--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Write about what you know, and what do…" description: "\"Write about what you know, and what do you know better than your own secrets?\" — Raymond Carver" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a50/raymond-carver-2821_do-you-know_write-about-what-you-know-and-what-do-yo_2737946.png" --- # Write about what you know, and what do you know better… ![“Write about what you know, and what do you know better than your own secrets?” quote by Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a50/raymond-carver-2821_do-you-know_write-about-what-you-know-and-what-do-yo_2737946.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a50/raymond-carver-2821_do-you-know_write-about-what-you-know-and-what-do-yo_2737946.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a50/raymond-carver-2821_do-you-know_write-about-what-you-know-and-what-do-yo_2737946.png) > “Write about what you know, and what do you know better than your own secrets?” [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. Writing about personal experience yields authenticity; secrets hold deeper insight than superficial knowledge. **In simple terms:** Write from personal truth. Key Takeaway Explore your hidden truths. Themes authenticity self‑knowledge writing Mood introspective creative Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - journaling - creative writing workshops - therapy sessions - memoir projects Key Concepts psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - What personal truth could you safely share? - How do secrets shape your narrative voice? A Different Perspective Over‑exposure can be invasive; not all secrets are worth sharing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-secrets-1595106/) [Do you know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/do-you-know/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Know Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-better/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrets/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-know/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Write what you know, and what do you know better than your own secrets?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/write-what-you-know-and-what-do-you-know-better-than-your-own-secrets/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I was to be buried inside my own creation, the better to keep its secrets. I will not tell you more, for your sake.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedediah-berry/i-was-to-be-buried-inside-my-own-creation-the-better-to-keep-its/) [Jedediah Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jedediah-berry/) > [The formula for creative writing in high school or college is write what you know. And I said they don't know nothing. Imagine something.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/the-formula-for-creative-writing-in-high-school-or-college-is-write/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Secrets are more powerful when people know you've got them," said Mr. Sutton. "You show them the tiniest edge of your secret, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/secrets-are-more-powerful-when-people-know-you-ve-got-them-said-mr/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [I try to write the books I would love to come upon that are honest, concerned with real lives, human hearts, spiritual transformation, families,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-try-to-write-the-books-i-would-love-to-come-upon-that-are-honest/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [None are so fond of secrets as those who do not mean to keep them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/none-are-so-fond-of-secrets-as-those-who-do-not-mean-to-keep-them/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Sometimes just the act of sharing a painful secret can relieve some of the pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-just-the-act-of-sharing-a-painful-secret-can-relieve-some/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'll tell you all my secrets but I lie about my past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-ll-tell-you-all-my-secrets-but-i-lie-about-my-past/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [“To let one into your mind was to give him or her all your secrets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-kennedy/to-let-one-into-your-mind-was-to-give-him-or-her-all-your-secrets/) [John Patrick Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-kennedy/) > [I wonder if it's ever really possible to know the truth about someone else, or if the best we can do is just stumble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-wonder-if-it-s-ever-really-possible-to-know-the-truth-about-someone/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [The value of secrets is ever fluctuating although ladies who have been in society for a long time learn that a secret kept can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-godbersen/the-value-of-secrets-is-ever-fluctuating-although-ladies-who-have/) [Anna Godbersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-godbersen/) > [Some secrets are better left at that -as secrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/some-secrets-are-better-left-at-that-as-secrets/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [“It hardly needs to be said: sooner or later secrets have a way of making themselves known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/it-hardly-needs-to-be-said-sooner-or-later-secrets-have-a-way-of/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [Every person has at least one secret that will break your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana/every-person-has-at-least-one-secret-that-will-break-your-heart/) [AnA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana/) > [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) ## 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? 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Those places stand out in my mind like holy places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/the-places-where-water-comes-together-with-other-water-those-places/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [A man can go along obeying all the rules and then it don't matter a damn anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/a-man-can-go-along-obeying-all-the-rules-and-then-it-don-t-matter-a/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [“You see, this happened a few months ago, but it's still going on right now, and it ought to make us feel ashamed when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/you-see-this-happened-a-few-months-ago-but-it-s-still-going-on-right/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I've crossed some kind of invisible line. 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/) > [There are significant moments in everyone's day that can make literature. That's what you ought to write about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/there-are-significant-moments-in-everyone-s-day-that-can-make/) [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/) [Explore all 134 Raymond Carver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) ## More Do you know quotes > [Do you know what it is sir? Do you know what the Dance Dance Revolution is? It's not an actual revolution, so you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-peters/do-you-know-what-it-is-sir-do-you-know-what-the-dance-dance/) [Russell Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-peters/) > [If the watchdog doesn't bark, how do you know there's a burglar in the basement? 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It is how you wear it. who you are inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolina-herrera/do-you-know-what-elegance-is-it-is-not-only-what-you-re-wearing-it-is/) [Carolina Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolina-herrera/) > [O, Youth: Do you know that yours is not the first generation to yearn for a life full of beauty and freedom?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/o-youth-do-you-know-that-yours-is-not-the-first-generation-to-yearn/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Do you know that all great spurts in...progress came just after some unorthodox ideas or exotic impressions had penetrated into a closed system?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/do-you-know-that-all-great-spurts-in-progress-came-just-after-some/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [Do you know when people really become spiritual? 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