--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I just keep following the good writing…" description: "\"I just keep following the good writing. I'm not good enough to make bad writing look good. Some people can, and I admire them for it, but I cannot. I w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/paul-sparks-26224_bad_i-just-keep-following-the-good-writing-i_2358791.jpg" --- # I just keep following the good writing. I'm not good… ![“I just keep following the good writing. I'm not good enough to make bad writing look good. Some people can, and I admire them for it, but I cannot. I will go down with the ship.” quote by Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/paul-sparks-26224_bad_i-just-keep-following-the-good-writing-i_2358791.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/paul-sparks-26224_bad_i-just-keep-following-the-good-writing-i_2358791.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/paul-sparks-26224_bad_i-just-keep-following-the-good-writing-i_2358791.jpg) > “I just keep following the good writing. I'm not good enough to make bad writing look good. Some people can, and I admire them for it, but I cannot. I will go down with the ship.” [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good writing requires skill; attempting to disguise poor writing is futile and can lead to failure. **In simple terms:** Bad writing can't be hidden. Key Takeaway Focus on improving your own writing. Themes writing humility self‑awareness Mood reflective honest Type inspirational realistic When to use this quote - authoring - editing - creative workshops - self‑assessment Key Concepts literary craft authenticity confidence Questions to Reflect On - What steps will you take to strengthen your writing? - Can you accept imperfection without self‑criticism? A Different Perspective Some may argue that clever editing can salvage mediocre work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-writing/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Good writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-writing/) [Ship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ship/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [You do an awful lot of bad writing in order to do any good writing. Incredibly bad. I think it would be very interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/you-do-an-awful-lot-of-bad-writing-in-order-to-do-any-good-writing/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Write at a pace that doesn't surpass your creative flow. Don't be hasty; don't be sloppy. Don't forfeit impressive writing for an impressive word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/write-at-a-pace-that-doesn-t-surpass-your-creative-flow-don-t-be/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [There is no left and right in writing. There is only good and bad writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-is-no-left-and-right-in-writing-there-is-only-good-and-bad/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“This was such bad writing that it was good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/this-was-such-bad-writing-that-it-was-good/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [With every match I win I seem to get more and more people following me, so that's good. And that means more and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-gauff/with-every-match-i-win-i-seem-to-get-more-and-more-people-following/) [Coco Gauff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-gauff/) > [You can catch me following good wrestlers wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-sydal/you-can-catch-me-following-good-wrestlers-wherever-they-are/) [Matt Sydal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-sydal/) > [I don't mind following good leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-davis/i-don-t-mind-following-good-leaders/) [Baron Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-davis/) > [You just can't make bad writing look good. But if you have good writing, you just say it, and it's almost done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-kane/you-just-can-t-make-bad-writing-look-good-but-if-you-have-good/) [Carol Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-kane/) > [If a man means his writing seriously, he must mean to write well. But how can he write well until he learns to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/if-a-man-means-his-writing-seriously-he-must-mean-to-write-well-but/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [I think finally good writing gets out there, and people like it, and bad writing doesn't. Well, no. Bad writing does get out there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-parker/i-think-finally-good-writing-gets-out-there-and-people-like-it-and/) [Robert B. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-parker/) > [Get it down. Take chances. 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Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [The way the show was conceived originally and developed, has always had good writing at the heart of it, it's very difficult to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-lawson/the-way-the-show-was-conceived-originally-and-developed-has-always/) [Denis Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-lawson/) > [Good writers hate bad writing but hating bad writing doesn’t make you good. Writing badly does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/good-writers-hate-bad-writing-but-hating-bad-writing-doesn-t-make-you/) [Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/) ## More by Paul Sparks > [I don't know everybody's political opinions, but I think the majority of people in the arts are pretty leftist, and we're disappointed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/i-don-t-know-everybody-s-political-opinions-but-i-think-the-majority/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [I have a somewhat reclusive quality myself, and actually what's great about New York is that it pushes you to be social because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/i-have-a-somewhat-reclusive-quality-myself-and-actually-what-s-great/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [I think of myself as more additive than initially creative; I don't come up with the stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/i-think-of-myself-as-more-additive-than-initially-creative-i-don-t/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [I sort of latch onto roles that have something to fight against.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/i-sort-of-latch-onto-roles-that-have-something-to-fight-against/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [No, I'm not angling for huge fame. My career has been a very slow, arduous climb to the middle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/no-i-m-not-angling-for-huge-fame-my-career-has-been-a-very-slow/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [I've always been of the mindset that you will be defined by the things you say 'no' to because it's so easy to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/i-ve-always-been-of-the-mindset-that-you-will-be-defined-by-the/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [As far as the destiny of the character, I just play them until they're gone. I try not to get too involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/as-far-as-the-destiny-of-the-character-i-just-play-them-until-they-re/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [The characters I've played that I like the most are people that have a lot of obstacles. They have a lot of bad things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/the-characters-i-ve-played-that-i-like-the-most-are-people-that-have/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [Death scenes are hard. Sex scenes are hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/death-scenes-are-hard-sex-scenes-are-hard/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [I just came home one day and, in a midlife-crisis sort of way, I told my wife, 'I'm going to run a marathon,' not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/i-just-came-home-one-day-and-in-a-midlife-crisis-sort-of-way-i-told/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [I think that's kind of nice that there's this kind of inherent respect between runners who do a marathon. People respect somebody who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/i-think-that-s-kind-of-nice-that-there-s-this-kind-of-inherent/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [A lot of times, sets are not such fun places to be, and especially television sets, because everybody works so hard, and everybody's kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/a-lot-of-times-sets-are-not-such-fun-places-to-be-and-especially/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [I'm pretty fortunate that my beard - if I shave it off, I look like a completely different person. My face, it transforms. 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It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/) [Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/) > [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I just keep following the good writing. 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