--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are significant moments in…" description: "\"There are significant moments in everyone's day that can make literature. That's what you ought to write about.\" — Raymond Carver" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/raymond-carver-2821_books_there-are-significant-moments-in-everyon_157548.png" --- # There are significant moments in everyone's day that can… ![“There are significant moments in everyone's day that can make literature. That's what you ought to write about.” quote by Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/raymond-carver-2821_books_there-are-significant-moments-in-everyon_157548.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/raymond-carver-2821_books_there-are-significant-moments-in-everyon_157548.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/raymond-carver-2821_books_there-are-significant-moments-in-everyon_157548.png) > “There are significant moments in everyone's day that can make literature. That's what you ought to write about.” [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Everyday moments hold literary potential; writers should capture those fleeting, meaningful instances. **In simple terms:** Capture daily moments in writing. Key Takeaway Write about the small, significant moments. Themes writing observation everyday life Mood reflective inspired Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - journalism - fiction - personal essays Key Concepts literary inspiration mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What daily moments could become a story? - How does noticing detail affect creativity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Crafts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crafts/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Literature Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature-ought-1736371/) [Make Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-literature-1736370/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Ought Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought-write-1148825/) [Significant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significant/) [Significant moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significant-moments/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The most significant moment will be when we stop referring to the hiring of qualified women (and racial, ethnic and religious minorities) as significant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-trask/the-most-significant-moment-will-be-when-we-stop-referring-to-the/) [Amy Trask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-trask/) > [If God made the natural laws, why could he not violate them when it was a particularly significant moment for him to do so?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/if-god-made-the-natural-laws-why-could-he-not-violate-them-when-it/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Many of the most significant moments in our lives come not because it all went right but because it all fell apart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/many-of-the-most-significant-moments-in-our-lives-come-not-because-it/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [Hardly anybody recognizes the most significant moments of their life at the time they happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hardly-anybody-recognizes-the-most-significant-moments-of-their-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love can't be a metaphor anymore. If you try to make literature out of it, it doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-gornick/love-can-t-be-a-metaphor-anymore-if-you-try-to-make-literature-out-of/) [Vivian Gornick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-gornick/) > [“For a writer to put his own intellectual musings, which he might sell for a low price as essays, into the mouths of artificially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/for-a-writer-to-put-his-own-intellectual-musings-which-he-might-sell/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [How I envy those clerks who go by to their offices in the morning! There's the day's work cut out for them; no question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/how-i-envy-those-clerks-who-go-by-to-their-offices-in-the-morning/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [A great writer picks up on those things that matter. It’s almost like their radar is attuned to the most significant moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/a-great-writer-picks-up-on-those-things-that-matter-it-s-almost-like/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [You know we just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening. Back then I thought, well, there'll be other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moonlight-graham/you-know-we-just-don-t-recognize-the-most-significant-moments-of-our/) [Moonlight Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moonlight-graham/) > [There is too great a tendency (perhaps encouraged by popular journalism) to deal with the dramatic moments, forgetting that these are not always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-parker-follett/there-is-too-great-a-tendency-perhaps-encouraged-by-popular/) [Mary Parker Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-parker-follett/) > [“most of the significant moments in her life were really significant only long after they had happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-alexis/most-of-the-significant-moments-in-her-life-were-really-significant/) [Andre Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-alexis/) > [In the end, people don't view their life as merely the average of all its moments-which, after all, is mostly nothing much plus some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/in-the-end-people-don-t-view-their-life-as-merely-the-average-of-all/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [I think the most significant moment at a wedding is when you say "I do" and when you do the first dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrese-gibson/i-think-the-most-significant-moment-at-a-wedding-is-when-you-say-i-do/) [Tyrese Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrese-gibson/) > [This is the first time Denmark has ever reached the World Cup finals, so this is the most significant moment in Danish history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-helm/this-is-the-first-time-denmark-has-ever-reached-the-world-cup-finals/) [John Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-helm/) > [In life's most significant moments we are always alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/in-life-s-most-significant-moments-we-are-always-alone/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Raymond Carver > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [My heart is broken,” she goes. “It’s turned to a piece of stone. I’m no good. That’s what’s as bad as anything, that I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/my-heart-is-broken-she-goes-it-s-turned-to-a-piece-of-stone-i-m-no/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [“You sound like a nice man,” the woman said. “Do I? Well, that’s nice of you to say.” He knew he should hang up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/you-sound-like-a-nice-man-the-woman-said-do-i-well-that-s-nice-of-you/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [Life and death matters, yes. And the question of how to behave in this world, how to go in the face of everything. 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I feel as if I've come to a place I never thought I'd have to come to.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/i-ve-crossed-some-kind-of-invisible-line-i-feel-as-if-i-ve-come-to-a/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [Art doesn't have to do anything. It just has to be there for the fierce pleasure we take in doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/art-doesn-t-have-to-do-anything-it-just-has-to-be-there-for-the/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [“But here is the thing. When he gets on me, I suddenly feel I am fat. I feel am terrifically fat, so fat that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/but-here-is-the-thing-when-he-gets-on-me-i-suddenly-feel-i-am-fat-i/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [The fiction Im most interested in has lines of reference to the real world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/the-fiction-im-most-interested-in-has-lines-of-reference-to-the-real/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [Don’t complain, don’t explain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/don-t-complain-don-t-explain/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [It's strange. You never start out life with the intention of becoming a bankrupt or an alcoholic or a cheat and a thief. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/it-s-strange-you-never-start-out-life-with-the-intention-of-becoming/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I am a cigarette with a body attached to it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/i-am-a-cigarette-with-a-body-attached-to-it/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [If we're lucky, writer and reader alike, we'll finish the last line or two of a short story and then just sit for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/if-we-re-lucky-writer-and-reader-alike-we-ll-finish-the-last-line-or/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) [Explore all 134 Raymond Carver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) ## 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. 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