--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing keeps death at bay. Every book I…" description: "\"“Writing keeps death at bay. Every book I write is a triumph over death. ... If we did not know we’d die, we’d wander around and sleep like cats.”\" — R..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84d/ray-bradbury-75_book_writing-keeps-death-at-bay-every-book-i_2324153.jpg" --- # Writing keeps death at bay. Every book I write is a… ![“Writing keeps death at bay. Every book I write is a triumph over death. ... If we did not know we’d die, we’d wander around and sleep like cats.” quote by Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84d/ray-bradbury-75_book_writing-keeps-death-at-bay-every-book-i_2324153.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84d/ray-bradbury-75_book_writing-keeps-death-at-bay-every-book-i_2324153.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84d/ray-bradbury-75_book_writing-keeps-death-at-bay-every-book-i_2324153.jpg) > ““Writing keeps death at bay. Every book I write is a triumph over death. ... If we did not know we’d die, we’d wander around and sleep like cats.”” [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing confronts mortality by creating lasting ideas, giving life to ideas beyond death. **In simple terms:** Writing fights death. Key Takeaway Write to leave a legacy. Themes mortality creativity legacy writing existence Mood hopeful thoughtful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - authoring books - journaling - blogging - storytelling - personal essays Key Concepts literature philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What stories do you want to leave behind? - How does writing change your view of mortality? A Different Perspective Writing cannot stop death, only delay its impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [On the whole, anything that gets you writing and keeps you writing is a good thing. Anything that stops you writing is a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/on-the-whole-anything-that-gets-you-writing-and-keeps-you-writing-is/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Writing keeps me at my desk, constantly trying to write a perfect sentence. It is a great privilege to make one’s living from writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-banville/writing-keeps-me-at-my-desk-constantly-trying-to-write-a-perfect-2/) [John Banville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-banville/) > [Writing keeps my mind occupied during the down time in my acting career. Even when I am working, there are times when I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-stevens/writing-keeps-my-mind-occupied-during-the-down-time-in-my-acting/) [Conan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-stevens/) > [nothing can save you except writing. it keeps the walls from failing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/nothing-can-save-you-except-writing-it-keeps-the-walls-from-failing/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I like writing. It keeps my mind off grim subjects. It's therapeutic in the same way a patient in an institution is given fingerpaints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-like-writing-it-keeps-my-mind-off-grim-subjects-it-s-therapeutic-in/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Writing keeps me from believing everything I read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/writing-keeps-me-from-believing-everything-i-read/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you. If you try to approach a cat and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you-2/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“As soon as things get difficult, I walk away. That’s the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/as-soon-as-things-get-difficult-i-walk-away-that-s-the-great-secret/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [(...) And metaphors like cats behind your smile, Each one wound up to purr, each one a pride, Each one a fine gold beast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/and-metaphors-like-cats-behind-your-smile-each-one-wound-up-to-purr/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“You are the best book you could ever write phi”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/you-are-the-best-book-you-could-ever-write-phi/) [rassool jibraeel snyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/) > [I certainly don't sit down and plan a book out before I write it. There's a phrase I use called "The Valley Full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-certainly-don-t-sit-down-and-plan-a-book-out-before-i-write-it/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I should write a book. I've always wanted to write a book. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Do you ever read any of the books you burn?" He laughed. "That's against the law!" "Oh. Of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/do-you-ever-read-any-of-the-books-you-burn-he-laughed-that-s-against/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [There's no reason to burn books if you don't read them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/there-s-no-reason-to-burn-books-if-you-don-t-read-them/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. We are beholden to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-were-put-here-as-witnesses-to-the-miracle-of-life-we-see-the-stars/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Remember, with writing, what you’re looking for is just one person to come up and tell you, 'I love you for what you do.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/remember-with-writing-what-you-re-looking-for-is-just-one-person-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [As a result of reading science fiction when I was eight, I grew up with an interest in music, architecture, city planning, transportation, politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/as-a-result-of-reading-science-fiction-when-i-was-eight-i-grew-up/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“You can’t learn to write in college. It’s a very bad place for writers because the teachers always think they know more than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-can-t-learn-to-write-in-college-it-s-a-very-bad-place-for-writers/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [We're going to become the martians when we land there. When we explore and build communities, we become the martians. That's a wonderful destiny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-re-going-to-become-the-martians-when-we-land-there-when-we-explore/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. ... I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-wish-you-a-wrestling-match-with-your-creative-muse-that-will-last-a/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The library is the biggest cracker box factory in the world. The more you eat, the more you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-library-is-the-biggest-cracker-box-factory-in-the-world-the-more/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-travel-for-romance-we-travel-for-architecture-and-we-travel-to-be/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I spent three days a week for 10 years educating myself in the public library, and it's better than college. People should educate themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-spent-three-days-a-week-for-10-years-educating-myself-in-the-public/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [If we try to deny the darkness in our souls then we'll become completely dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/if-we-try-to-deny-the-darkness-in-our-souls-then-we-ll-become/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [But remember that the Captain belongs to the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom, the solid unmoving cattle of the majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/but-remember-that-the-captain-belongs-to-the-most-dangerous-enemy-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) [Explore all 1,520 Ray Bradbury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) ## More Book 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/) > [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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There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [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 don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. 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