--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are a couple of utterly important…" description: "\"“There are a couple of utterly important rules to writing anything, whether it's a novel, a short story or a collection of poetry. And they're really t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/nicholas-trandahl-29310_beginning_there-are-a-couple-of-utterly-important_2362149.jpg" --- # There are a couple of utterly important rules to writing… ![“There are a couple of utterly important rules to writing anything, whether it's a novel, a short story or a collection of poetry. And they're really the only rules. 1: Quit talking about it and start. 2: Focus and finish it.” quote by Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/nicholas-trandahl-29310_beginning_there-are-a-couple-of-utterly-important_2362149.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/nicholas-trandahl-29310_beginning_there-are-a-couple-of-utterly-important_2362149.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/nicholas-trandahl-29310_beginning_there-are-a-couple-of-utterly-important_2362149.jpg) > ““There are a couple of utterly important rules to writing anything, whether it's a novel, a short story or a collection of poetry. And they're really the only rules. 1: Quit talking about it and start. 2: Focus and finish it.”” [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective writing hinges on two simple rules: stop over‑thinking and start, then maintain focus to finish. **In simple terms:** Start writing and stay focused to complete work. Key Takeaway Begin now and see projects through. Themes productivity focus discipline creativity completion Mood practical encouraging Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - novel drafting - short story completion - poetry compilation - academic paper - blog post Key Concepts writing process goal setting habit formation Questions to Reflect On - What prevents you from starting? - How can you sustain focus? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can still impede progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Ending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ending/) [Finish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finish/) [Important Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-rules-773187/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Quit Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quit-talking-641782/) [Rules Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-writing-429122/) [Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-novel/) ## Related quotes > [“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. —W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wax/there-are-three-rules-for-writing-a-novel-unfortunately-no-one-knows/) [Wendy Wax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wax/) > [There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/there-are-three-rules-for-writing-a-novel-unfortunately-no-one-knows-2/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“The three rules to writing a novel; 1) Write 2) Write more 3) Keep writing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scifurz/the-three-rules-to-writing-a-novel-1-write-2-write-more-3-keep-writing/) [SciFurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scifurz/) > [“We were all born to dream but to tap into the right dimension we have to quit talking and get into business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/we-were-all-born-to-dream-but-to-tap-into-the-right-dimension-we-have/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-way-to-get-started-is-to-quit-talking-and-begin-doing/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Every time I talked about making a picture I didn't do it. I had already done it - talking about it! I quit talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-callahan/every-time-i-talked-about-making-a-picture-i-didn-t-do-it-i-had/) [Harry Callahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-callahan/) > [We can talk about it all we want. But there comes a time when you just have to get it done and quit talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-helton/we-can-talk-about-it-all-we-want-but-there-comes-a-time-when-you-just/) [Todd Helton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-helton/) > [“They got stoneder and stoneder and quit talking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lethem/they-got-stoneder-and-stoneder-and-quit-talking/) [Jonathan Lethem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lethem/) > [Until a man can quit talking loudly to himself in order to shout down the memories of blunderings and gropings, he is in no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/until-a-man-can-quit-talking-loudly-to-himself-in-order-to-shout-down/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [People ought to quit talking to the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mcauliffe/people-ought-to-quit-talking-to-the-press/) [Terry McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mcauliffe/) > [I better quit my talking 'cause I told you all I know But please remember, pardner, wherever you may go The people are building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-guthrie/i-better-quit-my-talking-cause-i-told-you-all-i-know-but-please/) [Woody Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-guthrie/) > [People are ignorant. Quit talking crap, if you're wanting to fight, do it already. If not, drop it and chill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-are-ignorant-quit-talking-crap-if-you-re-wanting-to-fight-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [his planet came with a set of instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don’t poison the water, soil, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hawken/his-planet-came-with-a-set-of-instructions-but-we-seem-to-have/) [Paul Hawken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hawken/) > [The three most important rules to happiness:) 1. live 2.love 3. luagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-williams/the-three-most-important-rules-to-happiness-1-live-2-love-3-luagh/) [Jade Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-williams/) > [Good sound habits are more important than rules - use concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/good-sound-habits-are-more-important-than-rules-use-concepts/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) ## More