--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you reach a place where you feel…" description: "\"When you reach a place where you feel blocked, lower your standards and keep on going. There is no possible way to do permanent damage to a piece of wr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/richard-bausch-30288_blocked_when-you-reach-a-place-where-you-feel-bl_1564868.png" --- # When you reach a place where you feel blocked, lower your… ![“When you reach a place where you feel blocked, lower your standards and keep on going. There is no possible way to do permanent damage to a piece of writing. You cannot ruin it. You can only make it a little better a little at a time.” quote by Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/richard-bausch-30288_blocked_when-you-reach-a-place-where-you-feel-bl_1564868.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/richard-bausch-30288_blocked_when-you-reach-a-place-where-you-feel-bl_1564868.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/richard-bausch-30288_blocked_when-you-reach-a-place-where-you-feel-bl_1564868.png) > “When you reach a place where you feel blocked, lower your standards and keep on going. There is no possible way to do permanent damage to a piece of writing. You cannot ruin it. You can only make it a little better a little at a time.” [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When stuck, lower expectations and keep writing; incremental improvements prevent permanent damage. **In simple terms:** Write despite feeling blocked; improve gradually. Key Takeaway Keep writing, accept imperfect drafts. Themes creativity perseverance process Mood encouraging steady Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - novel writing - blogging - academic papers - journaling Key Concepts writing theory psychology productivity Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take now? - How do you balance quality and momentum? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can still hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blocked/) [Damage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damage/) [Feel Blocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-blocked-1860947/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Permanent Damage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanent-damage-1683849/) [Piece Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piece-writing-243747/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Ruins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruins/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Ruin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-ruin-5878855/) ## Related quotes > [If you feel blocked, do not turn to others, but look inside, in silence, for the enemy of your progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-buckley/if-you-feel-blocked-do-not-turn-to-others-but-look-inside-in-silence/) [Jeff Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-buckley/) > [Because we are living in a culture increasingly dominated by fear where many feel blocked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/because-we-are-living-in-a-culture-increasingly-dominated-by-fear/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [I have permanent damage to my body because I wanted to be thin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-have-permanent-damage-to-my-body-because-i-wanted-to-be-thin/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [“If we ignore pain long enough, it will eventually go away. But by the time it does, we may have caused lasting and permanent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-berg/if-we-ignore-pain-long-enough-it-will-eventually-go-away-but-by-the/) [Art Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-berg/) > [I've had hundreds and hundreds of concussions, but I don't think that I have any permanent damage. A lot of my peers do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-van-dam/i-ve-had-hundreds-and-hundreds-of-concussions-but-i-don-t-think-that/) [Rob Van Dam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-van-dam/) > [“sticks and stones may break my bones but words can do permanent damage”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-can-do-permanent-damage/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [So, then, what is style? There are two chief aspects of any piece of writing: 1) what you say and 2) how you say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/so-then-what-is-style-there-are-two-chief-aspects-of-any-piece-of/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [A piece of writing is the product of a series of explosions in the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/a-piece-of-writing-is-the-product-of-a-series-of-explosions-in-the/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [From a writing point of view, you now have teams of screenwriters working with a director. What's lost in the process is the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-eszterhas/from-a-writing-point-of-view-you-now-have-teams-of-screenwriters/) [Joe Eszterhas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-eszterhas/) > [The characters created cannot just be a mouthpiece for the writer. When you look at a piece of writing, and it's genuine and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/the-characters-created-cannot-just-be-a-mouthpiece-for-the-writer/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [When I visit schools and talk to students about writing, I give them one word of advice and I give it to them quickly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-konigsburg/when-i-visit-schools-and-talk-to-students-about-writing-i-give-them/) [E. L. Konigsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-konigsburg/) > [A student comes to me with a piece of writing, holds it out, says, 'Is this good?' A whole sequence of emergencies goes off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/a-student-comes-to-me-with-a-piece-of-writing-holds-it-out-says-is/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [A problem with a piece of writing often clarifies itself if you go for a long walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/a-problem-with-a-piece-of-writing-often-clarifies-itself-if-you-go/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [Once a piece of writing gets to a moment where it's not going to get much better than it already is, marinate it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/once-a-piece-of-writing-gets-to-a-moment-where-it-s-not-going-to-get/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [Each piece of writing I undertake, whether a story, novel, play, or poem, begins with an image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-lock/each-piece-of-writing-i-undertake-whether-a-story-novel-play-or-poem/) [Norman Lock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-lock/) ## More by Richard Bausch > [I don't teach writing. I teach patience. Toughness. Stubbornness. The willingness to fail. I teach the life. The odd thing is most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/i-don-t-teach-writing-i-teach-patience-toughness-stubbornness-the/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [To my mind, nothing is as important as good writing, because in literature, the walls between people and cultures are broken down, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/to-my-mind-nothing-is-as-important-as-good-writing-because-in/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [Mostly you write to find out what you have to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/mostly-you-write-to-find-out-what-you-have-to-say/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [In every circumstance, all my life, my mind shows me