---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I'm writing fiction, I'm sort of…"
description: "\"When I'm writing fiction, I'm sort of interested by the fact that somehow or other I can have the feeling of actually seeing things through someone els..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/marilynne-robinson-602_actually_when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-int_1657203.png"
---

#  When I'm writing fiction, I'm sort of interested by the…

![“When I'm writing fiction, I'm sort of interested by the fact that somehow or other I can have the feeling of actually seeing things through someone else's eyes.” quote by Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/marilynne-robinson-602_actually_when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-int_1657203.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/marilynne-robinson-602_actually_when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-int_1657203.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/marilynne-robinson-602_actually_when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-int_1657203.png)

> “When I'm writing fiction, I'm sort of interested by the fact that somehow or other I can have the feeling of actually seeing things through someone else's eyes.”

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Writing fiction lets you experience the world through another’s perspective, deepening empathy.

**In simple terms:** Seeing through others’ eyes.

Key Takeaway

Practice empathetic imagination.

Themes

fiction empathy perspective

Mood

reflective introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- creative writing
- reading groups
- therapy sessions

Key Concepts

narrative immersion psychological insight

Questions to Reflect On

- How does this perspective shift your worldview?
- What stories broaden your empathy?

A Different Perspective

Fiction may not capture true lived experience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-fiction/)

## Related quotes

> [We feel a deep pleasure from realizing that we believe something in common with our friends, and different from most people. We feel an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hanson/we-feel-a-deep-pleasure-from-realizing-that-we-believe-something-in/)

Robin Hanson

> [Your feelings are validated by the fact that you're feeling them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lili-reinhart/your-feelings-are-validated-by-the-fact-that-you-re-feeling-them/)

[Lili Reinhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lili-reinhart/)

> [Likeing someone, then finally getting over them... then you see something that reminds you of them or worse of all in my case actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/likeing-someone-then-finally-getting-over-them-then-you-see-something/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Why’s he looking at me like that? Like he’s actually seeing me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-sorensen/why-s-he-looking-at-me-like-that-like-he-s-actually-seeing-me/)

[Jessica Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-sorensen/)

> [I think pure light has something to do with actually seeing everything at once. It's kind of a nirvana of sorts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vik-muniz/i-think-pure-light-has-something-to-do-with-actually-seeing/)

[Vik Muniz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vik-muniz/)

> [When I was shooting 'Okja,' that was my first time actually seeing a trailer for actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/choi-woo-shik/when-i-was-shooting-okja-that-was-my-first-time-actually-seeing-a/)

[Choi Woo-shik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/choi-woo-shik/)

> [That horrible feeling, when you actually consider what'd it'd be like to get run over by a car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess/that-horrible-feeling-when-you-actually-consider-what-d-it-d-be-like/)

[Princess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess/)

> [There is nothing better than the strange and wonderful feeling of someone actually believing in you...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-better-than-the-strange-and-wonderful-feeling-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I never have the feeling that I actually know what I'm doing or anything that I'm writing is any good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-cameron/i-never-have-the-feeling-that-i-actually-know-what-i-m-doing-or/)

[Sharon Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-cameron/)

> [“If I looked into a mirror, and did not see my face, I should have the sort of feeling which actually comes upon me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/if-i-looked-into-a-mirror-and-did-not-see-my-face-i-should-have-the/)

[John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/)

> [“And then suddenly I realized that I was feeling- well, that I was actually feeling. My old personality was, after months of pills and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-then-suddenly-i-realized-that-i-was-feeling-well-that-i-was/)

[Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/)

> [The feeling of actually being with someone you love at that moment is completely different than a video afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rithvik-dhanjani/the-feeling-of-actually-being-with-someone-you-love-at-that-moment-is/)

[Rithvik Dhanjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rithvik-dhanjani/)

> [“honestly don't remember the last time my fingers touched the flesh of another human being. It's such a rare feeling, I'm actually getting a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cross/honestly-don-t-remember-the-last-time-my-fingers-touched-the-flesh-of/)

