--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A common question asked of writers is…" description: "\"A common question asked of writers is \"When did you decide to become a writer?\" The answer, of course, is that we didn't decide anything. It was decide..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/363/mary-higgins-clark-22184_angel_a-common-question-asked-of-writers-is-wh_1971637.jpg" --- # A common question asked of writers is "When did you decide… ![“A common question asked of writers is "When did you decide to become a writer?" The answer, of course, is that we didn't decide anything. It was decided for us. I firmly believe that mythical godmothers make appearances at our cradles, and bestow their gifts. The godmother who might have blessed…” quote by Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/363/mary-higgins-clark-22184_angel_a-common-question-asked-of-writers-is-wh_1971637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/363/mary-higgins-clark-22184_angel_a-common-question-asked-of-writers-is-wh_1971637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/363/mary-higgins-clark-22184_angel_a-common-question-asked-of-writers-is-wh_1971637.jpg) > “A common question asked of writers is "When did you decide to become a writer?" The answer, of course, is that we didn't decide anything. It was decided for us. I firmly believe that mythical godmothers make appearances at our cradles, and bestow their gifts. The godmother who might have blessed me with a singing voice did not show up; the goddess of dance was nowhere in sight; the chef-to-the-angels was otherwise engaged. Only one made the journey to my cradle, and she whispered, "You will be a storyteller."” [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that creative destiny is imposed by unseen forces rather than a conscious choice, framing talent as a gift bestowed by mythic figures. **In simple terms:** Talent is given, not chosen. Key Takeaway Embrace the role you feel destined for. Themes destiny creativity talent mythology Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career choice - writing - artistic pursuits - self‑discovery Key Concepts fate giftedness inspiration Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel your path was predetermined? - How do you nurture gifts you think were given? A Different Perspective It may overlook effort and learning needed to develop skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) [Blessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessed/) [Chef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chef/) [Goddess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goddess/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Singing voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing-voice/) [Storyteller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storyteller/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I know all actors are different, but I've never sat down and asked the writers, 'Where are we headed? Am I good or bad?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-brown/i-know-all-actors-are-different-but-i-ve-never-sat-down-and-asked-the/) Blair Brown > [“It was one of the two questions people most frequently asked writers, and if he invited her to join him, it wouldn’t take her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/it-was-one-of-the-two-questions-people-most-frequently-asked-writers/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I never bought the excuse of not having time to write. If you really want to do it, you're either going to find those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/i-never-bought-the-excuse-of-not-having-time-to-write-if-you-really/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) > [Be cautious, understand the consequences of your decisions. You have to understand the consequences of every decision that you make. If you decide to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-gabler/be-cautious-understand-the-consequences-of-your-decisions-you-have-to/) [Neal Gabler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-gabler/) > [When you decide 'to be a writer,' you don't have the faintest idea of what the work is like. When you begin, you write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/when-you-decide-to-be-a-writer-you-don-t-have-the-faintest-idea-of/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [To this day, if you ask me how I became a writer, I cannot give you an answer. To this day, if you ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/to-this-day-if-you-ask-me-how-i-became-a-writer-i-cannot-give-you-an/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it's the answer to everything. ... It's the streaming reason for living. To note, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/who-wants-to-become-a-writer-and-why-because-it-s-the-answer-to/) [Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/) > [If you're a writer, the answer to everything is yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/if-you-re-a-writer-the-answer-to-everything-is-yes/) [Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/) > [Some actors, I think, want to feel that they are as creative as the writer. And the answer is, frankly, they're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/some-actors-i-think-want-to-feel-that-they-are-as-creative-as-the/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [My son has godmothers, godfathers, grandparents and so many others in his life who love him as much as I do. They're there for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-scott/my-son-has-godmothers-godfathers-grandparents-and-so-many-others-in/) [Jill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-scott/) > [“Fairy godmothers didn't exist, and even if they did, they wouldn't wave a magic wand and make everything better.(Not without a contract, anyway.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/fairy-godmothers-didn-t-exist-and-even-if-they-did-they-wouldn-t-wave-2/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [“People would rather believe in fairy godmothers and divine intervention than to think that you took charge of your own destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-peterson-haddix/people-would-rather-believe-in-fairy-godmothers-and-divine/) [Margaret Peterson Haddix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-peterson-haddix/) > [“When you’re good, you’re good!” -Godmothers Series”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fern-michaels/when-you-re-good-you-re-good-godmothers-series/) [Fern Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fern-michaels/) > [Aren't fairy godmothers supposed to be nice and make you feel better about yourself? ...No, you're confusing fairy godmothers with sales clerks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janette-rallison/aren-t-fairy-godmothers-supposed-to-be-nice-and-make-you-feel-better/) [Janette Rallison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janette-rallison/) > [“Fairy godmothers didn't exist, and even if they did, they wouldn't wave a magic wand and make everything better. (Not without a contract, anyway.)