--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing in a lot of ways feels more like…" description: "\"Writing in a lot of ways feels more like excavation than construction. It feels like you're uncovering this thing bit by bit, discovering what it is, i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/rian-johnson-10580_bits_writing-in-a-lot-of-ways-feels-more-like_755920.jpg" --- # Writing in a lot of ways feels more like excavation than… ![“Writing in a lot of ways feels more like excavation than construction. It feels like you're uncovering this thing bit by bit, discovering what it is, instead of constructing it upwards.” quote by Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/rian-johnson-10580_bits_writing-in-a-lot-of-ways-feels-more-like_755920.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/rian-johnson-10580_bits_writing-in-a-lot-of-ways-feels-more-like_755920.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/rian-johnson-10580_bits_writing-in-a-lot-of-ways-feels-more-like_755920.jpg) > “Writing in a lot of ways feels more like excavation than construction. It feels like you're uncovering this thing bit by bit, discovering what it is, instead of constructing it upwards.” [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing is an exploratory process, revealing ideas gradually rather than building them top‑down. **In simple terms:** Writing uncovers ideas step by step. Key Takeaway Embrace discovery in creative work. Themes creativity process exploration Mood inquisitive analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - research Key Concepts iterative writing creative discovery Questions to Reflect On - What hidden insights have you uncovered through writing? - How does this process affect your confidence? A Different Perspective Discovery can be messy and may lack clear direction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Construction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/construction/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Kissing's nothing like dancing. Think of it as you would..." 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I’m uncovering bits of my past and finding out I don’t much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-dee/it-may-be-old-news-to-you-but-it-s-new-to-me-i-m-uncovering-bits-of/) [Bonnie Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-dee/) > [The number of illegal activities were so large that one was bound to come out and lead to the uncovering of the others. Nixon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/the-number-of-illegal-activities-were-so-large-that-one-was-bound-to/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [Why would scientists dedicated to uncovering the truth about the natural world deliberately misrepresent the work of their own colleagues? 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But the definition of being-true as unveiling, making manifest, is not an arbitrary, private invention of mine;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/within-certain-limits-terminology-is-always-arbitrary-but-the/) [Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/) ## More by Rian Johnson > [If you make something interesting, inevitably not everybody is going to like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/if-you-make-something-interesting-inevitably-not-everybody-is-going/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [It was so emotional to step onto the Millennium Falcon set because that was the play set we all had when we were kids.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/it-was-so-emotional-to-step-onto-the-millennium-falcon-set-because/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [The momentum of production keeps you from giving up, so it's really the editing and writing phases where things can look bleakest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/the-momentum-of-production-keeps-you-from-giving-up-so-it-s-really/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [All my favorite movies are somebody else's least favorite movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/all-my-favorite-movies-are-somebody-else-s-least-favorite-movie/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [Unlike some of the time-travel movies I love, like 'Primer' or '12 Monkeys,' 'Looper' is not about time travel. It's about this situation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/unlike-some-of-the-time-travel-movies-i-love-like-primer-or-12/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [Then I saw it. I saw a mom who would die for her son. A man who would kill for his wife. A boy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/then-i-saw-it-i-saw-a-mom-who-would-die-for-her-son-a-man-who-would/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [Rather than thinking in terms of a specific genre or specific kind of thing, I hope I can just stay relatively small and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/rather-than-thinking-in-terms-of-a-specific-genre-or-specific-kind-of/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [Storytelling wise, you've gotta take it as far as you can possibly take it with each individual movie. If you're holding out something for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/storytelling-wise-you-ve-gotta-take-it-as-far-as-you-can-possibly/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [My filmmaking background has really just been making movies with my friends since I was 12 years old. 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