--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you want to write anything that works…" description: "\"If you want to write anything that works, you have to go with the grain of your talent, not against it. If your talent is inert and sullen in the face ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/philip-pullman-525_business_if-you-want-to-write-anything-that-works_2148717.png" --- # If you want to write anything that works, you have to go… ![“If you want to write anything that works, you have to go with the grain of your talent, not against it. If your talent is inert and sullen in the face of business or politics...but takes fire at the thought of ghosts and vampires and witches and demons then feed the flames, feed the flames.” quote by Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/philip-pullman-525_business_if-you-want-to-write-anything-that-works_2148717.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/philip-pullman-525_business_if-you-want-to-write-anything-that-works_2148717.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/philip-pullman-525_business_if-you-want-to-write-anything-that-works_2148717.png) > “If you want to write anything that works, you have to go with the grain of your talent, not against it. If your talent is inert and sullen in the face of business or politics...but takes fire at the thought of ghosts and vampires and witches and demons then feed the flames, feed the flames.” [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Align your work with innate strengths; pursue what naturally excites you rather than forcing mismatched interests. **In simple terms:** Follow your natural talents. Key Takeaway Choose projects that match your passion. Themes creativity self‑awareness career Mood inspired reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - writing - career planning - personal projects - entrepreneurship Key Concepts talent alignment intrinsic motivation artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - What talents do you ignore? - How can you turn a hidden passion into work? A Different Perspective If you ignore your talent, you may waste time on unfulfilling work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Demon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demon/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Feed Flames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feed-flames-4508320/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Flames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flames/) [Ghost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ghost/) [Grain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grain/) [Sullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sullen/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Talent Inert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent-inert-4508319/) [Vampire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vampire/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-write/) [Witch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch/) [Write Works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-works-1624872/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [For every 15 jokes I write, only one works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-cole/for-every-15-jokes-i-write-only-one-works/) [Deon Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-cole/) > [Maybe one thing is that you have to find the best way to write whatever works better for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-m-martin/maybe-one-thing-is-that-you-have-to-find-the-best-way-to-write/) [Ann M. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-m-martin/) > [Most important of all, there is no right or wrong way to write - there's only what works for you. I was taught to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/most-important-of-all-there-is-no-right-or-wrong-way-to-write-there-s/) [Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/) > [Things are sullen, and will be as they are, whatever we think them or wish them to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-cudworth/things-are-sullen-and-will-be-as-they-are-whatever-we-think-them-or/) [Ralph Cudworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-cudworth/) > [Now small fowls flew screaming over the yet yawning gulf; a sullen white surf beat against its steep sides; then all collapsed; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-small-fowls-flew-screaming-over-the-yet-yawning-gulf-a-sullen/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God, deliver me from sullen saints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/god-deliver-me-from-sullen-saints/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [“There was a lot of Sullen Malarkey on John's part.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/there-was-a-lot-of-sullen-malarkey-on-john-s-part/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [There is a time of life somewhere between the sullen fugues of adolescence and the retrenchments of middle age when human nature becomes so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/there-is-a-time-of-life-somewhere-between-the-sullen-fugues-of/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [When I am feeling depressed and anxious sullen all you have to do is take off your clothes and all is wiped away revealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-o-hara/when-i-am-feeling-depressed-and-anxious-sullen-all-you-have-to-do-is/) [Frank O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-o-hara/) > [I desire Virtue, though I love her not- I have no faith in her when she is got: I fear that she will bind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-wickham/i-desire-virtue-though-i-love-her-not-i-have-no-faith-in-her-when-she/) [Anna Wickham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-wickham/) > [ What would it mean in practice to eliminate all the 'negative people' from one's life \[as demanded by motivational speaker J.P. 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Play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/as-auden-is-believed-to-have-said-no-poem-saved-a-single-jew-from-the/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) [Explore all 479 Philip Pullman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. 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