[Amy Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cross/)

> [Characters more or less present themselves to me. I don't know their origins. I think if I did, if I seemed to myself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/characters-more-or-less-present-themselves-to-me-i-don-t-know-their/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [One of the things about writing fiction is that you create people that you feel, more or less, as though you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/one-of-the-things-about-writing-fiction-is-that-you-create-people/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

## More by Marilynne Robinson

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [For our purposes as human beings, the mind is the center of everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/for-our-purposes-as-human-beings-the-mind-is-the-center-of-everything/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“I think sometimes there might be an advantage in making people aware how worn and stale these old transgressions are. It might take some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/i-think-sometimes-there-might-be-an-advantage-in-making-people-aware/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [There are two occasions when the sacred beauty of Creation becomes dazzlingly apparent, and they occur together. One is when we feel our mortal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/there-are-two-occasions-when-the-sacred-beauty-of-creation-becomes/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [My Calvinism persuades me that we are open to God, in the sense that we are not delimited, not organisms with fixed attributes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-calvinism-persuades-me-that-we-are-open-to-god-in-the-sense-that/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“You can know a thing to death and be for all purposes completely ignorant of it. A man can know his father, or his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/you-can-know-a-thing-to-death-and-be-for-all-purposes-completely/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [I listen to Bach a great deal. In general I like to listen to hymns and liturgical music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/i-listen-to-bach-a-great-deal-in-general-i-like-to-listen-to-hymns/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“Every writer I know, when asked how to become a writer, responds with one word:Read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/every-writer-i-know-when-asked-how-to-become-a-writer-responds-with/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“Faith for her was habit and family loyalty, a reverence for the Bible which was also literary, admiration for her mother and father. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/faith-for-her-was-habit-and-family-loyalty-a-reverence-for-the-bible/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“Prayer is a discipline in truthfulness, in honesty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/prayer-is-a-discipline-in-truthfulness-in-honesty/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.’ There are pleasures to be found where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/the-full-soul-loatheth-an-honeycomb-but-to-the-hungry-soul-every/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [I sometimes am discouraged by what seems to be a sort of conventional disparagement of humankind. I think often people feel that they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/i-sometimes-am-discouraged-by-what-seems-to-be-a-sort-of-conventional/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [Now that I look back, it seems to me that in all that deep darkness a miracle was preparing. So I am right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/now-that-i-look-back-it-seems-to-me-that-in-all-that-deep-darkness-a/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“My grandfather once told her if you couldn't read with cold feet, there wouldn't be a literate soul in the state of Maine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-grandfather-once-told-her-if-you-couldn-t-read-with-cold-feet/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“Cranky old Leviticus gave us—gave Christ—not only “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” but also the rather forgotten “Thou shalt love the stranger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/cranky-old-leviticus-gave-us-gave-christ-not-only-thou-shalt-love-thy/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Explore all 450 Marilynne Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

## More Actually quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/)

[Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/)

> [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/)

[Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/)

> [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/)

[David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/)

> [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/)

[Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/)

> [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/)

[L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/)

> [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/)

[Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/)

> [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/)

[Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/)

> [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/)

[Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/)

> [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/)

[Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/)

> [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/)

[Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/)

> [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/)

[Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/)

> [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/)

[Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/)

> [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/)

[Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/)

> ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/)

[Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/)

Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When I'm writing fiction, I'm sort of interested by the fact that somehow or other I can have the feeling of actually seeing things through someone else's eyes.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marilynne Robinson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-interested-by-the-fact-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actually"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-interested-by-the-fact-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/marilynne-robinson-602_actually_when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-int_1657203.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/marilynne-robinson-602_actually_when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-int_1657203.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/marilynne-robinson-602_actually_when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-int_1657203.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I'm writing fiction, I'm sort of interested by the fact that somehow or other I can have the feeling of…” — Marilynne Robinson",
                "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": "Marilynne Robinson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When I'm writing fiction, I'm sort...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-interested-by-the-fact-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/when-i-m-writing-fiction-i-m-sort-of-interested-by-the-fact-that/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
