---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I spent a lot of time trying to layer…"
description: "\"I spent a lot of time trying to layer upon layer upon layer as I wrote. I think that's often the fear of a writer, that little nuances won't get picked..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/morgan-parker-6193_fear_i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-up_732729.jpg"
---

#  I spent a lot of time trying to layer upon layer upon…

![“I spent a lot of time trying to layer upon layer upon layer as I wrote. I think that's often the fear of a writer, that little nuances won't get picked up.” quote by Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/morgan-parker-6193_fear_i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-up_732729.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/morgan-parker-6193_fear_i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-up_732729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/morgan-parker-6193_fear_i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-up_732729.jpg)

> “I spent a lot of time trying to layer upon layer upon layer as I wrote. I think that's often the fear of a writer, that little nuances won't get picked up.”

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

## About This Quote

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

Writers often over‑layer prose, fearing subtlety will be missed, which can stall creativity.

**In simple terms:** Writers fear nuance will be overlooked.

Key Takeaway

Simplify to let ideas breathe.

Themes

writing creativity self‑criticism

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

advice creative

When to use this quote

- novel drafting
- poetry workshops
- blog posts

Key Concepts

over‑analysis authentic voice

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you trust your instincts?
- When did simplicity improve your work?

A Different Perspective

Over‑editing can stifle originality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-writer-2932673/) [Layer Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/layer-wrote-5736519/) [Layers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/layers/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Nuance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuance/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Trying Layer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-layer-5736520/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote/) [Wrote Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-think-1906227/)

## Related quotes

> [My constant fear as a writer as that I will fail to convey the gravity of living. I know that to some degree that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-powell/my-constant-fear-as-a-writer-as-that-i-will-fail-to-convey-the/)

[Mark Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-powell/)

> [My fear, as a writer, is that I am a curiosity. That I can only bring you this peculiar condition from far away, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-burgess/my-fear-as-a-writer-is-that-i-am-a-curiosity-that-i-can-only-bring/)

[Tony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-burgess/)

> [“Writers, by their very nature,  live a thousand lives and die a thousand times.  They experience loss each time a character dies.  They revel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-ray-palmer/writers-by-their-very-nature-live-a-thousand-lives-and-die-a-thousand/)

[Larry Ray Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-ray-palmer/)

> [“I wanted someone, somewhere, whom I might never meet, to read a sentence I wrote and think, “I thought I was the only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/i-wanted-someone-somewhere-whom-i-might-never-meet-to-read-a-sentence/)

[Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/)

> [I'd have to think about it, but I was listening to this Johnny Cash song today that Tom Waits wrote for him - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-vernon/i-d-have-to-think-about-it-but-i-was-listening-to-this-johnny-cash/)

[Justin Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-vernon/)

> [“I promise. For the other side of the card, I put the giraffe and penguin on it and wrote: To think and try not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-miranda/i-promise-for-the-other-side-of-the-card-i-put-the-giraffe-and/)

[Shirley Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-miranda/)

> [“Napoleon Hill also rehashed 'thoughts create things' when he wrote Think & Grow Rich in 1937 (although it had taken him 25 years to complete).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/napoleon-hill-also-rehashed-thoughts-create-things-when-he-wrote/)

[Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/)

> [“St. Augustine wrote something once, something I think about often,” he said. “ ‘God triumphs on the ruins of our plans.’ And maybe that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/st-augustine-wrote-something-once-something-i-think-about-often-he/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [When you watch the subtitled version you are probably missing just as many things. There is a layer and a nuance you're not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/when-you-watch-the-subtitled-version-you-are-probably-missing-just-as/)

[Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/)

> [I get nostalgic for things that didn't really exist. I might have a cassette from the first time a Melle Mel track, say, got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brown/i-get-nostalgic-for-things-that-didn-t-really-exist-i-might-have-a/)

[Rob Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brown/)

> [I try as best I can to enter the realm of nuances of human behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ludlum/i-try-as-best-i-can-to-enter-the-realm-of-nuances-of-human-behavior/)

[Robert Ludlum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ludlum/)

> [“We tend to chew life into pieces to make it easier for us to swallow, but the challenge is to know that life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kristian-flores/we-tend-to-chew-life-into-pieces-to-make-it-easier-for-us-to-swallow/)

[Karl Kristian Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kristian-flores/)