the possible bad outcome: someone walks down steps, and before I can do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/in-every-circumstance-all-my-life-my-mind-shows-me-the-possible-bad/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [“To my mind, nothing is as important as good writing, because in literature, the walls between people and cultures are broken down, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/to-my-mind-nothing-is-as-important-as-good-writing-because-in-2/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [Once, I thought I had a novel, and it turned out it was only a short story. I wrote about 800 pages, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/once-i-thought-i-had-a-novel-and-it-turned-out-it-was-only-a-short/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [The fact is, for all the critics' talk about me as a realist, I'm making everything up - everything. It is all about imagining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/the-fact-is-for-all-the-critics-talk-about-me-as-a-realist-i-m-making/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [“My mother used to say, when the time is right, you don't need to have a committee meeting about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/my-mother-used-to-say-when-the-time-is-right-you-don-t-need-to-have-a/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [I love teaching. If I made a trillion dollars, I would still teach. It's different every day. You get to meet intelligent people all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/i-love-teaching-if-i-made-a-trillion-dollars-i-would-still-teach-it-s/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [“He turned in a small circle and looked at the grass, the rocks, the river, the raining sky with its tatters and torn places,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/he-turned-in-a-small-circle-and-looked-at-the-grass-the-rocks-the/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [Keep everything in context, and try to have each line doing more than one thing - not just giving exposition but also revealing character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/keep-everything-in-context-and-try-to-have-each-line-doing-more-than/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [Every really good book was written a little at a time, over time, in tremendous confusion and doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/every-really-good-book-was-written-a-little-at-a-time-over-time-in/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [I always write stories, and I write poems, too. I just never sell them to anybody, but I write them. They're good, too. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/i-always-write-stories-and-i-write-poems-too-i-just-never-sell-them/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [Write a little bit every day, each day. Visit it, every day - in other words, show up for work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/write-a-little-bit-every-day-each-day-visit-it-every-day-in-other/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [A good story needs only a good storyteller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/a-good-story-needs-only-a-good-storyteller/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) [Explore all 17 Richard Bausch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) ## More Blocked quotes > [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [“You cannot block someone from your life who doesn't want to be blocked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamar-cohen/you-cannot-block-someone-from-your-life-who-doesn-t-want-to-be-blocked/) [Tamar Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamar-cohen/) > [Another mistake a director can make is not to be prepared, so you get there on the day to shoot the scene, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/another-mistake-a-director-can-make-is-not-to-be-prepared-so-you-get/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [Your my Boo thang(;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/your-my-boo-thang/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [“I recommend reading #FourBloodMoons by @PastorJohnHagee // @worthypub” // #BloodMoons”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/i-recommend-reading-fourbloodmoons-by-pastorjohnhagee-worthypub/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [If you want to be a writer, write. Write and write and write. If you stop, start again. Save everything that you write. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/if-you-want-to-be-a-writer-write-write-and-write-and-write-if-you/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [Hillary Clinton has pledged to keep both of these illegal amnesty programs, including the 2014 amnesty which has been blocked by the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-has-pledged-to-keep-both-of-these-illegal-amnesty/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [There were probably about five games in my career where everything was moving in slow motion and you could be out there all day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-taylor/there-were-probably-about-five-games-in-my-career-where-everything/) [Lawrence Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-taylor/) > [Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it. It is a corrective to the sluggishness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/protest-beyond-the-law-is-not-a-departure-from-democracy-it-is/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [At the drabber moments of my life (swilling some excrement from the steps, for instance, or rooting with a bent coat-hanger down a blocked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/at-the-drabber-moments-of-my-life-swilling-some-excrement-from-the/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [I remember secretly going off and crying. All of a sudden I'm being blocked and have to be intimate in a scene, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-rigby/i-remember-secretly-going-off-and-crying-all-of-a-sudden-i-m-being/) [Cathy Rigby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-rigby/) > [How it seemed like you could see everything, but certain things were blocked out, hidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/how-it-seemed-like-you-could-see-everything-but-certain-things-were/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I've always thought it was important not to attach too much superstition to the space where you're writing, because once you get into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadie-jones/i-ve-always-thought-it-was-important-not-to-attach-too-much/) [Sadie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadie-jones/) > [“Sometimes feeling blocked is simply a sign that we need to wait and let the natural course of events to unfold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-e-smith/sometimes-feeling-blocked-is-simply-a-sign-that-we-need-to-wait-and/) [Laurie E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-e-smith/) > [Luckily my fans are so lovely and I haven't really had to - what's the phrase? - "Clap back at the trolls?" Every now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-brooks/luckily-my-fans-are-so-lovely-and-i-haven-t-really-had-to-what-s-the/) [Danielle Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-brooks/) [Browse all 372 Blocked quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blocked/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you reach a place where you feel blocked, lower your standards and keep on going. There is no possible way to do permanent damage to a piece of writing. You cannot ruin it. 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