--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm supposed to be writing a book, and I…" description: "\"I'm supposed to be writing a book, and I can hardly read.\" — Mark Fidrych" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/mark-fidrych-68218_book_i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i_1162884.png" --- # I'm supposed to be writing a book, and I can hardly read. ![“I'm supposed to be writing a book, and I can hardly read.” quote by Mark Fidrych](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/mark-fidrych-68218_book_i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i_1162884.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/mark-fidrych-68218_book_i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i_1162884.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/mark-fidrych-68218_book_i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i_1162884.png) > “I'm supposed to be writing a book, and I can hardly read.” Mark Fidrych ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker feels unable to perform a task despite expectations, highlighting a mismatch between duty and ability. **In simple terms:** Can't do what I'm supposed to. Key Takeaway Accept limits and seek help. Themes frustration selfdoubt expectations Mood anxious reflective Type personal motivational When to use this quote - writing a book - learning to read - career pressure Key Concepts selfefficacy role conflict Questions to Reflect On - What support could bridge the gap? - Is the pressure self‑imposed? A Different Perspective May reflect temporary fatigue, not permanent inability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing a book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-a-book/) ## Related quotes > [When I'm supposed to be writing I clean my apartment, take my clothes to the laundry, get organized, make lists, do the dishes. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/when-i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-i-clean-my-apartment-take-my-clothes/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [When I was younger I was much more polemical and didactic, much less trusting. Inherently my own vision of the world would weave its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/when-i-was-younger-i-was-much-more-polemical-and-didactic-much-less/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [Not writing is probably the most exhausting profession I've ever encountered. It takes it out of you. It's very psychically wearing not to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/not-writing-is-probably-the-most-exhausting-profession-i-ve-ever/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [When you find yourself on the Internet when you're supposed to be writing, you've already lost. It's even beyond procrastination when you end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-baumbach/when-you-find-yourself-on-the-internet-when-you-re-supposed-to-be/) [Noah Baumbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-baumbach/) > [When I think about how good my book could be, I can hardly breathe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/when-i-think-about-how-good-my-book-could-be-i-can-hardly-breathe/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [Sometimes when I think how good my book can be, I can hardly breathe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/sometimes-when-i-think-how-good-my-book-can-be-i-can-hardly-breathe/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [Worship isn't destructive, Martin. I know that. I don't. I only know it's the core of his life. What else has he got? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/worship-isn-t-destructive-martin-i-know-that-i-don-t-i-only-know-it-s/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [“Another time, talking about his books, the baroness confessed that she had never bothered to read any of them, because she hardly ever read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-bola-o/another-time-talking-about-his-books-the-baroness-confessed-that-she/) [Roberto Bolaño](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-bola-o/) > [Once, I had so many scripts coming to me that I could hardly read them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-scacchi/once-i-had-so-many-scripts-coming-to-me-that-i-could-hardly-read-them/) [Greta Scacchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-scacchi/) > [But you will hardly ever read about them. Why? Because once again, the media has predetermined what is not worthy of coverage, even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/but-you-will-hardly-ever-read-about-them-why-because-once-again-the/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [He could hardly read or write but his heart spoke the language of the good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/he-could-hardly-read-or-write-but-his-heart-spoke-the-language-of-the/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [I hardly ever read anything about myself because it's all distractions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sale/i-hardly-ever-read-anything-about-myself-because-it-s-all-distractions/) [Chris Sale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sale/) > [You're supposed to be writing from experience - experience with people, with reading, seeing some homeless guy on the street and making up some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-plec/you-re-supposed-to-be-writing-from-experience-experience-with-people/) [Julie Plec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-plec/) > [I grew up at the time of Social Realism in Poland, when everyone was supposed to be 'writing for the workers.' But I soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-penderecki/i-grew-up-at-the-time-of-social-realism-in-poland-when-everyone-was/) [Krzysztof Penderecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-penderecki/) > [“Cath wanted to work on her own story now. Not the one for class. "Carry on". "Carry on" was Cath's story. Thousands of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/cath-wanted-to-work-on-her-own-story-now-not-the-one-for-class-carry/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) ## More by Mark Fidrych > [When you're a winner you're always happy, but if you're happy as a loser you'll always be a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fidrych/when-you-re-a-winner-you-re-always-happy-but-if-you-re-happy-as-a/) Mark Fidrych > [Sometimes I get lazy and let the dishes stack up. But they don't stack too high. I've only got four dishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fidrych/sometimes-i-get-lazy-and-let-the-dishes-stack-up-but-they-don-t-stack/) Mark Fidrych > [What I got out of baseball is what I have today, and I've got to look at that. I still see some of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fidrych/what-i-got-out-of-baseball-is-what-i-have-today-and-i-ve-got-to-look/) Mark Fidrych Explore all 4 Mark Fidrych quotes ## 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": "I'm supposed to be writing a book, and I can hardly read.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Fidrych" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fidrych/i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i-can-hardly-read/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fidrych/i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i-can-hardly-read/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/mark-fidrych-68218_book_i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i_1162884.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/mark-fidrych-68218_book_i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i_1162884.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/mark-fidrych-68218_book_i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i_1162884.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm supposed to be writing a book, and I can hardly read.” — Mark Fidrych", "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": "Mark Fidrych", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fidrych/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm supposed to be writing a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fidrych/i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i-can-hardly-read/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fidrych/i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i-can-hardly-read/#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 } } ] } ```