> [To me, grey is the welcome and only possible equivalent for indifference, noncommitment, absence of opinion, absence of shape. But grey, like formlessness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/to-me-grey-is-the-welcome-and-only-possible-equivalent-for/)

[Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/)

> [Every design is a rigorous attempt to capture a concrete moment of a transitory image in all its nuances. The extent to which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvaro-siza-vieira/every-design-is-a-rigorous-attempt-to-capture-a-concrete-moment-of-a/)

[Alvaro Siza Vieira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvaro-siza-vieira/)

> [With pencil there is a tendency to be timid, either using very faint lines or erasing bad lines... Line sketching tends to emphasize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laseau/with-pencil-there-is-a-tendency-to-be-timid-either-using-very-faint/)

[Paul Laseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laseau/)

## More by Morgan Parker

> [It's always hard for me to find a therapist who is a black woman or even a woman of color. It's something that we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/it-s-always-hard-for-me-to-find-a-therapist-who-is-a-black-woman-or/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [ I liked the idea of using this mega-star \[Beyoncé \] to talk about all those things on the tiny scale of my life. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-liked-the-idea-of-using-this-mega-star-beyonc-to-talk-about-all/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [I think that we need to make it our goal to define freedom for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-think-that-we-need-to-make-it-our-goal-to-define-freedom-for/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [“I admired how perfectly matched they seemed to be, and I started to wonder about my own, personal definition of love. Had it been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-admired-how-perfectly-matched-they-seemed-to-be-and-i-started-to/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [“Writers are always scrapping one word for a better one. Regular people just say stuff, they don't replace there words ever. Its the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/writers-are-always-scrapping-one-word-for-a-better-one-regular-people/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [ The book \[There are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé?\] is quite complex, and I was worried that it would be marketed as one-sided or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/the-book-there-are-more-beautiful-things-than-beyonc-is-quite-complex/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [We kind of have to rewrite our own stories and our own ways of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/we-kind-of-have-to-rewrite-our-own-stories-and-our-own-ways-of-being/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [“...Love isn't a heart condition. It's not even an emotional one. It's just a four-letter word we want to use when we want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/love-isn-t-a-heart-condition-it-s-not-even-an-emotional-one-it-s-just/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [“A non-fucking fuck-friend, I guess. A non-friction friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/a-non-fucking-fuck-friend-i-guess-a-non-friction-friend/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [“All you’ve done is remind me of what an asshole you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/all-you-ve-done-is-remind-me-of-what-an-asshole-you-are/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [“I am a dreamer with empty hands and I like the chill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-am-a-dreamer-with-empty-hands-and-i-like-the-chill/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [“You're a writer, though. Your words are malleable, replaceable, and by definition untrustworthy. they mean nothing to you and that's what I'm afraid I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/you-re-a-writer-though-your-words-are-malleable-replaceable-and-by/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [There was something about Beyoncé that felt like a vessel, I guess, that I could kind of impose all of these feelings and thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/there-was-something-about-beyonc-that-felt-like-a-vessel-i-guess-that/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [Where I would usually backspace, I stop and say, "You know what? This is important, that I say how I feel and don't sugarcoat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/where-i-would-usually-backspace-i-stop-and-say-you-know-what-this-is/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [“i believe that “love” is not about forgiveness, it’s about acceptance, and acceptance keeps relationships alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-believe-that-love-is-not-about-forgiveness-it-s-about-acceptance/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

[Explore all 99 Morgan Parker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

## More Fear quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/)

[Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/)

> [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/)

[M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/)

> [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/)

[Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/)

> [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/)

[Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/)

> [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/)

[Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/)

> [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/)

[Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/)

> [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/)

[Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/)

> [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/)

[Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

[Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I spent a lot of time trying to layer upon layer upon layer as I wrote. I think that's often the fear of a writer, that little nuances won't get picked up.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Morgan Parker"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-upon-layer-upon-layer-as-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fear"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-upon-layer-upon-layer-as-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/morgan-parker-6193_fear_i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-up_732729.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/morgan-parker-6193_fear_i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-up_732729.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/morgan-parker-6193_fear_i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-up_732729.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I spent a lot of time trying to layer upon layer upon layer as I wrote. I think that's often the fear of a…” — Morgan Parker",
                "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": "Morgan Parker",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I spent a lot of time...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-upon-layer-upon-layer-as-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-layer-upon-layer-upon-layer-as-i/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```