--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had a vision of myself as a novelist…" description: "\"I had a vision of myself as a novelist because that was where I could be serious. I couldn't with music.\" — Peter Hammill" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/peter-hammill-26262_because_i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-b_483203.png" --- # I had a vision of myself as a novelist because that was… ![“I had a vision of myself as a novelist because that was where I could be serious. I couldn't with music.” quote by Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/peter-hammill-26262_because_i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-b_483203.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/peter-hammill-26262_because_i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-b_483203.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/peter-hammill-26262_because_i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-b_483203.png) > “I had a vision of myself as a novelist because that was where I could be serious. I couldn't with music.” [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He saw novel writing as a serious outlet, unlike music which felt less earnest to him. **In simple terms:** He felt writing was more serious than music. Key Takeaway Take writing seriously if it feels authentic. Themes creativity career self‑identity Mood reflective thoughtful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career choice - writing workshops - self‑reflection Key Concepts artistic seriousness personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - Do you have a medium that feels more authentic? - How does seriousness affect your creative output? A Different Perspective Music may also be serious for others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [Couldn Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couldn-music-867936/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Novelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelist/) [Novelist Couldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelist-couldn-2738487/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) [Vision Novelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision-novelist-2154305/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) ## Related quotes > [“For the vision of a novelist is both complex and specialised; complex, because behind his characters and apart from them must stand something stable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-the-vision-of-a-novelist-is-both-complex-and-specialised-complex/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [There was never a good biography of a good novelist. There couldn't be. He is too many people if he's any good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-never-a-good-biography-of-a-good-novelist-there-couldn-t-be/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Now that I'm older, I couldn't do music full-time. You don't get home until two or three a.m. Acting, you can be at home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scatman-crothers/now-that-i-m-older-i-couldn-t-do-music-full-time-you-don-t-get-home/) [Scatman Crothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scatman-crothers/) > [If I woke up tomorrow and couldn't do music anymore, I absolutely don't know what I would do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordin-sparks/if-i-woke-up-tomorrow-and-couldn-t-do-music-anymore-i-absolutely-don/) [Jordin Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordin-sparks/) > [I admit, music is my first love. I enjoy acting but I couldn't give up my music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scatman-crothers/i-admit-music-is-my-first-love-i-enjoy-acting-but-i-couldn-t-give-up/) [Scatman Crothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scatman-crothers/) > [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/) > [When you come to America, it's a very serious thing. It's not like you arrive and they say, 'Hey, come on! Do movies!' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-q/when-you-come-to-america-it-s-a-very-serious-thing-it-s-not-like-you/) [Maggie Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-q/) > [As an historical novelist - there are few jobs more retrospective. I dumped science at an early age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/as-an-historical-novelist-there-are-few-jobs-more-retrospective-i/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [“Amanda herself couldn't understand why her writing was so different from her own personality. Her pen seemed to take on a life of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/amanda-herself-couldn-t-understand-why-her-writing-was-so-different/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [The novelist's intuition for the sacred differs from the translator's interrogation of the sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/the-novelist-s-intuition-for-the-sacred-differs-from-the-translator-s/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [A novelist should not be too intelligent either, although... he may be permitted to be an intellectual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/a-novelist-should-not-be-too-intelligent-either-although-he-may-be/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [“I have from the first felt sure that the writer, when he sits down to commence his novel, should do so, not because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/i-have-from-the-first-felt-sure-that-the-writer-when-he-sits-down-to/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [“I love you so much. Our love is eternal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santonu-kumar-dhar/i-love-you-so-much-our-love-is-eternal/) [Santonu Kumar Dhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santonu-kumar-dhar/) > [“The novelist is like a scout commissioned to go and see what is happening in the depth of the soul. He comes back and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/the-novelist-is-like-a-scout-commissioned-to-go-and-see-what-is/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [“She'll be an excellent novelist: a monster of self-absorption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lan-samantha-chang/she-ll-be-an-excellent-novelist-a-monster-of-self-absorption/) [Lan Samantha Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lan-samantha-chang/) ## More by Peter Hammill > [I do flip between being chatty and argumentative - and being a psycho-loner werewolf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/i-do-flip-between-being-chatty-and-argumentative-and-being-a-psycho/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [He is trying to decide which of two daydreams he will inhabit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/he-is-trying-to-decide-which-of-two-daydreams-he-will-inhabit/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [My dictum has always been: 'This show is happening just here, just tonight, with these people who are in this hall, and nobody knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/my-dictum-has-always-been-this-show-is-happening-just-here-just/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [To be honest, I don't know really what I do on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/to-be-honest-i-don-t-know-really-what-i-do-on-stage/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [Marc Almond has done a couple of covers, a few people in Europa have done them. I own all the publishing. It's never really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/marc-almond-has-done-a-couple-of-covers-a-few-people-in-europa-have/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [If you're going to have a heart attack, mine was the kind to have. I'm thankful that it hasn't affected my output or my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/if-you-re-going-to-have-a-heart-attack-mine-was-the-kind-to-have-i-m/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [I'm not sure that Jesuits ever produce faithful Catholics. Because they're too fierce. It is Sturm und Drang, and it is guilt - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/i-m-not-sure-that-jesuits-ever-produce-faithful-catholics-because/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [So I, for one, didn't feel alienated by what happened in 77.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/so-i-for-one-didn-t-feel-alienated-by-what-happened-in-77/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [Actually I think Art lies in both directions - the broad strokes, big picture but on the other hand the minute examination of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/actually-i-think-art-lies-in-both-directions-the-broad-strokes-big/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [The passage of time is a continuing thing. At 18, you're going to live forever, and you are definitely not at 52, so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/the-passage-of-time-is-a-continuing-thing-at-18-you-re-going-to-live/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [The crucial question one comes back to is the examination; without that experience is meaningless. And I think it's true that society is becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/the-crucial-question-one-comes-back-to-is-the-examination-without/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [There's always a Van der Graaf audience that wants to hear the band's sound. And totally fair enough. Why not? It's a band. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/there-s-always-a-van-der-graaf-audience-that-wants-to-hear-the-band-s/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [I continue to believe, contrary to the given wisdom, that it's more interesting to have an album - or, indeed, an individual song -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/i-continue-to-believe-contrary-to-the-given-wisdom-that-it-s-more/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [My mother was from West Bromwich; my grandfather was Pakistani. I had an aunt who started trying to trace the family tree and stopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/my-mother-was-from-west-bromwich-my-grandfather-was-pakistani-i-had/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [More people seem to know the Van der Graaf Generator material than my solo work - thanks, I suppose, to their parents' lingering vinyl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/more-people-seem-to-know-the-van-der-graaf-generator-material-than-my/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) [Explore all 22 Peter Hammill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) ## More Because quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/) [Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I was contacted by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, MP, through the Pune Film Institute and offered the post in the NFDC. I accepted it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-contacted-by-rajyavardhan-singh-rathore-mp-through-the-pune/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Browse all 15,485 Because quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had a vision of myself as a novelist because that was where I could be serious. I couldn't with music.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Hammill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-because-that-was-where-i-could/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Because" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-because-that-was-where-i-could/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/peter-hammill-26262_because_i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-b_483203.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/peter-hammill-26262_because_i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-b_483203.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/peter-hammill-26262_because_i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-b_483203.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had a vision of myself as a novelist because that was where I could be serious. I couldn't with music.” — Peter Hammill", "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": "Peter Hammill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had a vision of myself...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-because-that-was-where-i-could/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/i-had-a-vision-of-myself-as-a-novelist-because-that-was-where-i-could/#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 } } ] } ```