--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I were a first rate writer, I wouldn't…" description: "\"If I were a first rate writer, I wouldn't mind a bit. What does depress me is this: it is so desperately hard and so obsessive and so lonely to write t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/martha-gellhorn-8061_clear_if-i-were-a-first-rate-writer-i-wouldn-t_845487.jpg" --- # If I were a first rate writer, I wouldn't mind a bit. What… ![“If I were a first rate writer, I wouldn't mind a bit. What does depress me is this: it is so desperately hard and so obsessive and so lonely to write that, in return for all this work, one would like a little self satisfaction. And that is never going to come, for the simple reason that I do not…” quote by Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/martha-gellhorn-8061_clear_if-i-were-a-first-rate-writer-i-wouldn-t_845487.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/martha-gellhorn-8061_clear_if-i-were-a-first-rate-writer-i-wouldn-t_845487.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/martha-gellhorn-8061_clear_if-i-were-a-first-rate-writer-i-wouldn-t_845487.jpg) > “If I were a first rate writer, I wouldn't mind a bit. What does depress me is this: it is so desperately hard and so obsessive and so lonely to write that, in return for all this work, one would like a little self satisfaction. And that is never going to come, for the simple reason that I do not deserve it. I cannot be a good enough writer. You see? I call it grim. But the future looks awfully clear to me.” [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She doubts her worth as a writer, feeling isolated and unfulfilled despite hard work, yet sees a clear future. **In simple terms:** Self‑doubt hinders creative satisfaction. Key Takeaway Acknowledge effort, seek external validation, keep writing. Themes creative struggle self‑esteem loneliness future vision Mood determined reflective Type creative personal When to use this quote - writing workshops - peer feedback - goal setting - mental health support Key Concepts impostor syndrome creative process psychology of achievement Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure your writing success? - What support can you seek? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Depressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depressing/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-satisfaction/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [There is a big difference between being lonely and being alone. I am alone when I write, but I am rarely lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mcaleer/there-is-a-big-difference-between-being-lonely-and-being-alone-i-am/) Andrew McAleer > [Writing is a solitary endeavor, but not a lonely one. When you write, your world is populated by the characters you invent, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/writing-is-a-solitary-endeavor-but-not-a-lonely-one-when-you-write/) [Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/) > [I write sometimes when I'm sad, I write sometimes when I'm lonely, I write sometimes when I'm afraid, but most of all I write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-chable/i-write-sometimes-when-i-m-sad-i-write-sometimes-when-i-m-lonely-i/) [Ana Chable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-chable/) > [Philip Roth is a good writer, but I wouldn't want to shake hands with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-susann/philip-roth-is-a-good-writer-but-i-wouldn-t-want-to-shake-hands-with/) [Jacqueline Susann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-susann/) > [“If I believed people who told me you can't make a living as a writer, I wouldn't be making a living as a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-meikle/if-i-believed-people-who-told-me-you-can-t-make-a-living-as-a-writer/) [William Meikle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-meikle/) > [As a writer, I wouldn't know how to not take things out of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-cassavetes/as-a-writer-i-wouldn-t-know-how-to-not-take-things-out-of-my-life/) [Zoe Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-cassavetes/) > [She's a writer. The kind of writer who wouldn't be published outside. She believes that when one deals with words, one deals with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-s-a-writer-the-kind-of-writer-who-wouldn-t-be-published-outside/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [If I really considered myself a writer, I wouldn't be writing screenplays. I'd be writing novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/if-i-really-considered-myself-a-writer-i-wouldn-t-be-writing/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [Every once in a while someone says, 'You can't really learn anything, if you're really a writer then you wouldn't need to do it.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/every-once-in-a-while-someone-says-you-can-t-really-learn-anything-if/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [I picked up 'On Moral Fiction' in the bookstore and looked up myself in the index, but I didn't read it through. I try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-picked-up-on-moral-fiction-in-the-bookstore-and-looked-up-myself-in/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“It didn't exactly depress me to think about it, but it didn't make me feel gay as hell either. Certain things should stay the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/it-didn-t-exactly-depress-me-to-think-about-it-but-it-didn-t-make-me/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [And what if in the future we're at war again, or we still haven't elected a non-white or non-male president, or the Rolling Stones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/and-what-if-in-the-future-we-re-at-war-again-or-we-still-haven-t/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) > [“A premature death does not only rob one of the countless instances where one would have experienced pleasure, it also saves one from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-premature-death-does-not-only-rob-one-of-the-countless-instances/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Look at you—instead of being dressed for success, you’re dressed to depress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mardi-ballou/look-at-you-instead-of-being-dressed-for-success-you-re-dressed-to/) Mardi Ballou > [No one ever say life was easy there will always be someone to breake ur heart you be sooo depress you just in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unone/no-one-ever-say-life-was-easy-there-will-always-be-someone-to-breake/) Unone ## More by Martha Gellhorn > [Nothing is better for self-esteem than survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/nothing-is-better-for-self-esteem-than-survival/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [All politicians are bores and liars and fakes. I talk to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/all-politicians-are-bores-and-liars-and-fakes-i-talk-to-people/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [“This was not the velvet embracing desert sky at El Geneina; this was infinite space. The idea of no boundaries, no end, is terrifying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/this-was-not-the-velvet-embracing-desert-sky-at-el-geneina-this-was/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [I do not see myself as a footnote to someone else's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/i-do-not-see-myself-as-a-footnote-to-someone-else-s-life/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [the English don't go in for imagination: imagination is considered to be improper if not downright alarmist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/the-english-don-t-go-in-for-imagination-imagination-is-considered-to/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [My definition of what makes a journey wholly or partially horrible is boredom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/my-definition-of-what-makes-a-journey-wholly-or-partially-horrible-is/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Joseph McCarthy, the Junior Republican Senator from Wisconsin, ruled America like devil king for four years. His purges were an American mirror image of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/joseph-mccarthy-the-junior-republican-senator-from-wisconsin-ruled/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Public opinion, though slow as lava, in the end forces governments towards more sanity, more justice. My heroes and heroines are all private citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/public-opinion-though-slow-as-lava-in-the-end-forces-governments/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [I daresay I was the worst bed partner in five continents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/i-daresay-i-was-the-worst-bed-partner-in-five-continents/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Once you get a tyranny, you don't easily get rid of it. Much better to remember about eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/once-you-get-a-tyranny-you-don-t-easily-get-rid-of-it-much-better-to/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [In the last camp they all ate grass, until the authorities forbade them to pull it up. They were accustomed to having the fruits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/in-the-last-camp-they-all-ate-grass-until-the-authorities-forbade/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Citizenship is a tough occupation which obliges the citizen to make his own informed opinion and stand by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/citizenship-is-a-tough-occupation-which-obliges-the-citizen-to-make/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Americans did not acquire their fear neurosis as the result of a traumatic experience - war devasting their country, pestilence sweeping the land, famine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/americans-did-not-acquire-their-fear-neurosis-as-the-result-of-a/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [From the earliest wars of men to our last heart-breaking worldwide effort, all we could do was kill ourselves. Now we are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/from-the-earliest-wars-of-men-to-our-last-heart-breaking-worldwide/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Why do people talk of the horrors of old age? It's great. I feel like a fine old car with the parts gradually wearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/why-do-people-talk-of-the-horrors-of-old-age-it-s-great-i-feel-like-a/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) [Explore all 84 Martha Gellhorn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) ## More Clear quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. 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