--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had no idea I'd end up writing four…" description: "\"I had no idea I'd end up writing four books when I completed 'Mortal Engines.' I didn't even think it would find a publisher.\" — Philip Reeve" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/philip-reeve-13157_books_i-had-no-idea-i-d-end-up-writing-four-bo_1349107.png" --- # I had no idea I'd end up writing four books when I… ![“I had no idea I'd end up writing four books when I completed 'Mortal Engines.' I didn't even think it would find a publisher.” quote by Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/philip-reeve-13157_books_i-had-no-idea-i-d-end-up-writing-four-bo_1349107.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/philip-reeve-13157_books_i-had-no-idea-i-d-end-up-writing-four-bo_1349107.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/philip-reeve-13157_books_i-had-no-idea-i-d-end-up-writing-four-bo_1349107.png) > “I had no idea I'd end up writing four books when I completed 'Mortal Engines.' I didn't even think it would find a publisher.” [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He was surprised by his productivity and publishing success after finishing a major novel. **In simple terms:** Unexpected success after finishing a book. Key Takeaway Embrace unexpected opportunities. Themes creativity career publishing Mood hopeful proud Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - writing a series - seeking publishers - career planning Key Concepts authorial productivity literary success Questions to Reflect On - How can you prepare for unexpected success? - What steps help turn surprise into sustained growth? A Different Perspective Success may depend on market trends beyond personal effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Completed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-completed-4582061/) [Completed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/completed/) [Completed Mortal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/completed-mortal-4582060/) [End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end/) [Engines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engines/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Mortal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortal/) [Mortal Engines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortal-engines-3233664/) [No idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-idea/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Publisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-publisher-3035697/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-books-366652/) ## Related quotes > [“I very much like Kristin Cashore's books. 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McCulloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-p-mcculloch/) ## More by Philip Reeve > [“She wanted to stop, but she was riding a wave of memory and it was carrying her backward to that night, that room, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/she-wanted-to-stop-but-she-was-riding-a-wave-of-memory-and-it-was/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [he cut through the 21st Century Gallery, past the big plastic statues of Pluto and Mickey, animal headed gods of lost America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery-past-the-big-plastic-statues/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“Its a town eat town world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/its-a-town-eat-town-world/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“It will be all right, Tom. Wherever we go now, whatever becomes of us, we'll be together, and it will all be all right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/it-will-be-all-right-tom-wherever-we-go-now-whatever-becomes-of-us-we/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“The Scriven men wore stack-heeled boots and pearl-studded evening coats; the ladies in their vast skirts looked like mythical creatures, half woman, half sofa.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/the-scriven-men-wore-stack-heeled-boots-and-pearl-studded-evening/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“Oenone had found the chapel by accident, and was not certain what kept drawing her back to it. She was not a Christian. Few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/oenone-had-found-the-chapel-by-accident-and-was-not-certain-what-kept/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“Uncle knows best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/uncle-knows-best/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“But the look on his face was so strange that I hadn't the heart to take his story away from him. He believed it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/but-the-look-on-his-face-was-so-strange-that-i-hadn-t-the-heart-to/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“And isn't that what all boys want and all men, too? Just to be taken seriously?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/and-isn-t-that-what-all-boys-want-and-all-men-too-just-to-be-taken/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [Godshawk looked surprised, the way that people generally do when you ask them philosophical questions in shrubberies in the middle of the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/godshawk-looked-surprised-the-way-that-people-generally-do-when-you/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“Outside, Melliphant's ear flattened itself against the wood of the door like a pale slug.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/outside-melliphant-s-ear-flattened-itself-against-the-wood-of-the/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“Waste not, want not’ is the Engineers’ motto, Miss. Properly processed human ordure makes very useful fuel for our city’s engines. And we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/waste-not-want-not-is-the-engineers-motto-miss-properly-processed/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [I don't travel much; I just stay at home and imagine weird places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/i-don-t-travel-much-i-just-stay-at-home-and-imagine-weird-places/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [Is it...dead?" asked Tom, his voice all quivery with fright. "A town just ran over him," said Hester. "I shouldn't think he's very well...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/is-it-dead-asked-tom-his-voice-all-quivery-with-fright-a-town-just/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“The closest she had been to them was certain summer evenings when they had gone for picnics in the magravine's ice-barge -- simple family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/the-closest-she-had-been-to-them-was-certain-summer-evenings-when/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) [Explore all 51 Philip Reeve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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