--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know that saying \"you couldn't make…" description: "\"“You know that saying \"you couldn't make it up\"? It's complete nonsense, of COURSE you could make it up. Otherwise how else do authors remain in busine..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/ray-daley-34862_books_you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-i_1268977.jpg" --- # You know that saying "you couldn't make it up"? It's… ![“You know that saying "you couldn't make it up"? It's complete nonsense, of COURSE you could make it up. Otherwise how else do authors remain in business? "He's making it up as he goes along!” quote by Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/ray-daley-34862_books_you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-i_1268977.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/ray-daley-34862_books_you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-i_1268977.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/ray-daley-34862_books_you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-i_1268977.jpg) > ““You know that saying "you couldn't make it up"? It's complete nonsense, of COURSE you could make it up. Otherwise how else do authors remain in business? "He's making it up as he goes along!”” [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Points out that narratives can be fabricated, emphasizing creative storytelling in business. **In simple terms:** Stories can be invented for profit. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of narrative. Themes creativity business storytelling skepticism Mood analytical critical Type business philosophical When to use this quote - marketing campaigns - product launches - media analysis Key Concepts narrative construction market perception authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - How do we differentiate authentic from fabricated stories? - What ethical limits exist for invented narratives? A Different Perspective May blur fact and fiction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Complete Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complete-nonsense-255488/) [Make Authors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-authors-3691308/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [Nonsense Course](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense-course-4060201/) [Saying Couldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-couldn-824907/) ## Related quotes > [I love people who have such passion for complete nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-love-people-who-have-such-passion-for-complete-nonsense/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [Everyone gets a pencil as a kid, but it doesn't make them all authors or painters or drawers or anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-barker/everyone-gets-a-pencil-as-a-kid-but-it-doesn-t-make-them-all-authors/) [Nigel Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-barker/) > [“I am Helen Keller, and so are all my senses. Now that is complete nonsense!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-helen-keller-and-so-are-all-my-senses-now-that-is-complete/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [The idea that it's only the young or people who've grown up with a technology who can appreciate it. Complete nonsense!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/the-idea-that-it-s-only-the-young-or-people-who-ve-grown-up-with-a/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [We all experienced people putting us down and people saying we couldn't do it. We overcame it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-anne-pinnock/we-all-experienced-people-putting-us-down-and-people-saying-we-couldn/) [Leigh-Anne Pinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-anne-pinnock/) > [“No one knows why, or how, but they’re saying that when he couldn’t kill Harry Potter, Voldemort’s power somehow broke — and that’s why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/no-one-knows-why-or-how-but-they-re-saying-that-when-he-couldn-t-kill/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [There was never a wise saying that couldn't be made wiser by adding the words, "and vice-versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/there-was-never-a-wise-saying-that-couldn-t-be-made-wiser-by-adding/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [“man she vaguely recognized was saying something, but she couldn’t hear anything he said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-h-croix/man-she-vaguely-recognized-was-saying-something-but-she-couldn-t-hear/) [J.H. Croix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-h-croix/) > [“He couldn’t kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they’re saying that when he couldn’t kill Harry Potter, Voldemort’s power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/he-couldn-t-kill-that-little-boy-no-one-knows-why-or-how-but-they-re/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [Nothing is impossible. With so many people saying it couldn't be done, all it takes is an imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phelps/nothing-is-impossible-with-so-many-people-saying-it-couldn-t-be-done/) [Michael Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phelps/) > [“While they were saying it couldn't be done, it was done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/while-they-were-saying-it-couldn-t-be-done-it-was-done/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [GenX has a no-nonsense attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-dev/genx-has-a-no-nonsense-attitude/) [Rahul Dev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-dev/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## More by Ray Daley > [“No-one ever even came close to Deimos. It was the ginger stepchild of Martian moons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/no-one-ever-even-came-close-to-deimos-it-was-the-ginger-stepchild-of/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“You can't live your life based on "what if" or "what might have been". Unless you're a Science Fiction Author, in which case -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/you-can-t-live-your-life-based-on-what-if-or-what-might-have-been/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“To know who you are, you must know who you have been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/to-know-who-you-are-you-must-know-who-you-have-been/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“The moon tolerates no mistakes, she is indeed a harsh mistress. Bobby Heinlein was spot on there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/the-moon-tolerates-no-mistakes-she-is-indeed-a-harsh-mistress-bobby/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“A problem only exists until you apply your mind to a solution”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/a-problem-only-exists-until-you-apply-your-mind-to-a-solution/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. Good old Sammy Clemens, how right he was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/of-all-the-things-i-ve-lost-i-miss-my-mind-the-most-good-old-sammy/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“Unless a story has a specific ending you know when you start it then a story is as long as a story needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/unless-a-story-has-a-specific-ending-you-know-when-you-start-it-then/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“If you try at something & you can't do it, don't think of it as failure. You merely succeeded backwards. And at least you tried.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/if-you-try-at-something-you-can-t-do-it-don-t-think-of-it-as-failure/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“Failure is merely success at being unsuccessful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/failure-is-merely-success-at-being-unsuccessful/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“You can please none of the people most of the time. And some of the people none of the time. There's no pleasing anyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/you-can-please-none-of-the-people-most-of-the-time-and-some-of-the/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“The secret to my success is the love & support of a good bar of chocolate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/the-secret-to-my-success-is-the-love-support-of-a-good-bar-of/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“The ignorance of impossibility makes tasks seem much more attainable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/the-ignorance-of-impossibility-makes-tasks-seem-much-more-attainable/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [“It does a body good to be humbled by ones peers, it grounds you. Once your feet are on the ground you can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/it-does-a-body-good-to-be-humbled-by-ones-peers-it-grounds-you-once/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) [Explore all 14 Ray Daley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) ## 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! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“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/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. 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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You know that saying \"you couldn't make it up\"? It's complete nonsense, of COURSE you could make it up. Otherwise how else do authors remain in business? \"He's making it up as he goes along!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ray Daley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-it-up-it-s-complete-nonsense/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-it-up-it-s-complete-nonsense/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/ray-daley-34862_books_you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-i_1268977.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/ray-daley-34862_books_you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-i_1268977.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/ray-daley-34862_books_you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-i_1268977.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You know that saying \"you couldn't make it up\"? It's complete nonsense, of COURSE you could make it up…” — Ray Daley", "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": "Ray Daley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You know that saying \"you couldn't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-it-up-it-s-complete-nonsense/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/you-know-that-saying-you-couldn-t-make-it-up-it-s-complete-nonsense/#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 } } ] } ```