-of-women-be-were-it-not-for-the-vanity-of-men/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [“Much less evil would be done on earth if evil could not be done in the name of good. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/much-less-evil-would-be-done-on-earth-if-evil-could-not-be-done-in/) [Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Those whom we support hold us up in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/those-whom-we-support-hold-us-up-in-life/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Pity is love in undress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/pity-is-love-in-undress/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/even-a-stopped-clock-is-right-twice-a-day/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Morals refine manners, as manners refine morals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/morals-refine-manners-as-manners-refine-morals/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Nothing makes us more cowardly and unconscionable than the desire to be loved by everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/nothing-makes-us-more-cowardly-and-unconscionable-than-the-desire-to/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) [Explore all 158 Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) ## More Drawer quotes > [I'm still stupid. I still do what I'm not supposed to do. Are you serious? I'm Jake 'The Snake,' man. I never claimed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-roberts/i-m-still-stupid-i-still-do-what-i-m-not-supposed-to-do-are-you/) [Jake Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-roberts/) > [“I've tucked those negative thoughts in a drawer, and for the most part, though I know the drawer still exists, it never gets opened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/i-ve-tucked-those-negative-thoughts-in-a-drawer-and-for-the-most-part/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [ I sometimes try a variance of the drawer trick - \[I write it\] and then come back to it and see if it blows. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-morrison/i-sometimes-try-a-variance-of-the-drawer-trick-i-write-it-and-then/) [Travis Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-morrison/) > [Talking raw papers and long leathers. Nigga, my drawer filled with couture textures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/talking-raw-papers-and-long-leathers-nigga-my-drawer-filled-with/) [Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/) > [I do triage on everything that comes through the door, and if it's not something we need (now, for real-not maybe someday) or something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-herman/i-do-triage-on-everything-that-comes-through-the-door-and-if-it-s-not/) Michelle Herman > [In the house, I have a drawer that's just filled with Carmex. It's just my thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-la-anthony/in-the-house-i-have-a-drawer-that-s-just-filled-with-carmex-it-s-just/) [La La Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-la-anthony/) > [My mother was an artist, and I was fairly good at art as a child. I was always the best drawer in class, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-babbitt/my-mother-was-an-artist-and-i-was-fairly-good-at-art-as-a-child-i-was/) [Natalie Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-babbitt/) > [“This wasn’t the time or place for it, so I hid it away in a little drawer in the back of my mind, marked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrington/this-wasn-t-the-time-or-place-for-it-so-i-hid-it-away-in-a-little/) [Kim Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrington/) > [I think a lot of playwrights have a script in their bottom drawer that hopefully no one will ever see about a bunch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wade/i-think-a-lot-of-playwrights-have-a-script-in-their-bottom-drawer/) [Laura Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wade/) > [The Pulitzer isn't a physical object. You can't hold it in your hand. You get some money ($7,500 in my day), and you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-pulitzer-isn-t-a-physical-object-you-can-t-hold-it-in-your-hand/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [The very act of drawing an object, however badly, swiftly takes the drawer from a woolly sense of what the object looks like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-very-act-of-drawing-an-object-however-badly-swiftly-takes-the/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [When it comes to underwear, there's nothing worse than a visible panty line. Sometimes it seems like nobody knows that seamless underwear exists. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-goreski/when-it-comes-to-underwear-there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-visible-panty/) [Brad Goreski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-goreski/) > [“Terrific! Have you done Step Three?" He waggled his brows as he opened up the top left drawer of my dresser. "No. Hey! Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-bardsley/terrific-have-you-done-step-three-he-waggled-his-brows-as-he-opened/) [Michele Bardsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-bardsley/) > [If I could be more vague I'd write more about people in my life, but I hate hurting feelings or making people feel uncomfortable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-rose/if-i-could-be-more-vague-i-d-write-more-about-people-in-my-life-but-i/) [Caitlin Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-rose/) > [Toss your dashed hopes not into a trash bin but into a drawer where you are likely to rummage some bright morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/toss-your-dashed-hopes-not-into-a-trash-bin-but-into-a-drawer-where/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) Browse all 58 Drawer quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The manuscript in the drawer either rots or ripens.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots-or-ripens/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drawer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots-or-ripens/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_drawer_the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots_3081933.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_drawer_the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots_3081933.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_drawer_the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots_3081933.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The manuscript in the drawer either rots or ripens.” — Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The manuscript in the drawer either...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots-or-ripens/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots-or-ripens/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```