--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A piece of writing takes exactly as long…" description: "\"A piece of writing takes exactly as long as it needs to be done right.\" — Norma Fox Mazer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/norma-fox-mazer-45575_done_a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long_3086916.jpg" --- # A piece of writing takes exactly as long as it needs to be… ![“A piece of writing takes exactly as long as it needs to be done right.” quote by Norma Fox Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/norma-fox-mazer-45575_done_a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long_3086916.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/norma-fox-mazer-45575_done_a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long_3086916.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/norma-fox-mazer-45575_done_a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long_3086916.jpg) > “A piece of writing takes exactly as long as it needs to be done right.” [Norma Fox Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing should take as long as needed to achieve quality, not rushed. **In simple terms:** Good writing needs time; don’t rush it. Key Takeaway Allocate sufficient time for revision. Themes patience quality craftsmanship Mood reflective calm Type advisory creative When to use this quote - novel drafting - academic essays - blog posts - scriptwriting Key Concepts writing process editing creative discipline Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance deadlines with quality? - What habits ensure thoroughness? A Different Perspective Deadlines may pressure writers to cut corners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Exactly Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exactly-long-5290107/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Piece Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piece-writing-243747/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Takes Exactly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/takes-exactly-5290108/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Takes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-takes-773687/) ## Related quotes > [Each piece of writing I undertake, whether a story, novel, play, or poem, begins with an image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-lock/each-piece-of-writing-i-undertake-whether-a-story-novel-play-or-poem/) [Norman Lock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-lock/) > [A lot of writing takes place in the subconscious, and it's bound to have an effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/a-lot-of-writing-takes-place-in-the-subconscious-and-it-s-bound-to/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [You know, I can't imagine 9 to 5 writing. That takes some stamina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brit-marling/you-know-i-can-t-imagine-9-to-5-writing-that-takes-some-stamina/) [Brit Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brit-marling/) > [I'm trying to take more nothing time - and that means sacrificing doing. It's partly to do with age, partly to do with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/i-m-trying-to-take-more-nothing-time-and-that-means-sacrificing-doing/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [Writing takes too much patience and it takes too much out of you for me to want to attempt it too often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikramaditya-motwane/writing-takes-too-much-patience-and-it-takes-too-much-out-of-you-for/) [Vikramaditya Motwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikramaditya-motwane/) > [“The best writing takes you places you don't want to go. It drags you by the hair against your will and leaves you drained,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penfist/the-best-writing-takes-you-places-you-don-t-want-to-go-it-drags-you/) [Penfist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penfist/) > [“Writing takes a pen, a sheet of paper and, to start with, just the shadow of an idea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/writing-takes-a-pen-a-sheet-of-paper-and-to-start-with-just-the/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“Writing takes place in an open playing field with limitless possibilities, most of them terrible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gates/writing-takes-place-in-an-open-playing-field-with-limitless/) [Scott Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gates/) > [Whether it's fiction or nonfiction, writing takes me to another world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/whether-it-s-fiction-or-nonfiction-writing-takes-me-to-another-world/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [Eventually the writing takes time. What I want to do is get the story down and I want to know what happens as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/eventually-the-writing-takes-time-what-i-want-to-do-is-get-the-story/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Writing takes gall. I like to think that's true even for writers with several books under their belt, writers who have been doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumaan-alam/writing-takes-gall-i-like-to-think-that-s-true-even-for-writers-with/) [Rumaan Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumaan-alam/) > [“Like reading, writing takes me to places I would otherwise never be able to go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bea-cannon/like-reading-writing-takes-me-to-places-i-would-otherwise-never-be/) [Bea Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bea-cannon/) > [A problem with a piece of writing often clarifies itself if you go for a long walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/a-problem-with-a-piece-of-writing-often-clarifies-itself-if-you-go/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [Once a piece of writing gets to a moment where it's not going to get much better than it already is, marinate it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/once-a-piece-of-writing-gets-to-a-moment-where-it-s-not-going-to-get/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [A student comes to me with a piece of writing, holds it out, says, 'Is this good?' A whole sequence of emergencies goes off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/a-student-comes-to-me-with-a-piece-of-writing-holds-it-out-says-is/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) ## More by Norma Fox Mazer > [“Once, in grade school, our class was taken on an overnight excursion to a campground. The air was warm: we had a campfire and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/once-in-grade-school-our-class-was-taken-on-an-overnight-excursion-to/) [Norma Fox Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/) > [“The dark girl's gaze lights on me again, and something passes over her face, something I've seen before. Her face is speaking: you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/the-dark-girl-s-gaze-lights-on-me-again-and-something-passes-over-her/) [Norma Fox Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/) > [That adolescent me, the girl who was, as I remember her, insecure, unsure, dreaming, yearning, longing, that girl who was hard on herself, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/that-adolescent-me-the-girl-who-was-as-i-remember-her-insecure-unsure/) [Norma Fox Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/) > [Friendship...is like pain. Explaining it is impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/friendship-is-like-pain-explaining-it-is-impossible/) [Norma Fox Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/) > [“He told you not to cry, but tears keep leaking out of your eyes. And you're glad, because those tears belong to you. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/he-told-you-not-to-cry-but-tears-keep-leaking-out-of-your-eyes-and/) [Norma Fox Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/) > [All the inane, meaningless noises people make that pass for intelligent conversation. They might as well be pigs grunting in the pen. (92)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/all-the-inane-meaningless-noises-people-make-that-pass-for/) [Norma Fox Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/) > [I guess, really thinking about it, I always assumed when you missed someone , it was tangible...something real you could grab and hold on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/i-guess-really-thinking-about-it-i-always-assumed-when-you-missed/) [Norma Fox Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/) > [“That's all we writers have, anyway; our minds and imaginations. To allow censors even the tiniest space in there with us can only lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/that-s-all-we-writers-have-anyway-our-minds-and-imaginations-to-allow/) [Norma Fox Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/) [Explore all 9 Norma Fox Mazer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. 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But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) [Browse all 25,653 Done quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A piece of writing takes exactly as long as it needs to be done right.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Norma Fox Mazer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long-as-it-needs-to-be-done-right/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Done" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long-as-it-needs-to-be-done-right/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/norma-fox-mazer-45575_done_a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long_3086916.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/norma-fox-mazer-45575_done_a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long_3086916.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/norma-fox-mazer-45575_done_a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long_3086916.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A piece of writing takes exactly as long as it needs to be done right.” — Norma Fox Mazer", "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": "Norma Fox Mazer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-fox-mazer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A piece of writing takes exactly...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long-as-it-needs-to-be-done-right/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-fox-mazer/a-piece-of-writing-takes-exactly-as-long-as-it-needs-to-be-done-right/#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 } } ] } ```