--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not everyone who knows how to write can…" description: "\"“Not everyone who knows how to write can be a writer. Not everyone who knows two languages can be a translator.”\" — Nataly Kelly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/nataly-kelly-43694_interpreting_not-everyone-who-knows-how-to-write-can_973841.jpg" --- # Not everyone who knows how to write can be a writer. Not… ![“Not everyone who knows how to write can be a writer. Not everyone who knows two languages can be a translator.” quote by Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/nataly-kelly-43694_interpreting_not-everyone-who-knows-how-to-write-can_973841.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/nataly-kelly-43694_interpreting_not-everyone-who-knows-how-to-write-can_973841.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/nataly-kelly-43694_interpreting_not-everyone-who-knows-how-to-write-can_973841.jpg) > ““Not everyone who knows how to write can be a writer. Not everyone who knows two languages can be a translator.”” [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing skill doesn’t guarantee authorship; bilingual ability doesn’t ensure translation quality. **In simple terms:** Knowing how to write or speak doesn’t make you a writer or translator. Key Takeaway Develop craft beyond technical skill. Themes writing translation skill identity Mood inquisitive encouraging Type educational motivational When to use this quote - career counseling - education programs - self-assessment - portfolio building Key Concepts authorship linguistic competence creative expression Questions to Reflect On - What defines a true writer? - How to evaluate translation proficiency? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on skill may ignore talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Linguistics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linguistics/) [Translation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/translation/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Translation software is not making translators obsolete. Has medical diagnostic software made doctors obsolete?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/translation-software-is-not-making-translators-obsolete-has-medical/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“Poetry translation is like playing a piano sonata on a trombone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/poetry-translation-is-like-playing-a-piano-sonata-on-a-trombone/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“To deny access to translation and interpreting services oppresses human rights and violates laws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/to-deny-access-to-translation-and-interpreting-services-oppresses/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“In Iraq, interpreters were ten times more likely to be killed than were U.S. troops.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/in-iraq-interpreters-were-ten-times-more-likely-to-be-killed-than/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“As long as human beings speak different languages, the need for translation will continue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/as-long-as-human-beings-speak-different-languages-the-need-for/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“Of the 193 recognized countries in the world, only politically isolated North Korea is considered monolingual.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/of-the-193-recognized-countries-in-the-world-only-politically/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [He who knows other languages feels even closer to his own language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-lomb/he-who-knows-other-languages-feels-even-closer-to-his-own-language/) [Kató Lomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-lomb/) > [Any writer knows he has to pay for his compliments. As soon as he has said, Why, thank you, that's very generous of you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jane-ward/any-writer-knows-he-has-to-pay-for-his-compliments-as-soon-as-he-has/) [Mary Jane Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jane-ward/) > [When a writer knows home in his heart, his heart must remain subtly apart from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-morris/when-a-writer-knows-home-in-his-heart-his-heart-must-remain-subtly/) [Willie Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-morris/) > [It's always incredible though when you feel like the writer knows the character intimately and can see their life sprawling away outside of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-ritchie/it-s-always-incredible-though-when-you-feel-like-the-writer-knows-the/) [Charlotte Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-ritchie/) > [There ought to be some sign in a book about man, that the writer knows thoroughly one man at least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-colby/there-ought-to-be-some-sign-in-a-book-about-man-that-the-writer-knows/) [Frank Moore Colby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-moore-colby/) > [“Art educates. That's why writers must know life. . .If the writer knows life, his work is often progressive, even though his own consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slawomir-mrozek/art-educates-that-s-why-writers-must-know-life-if-the-writer-knows/) slawomir mrozek > [Every writer knows that when you're imitating somebody - you know, you're sounding like Faulkner - you're doing pretty good, but your life in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/every-writer-knows-that-when-you-re-imitating-somebody-you-know-you/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [No writing effort is ever wasted. At the very least, it's practice, and a writer never knows when he or she might usefully cannibalize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/no-writing-effort-is-ever-wasted-at-the-very-least-it-s-practice-and/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [The writer knows his own worth, and to be overvalued can confuse and destroy him as an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-jackson/the-writer-knows-his-own-worth-and-to-be-overvalued-can-confuse-and/) [Charles R. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-jackson/) ## More by Nataly Kelly > [“Saving Lives and Protecting Rights in Translation It is said that life and death are under the power of language. —Hélène Cixous, French author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/saving-lives-and-protecting-rights-in-translation-it-is-said-that/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“Of the 193 recognized countries in the world, only politically isolated North Korea is considered monolingual.