by Nicholas Trandahl > [“It’s my opinion that only in times of utter depression or lofty peace is it appropriate to be creative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/it-s-my-opinion-that-only-in-times-of-utter-depression-or-lofty-peace/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“As long as I have other ideas and projects noted, I feel confident that they'll be alright until I get to them. And my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/as-long-as-i-have-other-ideas-and-projects-noted-i-feel-confident/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“I feel like these characters, these places, these beings and plots, and even these inanimate objects are counting on me for survival. It’s my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/i-feel-like-these-characters-these-places-these-beings-and-plots-and/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“Sometimes just being able to write only a few hundred words as opposed to a few thousand is just fine. As long as they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/sometimes-just-being-able-to-write-only-a-few-hundred-words-as/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“In my own book-signings, I find humility. It’s always humbling when people go out of their way to come visit with me and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/in-my-own-book-signings-i-find-humility-it-s-always-humbling-when/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“I primarily use poetry as a purge, a self-medication device when I’m in the depths of loneliness, anxiety or in the throes of depression.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/i-primarily-use-poetry-as-a-purge-a-self-medication-device-when-i-m/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“I write fiction not for my readers and not for myself. I write fiction for the sake of those odd heroic characters that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/i-write-fiction-not-for-my-readers-and-not-for-myself-i-write-fiction/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“I have to be in a particular mindset to write poetry. I either have to be very depressed or very inspired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/i-have-to-be-in-a-particular-mindset-to-write-poetry-i-either-have-to/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“Thoreau’s writings feel more alive to me than any thing that I’ve ever read. When I read anything by Thoreau, I see his subject.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/thoreau-s-writings-feel-more-alive-to-me-than-any-thing-that-i-ve/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“Whenever I read anything by Henry David Thoreau I honestly feel as though he’s with me. No. More like I am with him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/whenever-i-read-anything-by-henry-david-thoreau-i-honestly-feel-as/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“Edgar Allan Poe’s writings showed me perfectly that there can be such fragile beauty and purity located in darkness and sorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/edgar-allan-poe-s-writings-showed-me-perfectly-that-there-can-be-such/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“I’m a man of music as much as I am a man of words and prose. One could even possibly say that they, music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/i-m-a-man-of-music-as-much-as-i-am-a-man-of-words-and-prose-one-could/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“I just need to sit, think, write and read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/i-just-need-to-sit-think-write-and-read/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“Poetry is a niche genre, sure, but it has a way of opening people up. It opens me up. As with music and art,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/poetry-is-a-niche-genre-sure-but-it-has-a-way-of-opening-people-up-it/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) > [“Henry David Thoreau is my favorite writer of all time, my literary god king, and his essay Wild Apples is my favorite thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-trandahl/henry-david-thoreau-is-my-favorite-writer-of-all-time-my-literary-god/) [Nicholas Trandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) [Explore all 18 Nicholas Trandahl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-trandahl/) ## More Beginning quotes > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) [Adam Imad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-imad/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The only vocal training I had was playing with a tape recorder as a kid, and you know, doing the beginning of the 'Lone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/the-only-vocal-training-i-had-was-playing-with-a-tape-recorder-as-a/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [January is the beginning of a new year for us in the Western world. Let us give to God what belongs to him: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/january-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-year-for-us-in-the-western-world/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) [Manae Poet Of Carisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manae-poet-of-carisis/) > [From the beginning at Intel, we planned on being big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-noyce/from-the-beginning-at-intel-we-planned-on-being-big/) [Robert Noyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-noyce/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Some projects feel like the stars are aligning for them from the very beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-smith/some-projects-feel-like-the-stars-are-aligning-for-them-from-the-very/) [Gregory Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-smith/) > [Do not judge me by my beginning, Only by my end, Nor by the path I took, But where it led me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacklyn-h-lucas/do-not-judge-me-by-my-beginning-only-by-my-end-nor-by-the-path-i-took/) [Jacklyn H Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacklyn-h-lucas/) [Browse all 3,566 Beginning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are a couple of utterly important rules to writing anything, whether it's a novel, a short story or a collection of poetry. 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