--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was in college, I used to write…" description: "\"When I was in college, I used to write little ditties and short stories and poetry for my friends. Writing a book is another thing. It is so much diffe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/mario-batali-4002_book_when-i-was-in-college-i-used-to-write-li_67958.jpg" --- # When I was in college, I used to write little ditties and… ![“When I was in college, I used to write little ditties and short stories and poetry for my friends. Writing a book is another thing. It is so much different from my traditional day of dirty fingernails and greasy hair and hot pans.” quote by Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/mario-batali-4002_book_when-i-was-in-college-i-used-to-write-li_67958.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/mario-batali-4002_book_when-i-was-in-college-i-used-to-write-li_67958.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/mario-batali-4002_book_when-i-was-in-college-i-used-to-write-li_67958.jpg) > “When I was in college, I used to write little ditties and short stories and poetry for my friends. Writing a book is another thing. It is so much different from my traditional day of dirty fingernails and greasy hair and hot pans.” [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes the contrast between casual creative writing for friends and the disciplined, demanding process of authoring a book. **In simple terms:** Creative hobby vs. professional craft Key Takeaway Scale changes effort Themes creativity discipline craftsmanship identity growth Mood reflective determined Type personal anecdote advice When to use this quote - writing for friends - starting a novel - transitioning to professional publishing Key Concepts writing authoring personal expression Practical Applications - motivational talk for aspiring writers - creative writing workshop Questions to Reflect On - What does it take to shift from casual to serious writing? - How does the medium affect the writer’s mindset? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hair/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Short stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-stories/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing a book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-a-book/) ## Related quotes > [My friends found out that I was writing a book on Twitter. It didn't seem worth mentioning over dinner. They're all so successful themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-chung/my-friends-found-out-that-i-was-writing-a-book-on-twitter-it-didn-t/) [Alexa Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-chung/) > [Writing a book is something I actually feel like I could do. I don't know when that would happen, but I feel like if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/writing-a-book-is-something-i-actually-feel-like-i-could-do-i-don-t/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [All that matters in life is forging deep ties of love and family and friends. Writing and reading come later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/all-that-matters-in-life-is-forging-deep-ties-of-love-and-family-and/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [One thing that did give me pause for thought, when I told my female friends now that I was writing about a 13-year-old girl,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pearson/one-thing-that-did-give-me-pause-for-thought-when-i-told-my-female/) [Allison Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-pearson/) > [When I try to explain to people the big influences in my life, or at least when I first started, the most important ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/when-i-try-to-explain-to-people-the-big-influences-in-my-life-or-at/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I was a nerdy kid and I was writing and showing other fellows who are still my friends what I was writing. We were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-zambra/i-was-a-nerdy-kid-and-i-was-writing-and-showing-other-fellows-who-are/) [Alejandro Zambra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-zambra/) > [“Being friends as in writing letters was so much easier than being friends as in living together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/being-friends-as-in-writing-letters-was-so-much-easier-than-being/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [Sometimes minor characters are based on people I know, on friends of mine. But I'm not writing a thinly veiled version of my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/sometimes-minor-characters-are-based-on-people-i-know-on-friends-of/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“True learning happens when books and friends, writing and understanding intermingle in a rich soup of participation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-david-lankes/true-learning-happens-when-books-and-friends-writing-and/) R. David Lankes > [I believe that everybody needs to tell their story - to be heard, to be seen, to be acknowledged, to be understood. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/i-believe-that-everybody-needs-to-tell-their-story-to-be-heard-to-be/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [Do you know what writing a book is? It's sitting alone in a room for weeks without making contact with another human. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/do-you-know-what-writing-a-book-is-it-s-sitting-alone-in-a-room-for/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [“Writing a book is a blood sport. If it doesn't hurt when you're done, you're probably doing something wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevis-hendrickson/writing-a-book-is-a-blood-sport-if-it-doesn-t-hurt-when-you-re-done/) [Kevis Hendrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevis-hendrickson/) > [Writing a book is a brilliant thing because once you've finished it, you've done it, and there's the potential for it to go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/writing-a-book-is-a-brilliant-thing-because-once-you-ve-finished-it/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [These are rules I've picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I'm writing a book, to help me show rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/these-are-rules-i-ve-picked-up-along-the-way-to-help-me-remain/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Writing a book is an adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/writing-a-book-is-an-adventure/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) ## More by Mario Batali > [I put hibiscus flower in every cup of tea I have. It's sweet, sexy, and cleansing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/i-put-hibiscus-flower-in-every-cup-of-tea-i-have-it-s-sweet-sexy-and/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [ \[If\] we can celebrate that in a way that celebrates our love for New England as well as our love for the Italian culture… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/if-we-can-celebrate-that-in-a-way-that-celebrates-our-love-for-new/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [I really want to be a rock star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/i-really-want-to-be-a-rock-star/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [Food is "everyday"-it has to be, or we would not survive for long. But food is never just something to eat. It is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/food-is-everyday-it-has-to-be-or-we-would-not-survive-for-long-but/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [Cookbooks have all become baroque and very predictable. I'm looking for something different. A lot of chefs' cookbooks are food as it's done in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/cookbooks-have-all-become-baroque-and-very-predictable-i-m-looking/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [Jimmy Fallon and I play regularly at the Bayonne Golf Club in Jersey. He's eighteen holes of fun. Any time we play he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/jimmy-fallon-and-i-play-regularly-at-the-bayonne-golf-club-in-jersey/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [The Gulf Coast has the potential to create a culinary raw ingredient paradise that smart cooks can capitalize on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/the-gulf-coast-has-the-potential-to-create-a-culinary-raw-ingredient/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [I come from an Italian family. One of the greatest and most profound expressions we would ever use in conversations or arguments was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/i-come-from-an-italian-family-one-of-the-greatest-and-most-profound/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [When you use Tabasco in the marinade, it kind of infuses everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/when-you-use-tabasco-in-the-marinade-it-kind-of-infuses-everything/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [I think that there is philanthropy and there is publicity. If you can marry the two to do something good, then I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/i-think-that-there-is-philanthropy-and-there-is-publicity-if-you-can/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [Finishing food is about the tiny touches. In the last seconds you can change everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/finishing-food-is-about-the-tiny-touches-in-the-last-seconds-you-can/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [I obsess everyday about everything. Not only about what we do well but what we can do better... In the end, the only reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/i-obsess-everyday-about-everything-not-only-about-what-we-do-well-but/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [Are we Darwinists - where we live and let live? Or are we nurturing as a society? There has to be a standard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/are-we-darwinists-where-we-live-and-let-live-or-are-we-nurturing-as-a/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [The pendulum of cookery techniques became more significant than the actual experience. And when that happens, the customer's satisfaction becomes secondary to the chef's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/the-pendulum-of-cookery-techniques-became-more-significant-than-the/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [As far away as you can get from the process of mechanisms and machinery, the more likely your food's going to taste good. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/as-far-away-as-you-can-get-from-the-process-of-mechanisms-and/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) [Explore all 118 Mario Batali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“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/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was in college, I used to write little ditties and short stories and poetry for my friends. 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