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/fairy-godmothers-didn-t-exist-and-even-if-they-did-they-wouldn-t-wave/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) ## More by Mary Higgins Clark > [The first four months of writing the book, my mental image is scratching with my hands through granite. My other image is pushing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/the-first-four-months-of-writing-the-book-my-mental-image-is/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [“Hello,” he said. “Tom?” A whoop of joy. “Alice, where are you? Are you all right?” “Never better, Tom. And you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/hello-he-said-tom-a-whoop-of-joy-alice-where-are-you-are-you-all/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [“Exposed to the world for what she was; numbed with worry and fear; trying to answer the question... The same question the police had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/exposed-to-the-world-for-what-she-was-numbed-with-worry-and-fear/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [When a scientist's son or daughter becomes a scientist they'll say "Wonderful! Wonderful!" So, why, in the name of God, would a mother be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/when-a-scientist-s-son-or-daughter-becomes-a-scientist-they-ll-say/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [Even though it was six o'clock, there was no sense of approaching dawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/even-though-it-was-six-o-clock-there-was-no-sense-of-approaching-dawn/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [“and beeping, obviously sure that I was either too stupid or too deaf to hear the racket.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/and-beeping-obviously-sure-that-i-was-either-too-stupid-or-too-deaf/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [Approach your lives as if they were novels, with their own heroes, villains, red herrings, and triumphs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/approach-your-lives-as-if-they-were-novels-with-their-own-heroes/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [Happines is like mercury. Hard to hold, and when we drop it, it shatters into a million pieces. Maybe the bravest of all are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/happines-is-like-mercury-hard-to-hold-and-when-we-drop-it-it-shatters/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [“In her room death would come as a friend, a friend with cool gentle hands . . .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/in-her-room-death-would-come-as-a-friend-a-friend-with-cool-gentle/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [Funny, when you finally faced reality, it was amazing how clearly you could see things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/funny-when-you-finally-faced-reality-it-was-amazing-how-clearly-you/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [live your life as if you may lose everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/live-your-life-as-if-you-may-lose-everything/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [The truth is I hate cocktail parties when the only person I know is my supposed date, and he abandons me the minute we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/the-truth-is-i-hate-cocktail-parties-when-the-only-person-i-know-is/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [It's funny how, even long after you've accepted the grief of losing someone you love and truly have gotten on with your life, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/it-s-funny-how-even-long-after-you-ve-accepted-the-grief-of-losing/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [“Never better, Tom. And you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/never-better-tom-and-you/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) > [I am a natural optimist but there were times when (it seemed like) I was doing nothing but adding up on the back of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/i-am-a-natural-optimist-but-there-were-times-when-it-seemed-like-i/) [Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) [Explore all 27 Mary Higgins Clark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/) ## More Angel quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [If I wer an angel,i would make all your wishes come true..but I'm only a girl a girl who loves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/if-i-wer-an-angel-i-would-make-all-your-wishes-come-true-but-i-m-only/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Behind my eyelids, I saw him dancing in spirals of coloured light, emerald, blue, and brilliant purple, enfolding him like the wings of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/behind-my-eyelids-i-saw-him-dancing-in-spirals-of-coloured-light/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [I believe in UFOs, I believe in extraterrestrials, and I believe in angels. And maybe they'll protect all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-believe-in-ufos-i-believe-in-extraterrestrials-and-i-believe-in/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [You should never feel lonely, neglected, fearful, or defeated when you remember that there are the shining ones. They are watching with keen interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flower-a-newhouse/you-should-never-feel-lonely-neglected-fearful-or-defeated-when-you/) [Flower A. Newhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flower-a-newhouse/) > [Hark the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born king.' Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/hark-the-herald-angels-sing-glory-to-the-new-born-king-peace-on-earth/) [Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/) > [Man was created a little lower than the angels and has been getting a little lower ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/man-was-created-a-little-lower-than-the-angels-and-has-been-getting-a/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Mooner was walking around laying his hands on the cars, divining karma. "this is it", he said, standing by a small khaki-colored jeep."this car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/mooner-was-walking-around-laying-his-hands-on-the-cars-divining-karma/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) [Browse all 4,625 Angel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A common question asked of writers is \"When did you decide to become a writer?\" The answer, of course, is that we didn't decide anything. It was decided for us. I firmly believe that mythical godmothers make appearances at our cradles, and bestow their gifts. The godmother who might have blessed me with a singing voice did not show up; the goddess of dance was nowhere in sight; the chef-to-the-angels was otherwise engaged. 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