--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a great temptation to throw…" description: "\"There's a great temptation to throw things in, as you put it, that you think are neat, or that you have a very clear, specific memory of and think you ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/rebecca-stead-11010_book_there-s-a-great-temptation-to-throw-thin_2186331.png" --- # There's a great temptation to throw things in, as you put… ![“There's a great temptation to throw things in, as you put it, that you think are neat, or that you have a very clear, specific memory of and think you could do a good job writing about. What I find is that it's like a seed you plant. You can try it, and if it will grow and connect with other ideas…” quote by Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/rebecca-stead-11010_book_there-s-a-great-temptation-to-throw-thin_2186331.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/rebecca-stead-11010_book_there-s-a-great-temptation-to-throw-thin_2186331.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/rebecca-stead-11010_book_there-s-a-great-temptation-to-throw-thin_2186331.png) > “There's a great temptation to throw things in, as you put it, that you think are neat, or that you have a very clear, specific memory of and think you could do a good job writing about. What I find is that it's like a seed you plant. You can try it, and if it will grow and connect with other ideas in the book, and you can see connections that you can actually realize on the page, then you're allowed to leave it in. But if it just kind of lies there and doesn't really add up to anything or there's no chemistry with everything else going on in the book, then you have to take it out.” [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers should keep only ideas that integrate well with the whole work, discarding those that feel isolated. **In simple terms:** Keep ideas that fit the story; discard the rest. Key Takeaway Edit ruthlessly for coherence. Themes writing editing creativity Mood thoughtful analytical Type instructional process-oriented When to use this quote - novel drafting - storyboarding - revision - creative brainstorming Key Concepts narrative cohesion idea selection Questions to Reflect On - How do you test if an idea truly belongs? - What criteria decide an idea's relevance? A Different Perspective Some ideas may seem valuable alone but hinder overall flow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Chemistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chemistry/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) [Temptation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temptation/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I feel like if I'm going to give you a book about my dad, then I really want to give you my dad, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-halpern/i-feel-like-if-i-m-going-to-give-you-a-book-about-my-dad-then-i/) [Justin Halpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-halpern/) > [So this is supposed to be about the how, and when, and why, and what of reading -- about the way that, when reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/so-this-is-supposed-to-be-about-the-how-and-when-and-why-and-what-of/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“ Non necessario. ” He snatches the paper from me and wads it into a ball. “I am your map!” “Hey! I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-rae/non-necessario-he-snatches-the-paper-from-me-and-wads-it-into-a-ball/) [Kristin Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-rae/) > [I know Im not going to book everything I go in on, and thats just the nature of the business. You have to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brown/i-know-im-not-going-to-book-everything-i-go-in-on-and-thats-just-the/) [Rob Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brown/) > [I'm going to book-and-author dinners, and I'm the author!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lashner/i-m-going-to-book-and-author-dinners-and-i-m-the-author/) [William Lashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lashner/) > [It's nice to have something else going on when a book comes out so you're not just sitting by the phone, waiting for things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/it-s-nice-to-have-something-else-going-on-when-a-book-comes-out-so/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [I know I'm not going to book everything I go in on, and that's just the nature of the business. 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I think it's important to be able to remember things accurately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-bell/i-don-t-think-forgetting-is-an-important-feature-of-human-memory-i/) [Gordon Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-bell/) > [“Each time I have a lapse of memory, I think of the anguish which must afflict those who know they no longer remember anything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/each-time-i-have-a-lapse-of-memory-i-think-of-the-anguish-which-must/) [Emil Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-cioran/) > [Any tragic memory I have I also think is really funny. On any given day, I can think about how horrible something is and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perfume-genius/any-tragic-memory-i-have-i-also-think-is-really-funny-on-any-given/) [Perfume Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perfume-genius/) > [“You think you're charging up that memory? Is that what you think? You are going to be so sorry when I dream about my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-crane/you-think-you-re-charging-up-that-memory-is-that-what-you-think-you/) [Carolyn Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-crane/) > [As Siri says, who is deeply involved with neuroscience, emotion consolidates memory, and I think that's true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/as-siri-says-who-is-deeply-involved-with-neuroscience-emotion/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) ## More by Rebecca Stead > [“We have lunch at ten-forty-five,” Colin said. A stupidly early lunch. At our school, the older you get, the stupider your lunch period.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/we-have-lunch-at-ten-forty-five-colin-said-a-stupidly-early-lunch-at/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [I feel lucky that I read so many books as a kid because I know that no matter how much I appreciate a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/i-feel-lucky-that-i-read-so-many-books-as-a-kid-because-i-know-that/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [For me one of the most important things is not feeling like you have to protect yourself if you're with a real friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/for-me-one-of-the-most-important-things-is-not-feeling-like-you-have/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [I don't know. I just feel stuck, like I'm afraid to take any steps, in case they're the wrong ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/i-don-t-know-i-just-feel-stuck-like-i-m-afraid-to-take-any-steps-in/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [She's called the secretary, but as far as I can tell she basically runs the school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/she-s-called-the-secretary-but-as-far-as-i-can-tell-she-basically/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [“What's the burn scale?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/what-s-the-burn-scale/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [Pajamas are good for the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/pajamas-are-good-for-the-soul/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [When you trust your readers, you're hoping they will see what you see. Not every book is for every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/when-you-trust-your-readers-you-re-hoping-they-will-see-what-you-see/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [“It was hard to imagine him sneaking around and leaving a rose on anyone's doormat, but I guess boys will surprise you sometimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/it-was-hard-to-imagine-him-sneaking-around-and-leaving-a-rose-on/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [Life is really just a bunch of nows, one after the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/life-is-really-just-a-bunch-of-nows-one-after-the-other/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [Many of the books on my list are, in my opinion, amazing. Some I didn't like. But I give them all five stars, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/many-of-the-books-on-my-list-are-in-my-opinion-amazing-some-i-didn-t/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [“Dad is looking at the bookshelves, deep in thought, deciding which book should go where. Once, Mom came home from work and discovered that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/dad-is-looking-at-the-bookshelves-deep-in-thought-deciding-which-book/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [Well, it's simple to love someone," she said. "But it's hard to know when you need to say it out loud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/well-it-s-simple-to-love-someone-she-said-but-it-s-hard-to-know-when/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [“Trying to forget really doesn't work. In fact, it's pretty much the same as remembering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/trying-to-forget-really-doesn-t-work-in-fact-it-s-pretty-much-the/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [If I'm afraid of someone on the street, I'll turn to him (it's always a boy) and say, "Excuse me, do you happen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/if-i-m-afraid-of-someone-on-the-street-i-ll-turn-to-him-it-s-always-a/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) [Explore all 61 Rebecca Stead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) ## 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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