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/of-the-193-recognized-countries-in-the-world-only-politically/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“As long as human beings speak different languages, the need for translation will continue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/as-long-as-human-beings-speak-different-languages-the-need-for/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“Saving Lives and Protecting Rights in Translation It is said that life and death are under the power of language. —Hélène Cixous, French author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/saving-lives-and-protecting-rights-in-translation-it-is-said-that-2/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“In Iraq, interpreters were ten times more likely to be killed than were U.S. troops.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/in-iraq-interpreters-were-ten-times-more-likely-to-be-killed-than/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“To deny access to translation and interpreting services oppresses human rights and violates laws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/to-deny-access-to-translation-and-interpreting-services-oppresses/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“Poetry translation is like playing a piano sonata on a trombone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/poetry-translation-is-like-playing-a-piano-sonata-on-a-trombone/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) > [“Translation software is not making translators obsolete. Has medical diagnostic software made doctors obsolete?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nataly-kelly/translation-software-is-not-making-translators-obsolete-has-medical/) [Nataly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) [Explore all 9 Nataly Kelly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nataly-kelly/) ## More Interpreting quotes > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [These maxims and the art of interpreting them may be said to constitute the premisses of science but I prefer to call them our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-polanyi/these-maxims-and-the-art-of-interpreting-them-may-be-said-to/) [Michael Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-polanyi/) > [Bold ideas, unjustified anticipations, and speculative thought, are our only means for interpreting nature: our only organon, our only instrument, for grasping her. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/bold-ideas-unjustified-anticipations-and-speculative-thought-are-our/) [Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/) > [We should let Scripture interpret us more than we interpret Scripture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/we-should-let-scripture-interpret-us-more-than-we-interpret-scripture/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Working on an adaptation is not as satisfying, because it's not your original work: you're interpreting. With 'L.A. Confidential,' I loved the book. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-helgeland/working-on-an-adaptation-is-not-as-satisfying-because-it-s-not-your/) [Brian Helgeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-helgeland/) > [What one wishes is to be touched by truth and to be able to interpret that truth so that one may use what one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/what-one-wishes-is-to-be-touched-by-truth-and-to-be-able-to-interpret/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [The act of thinking and interpreting is so central to Judaism that it makes more sense that we've become people like Woody Allen -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/the-act-of-thinking-and-interpreting-is-so-central-to-judaism-that-it/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [In recitals, you are naked before the audience - well, naked with your jacket and tails. The audience sees and hears the real person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-carreras/in-recitals-you-are-naked-before-the-audience-well-naked-with-your/) [Jose Carreras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-carreras/) > [I don't feel I have to struggle against allegory. I let the readers do the interpreting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/i-don-t-feel-i-have-to-struggle-against-allegory-i-let-the-readers-do/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [There is no fixed physical reality, no single perception of the world, just numerous ways of interpreting world views as dictated by one's nervous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/there-is-no-fixed-physical-reality-no-single-perception-of-the-world/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Woodrow Wilson called for leaders who, by boldly interpreting the nation's conscience, could lift a people out of their everyday selves. That people can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macgregor-burns/woodrow-wilson-called-for-leaders-who-by-boldly-interpreting-the/) [James MacGregor Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macgregor-burns/) > [Interpreting at its core is taking in one language and putting out the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-abbott/interpreting-at-its-core-is-taking-in-one-language-and-putting-out/) Jennifer Abbott > [Science begins with the world we have to live in, accepting its data and trying to explain its laws. From there, it moves toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/science-begins-with-the-world-we-have-to-live-in-accepting-its-data/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [The discipline of suffering, of great suffering- do you not know that only this discipline has created all enhancements of man so far? That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-discipline-of-suffering-of-great-suffering-do-you-not-know-that-2/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Men and women may speak the same language, but we interpret words differently.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-cummins/men-and-women-may-speak-the-same-language-but-we-interpret-words/) [Pamela Cummins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-cummins/) Browse all 174 Interpreting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Not everyone who knows how to write can be a writer. 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