--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing about being a writer is that…" description: "\"The thing about being a writer is that you never have to ask, 'Am I doing something that's worthwhile?' Because even if you fail at it, you know that i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/richard-ford-2097_asks_the-thing-about-being-a-writer-is-that-y_308847.png" --- # The thing about being a writer is that you never have to… ![“The thing about being a writer is that you never have to ask, 'Am I doing something that's worthwhile?' Because even if you fail at it, you know that it's worth doing.” quote by Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/richard-ford-2097_asks_the-thing-about-being-a-writer-is-that-y_308847.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/richard-ford-2097_asks_the-thing-about-being-a-writer-is-that-y_308847.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/richard-ford-2097_asks_the-thing-about-being-a-writer-is-that-y_308847.png) > “The thing about being a writer is that you never have to ask, 'Am I doing something that's worthwhile?' Because even if you fail at it, you know that it's worth doing.” [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) ## 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 inherently valuable; even failure confirms its worth. **In simple terms:** Writing is worthwhile regardless of success. Key Takeaway Write because it matters, not for fame. Themes writing purpose worth creativity Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - authoring a novel - blogging - journaling - creative workshops Key Concepts existential value intrinsic motivation Questions to Reflect On - What drives your writing? - How do you measure success? A Different Perspective Commercial pressures can dilute artistic integrity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Worthwhile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthwhile/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [He chose a certain path in life, it proved to be a misguided one, but there, he chose it, he can say that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/he-chose-a-certain-path-in-life-it-proved-to-be-a-misguided-one-but/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [You got to like your work. You have got to like what you are doing, you have got to be doing something worthwhile so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colonel-sanders/you-got-to-like-your-work-you-have-got-to-like-what-you-are-doing-you/) [Colonel Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colonel-sanders/) > [Doing anything worthwhile takes forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-jackman/doing-anything-worthwhile-takes-forever/) [Hugh Jackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-jackman/) > [I had a very well-respected writer ask me point blank to my face whether it actually mattered to me. Now, without wanting to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-furyk/i-had-a-very-well-respected-writer-ask-me-point-blank-to-my-face/) [Jim Furyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-furyk/) > [“For some reason, when people meet me and find out I'm a writer they always ask if I write children's books. Um... please don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-m-pillow/for-some-reason-when-people-meet-me-and-find-out-i-m-a-writer-they/) [Michelle M. Pillow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-m-pillow/) > [“The job of the writer isn't to answer questions. The job of the writer is to ask the questions for which there are no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-porup/the-job-of-the-writer-isn-t-to-answer-questions-the-job-of-the-writer/) Jens Porup > [If anyone asks me whether I like being a popular writer, I ask them whether they think I'd rather be an unpopular writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-taylor-bradford/if-anyone-asks-me-whether-i-like-being-a-popular-writer-i-ask-them/) [Barbara Taylor Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-taylor-bradford/) > [“To find out what a story's really about,' the Librarian said, 'you don't ask the writer. You ask the reader .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-winfield-martin/to-find-out-what-a-story-s-really-about-the-librarian-said-you-don-t/) Emily Winfield Martin > [“A writer must ask the tough questions. It’s the only way to get to the heart of the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-winton/a-writer-must-ask-the-tough-questions-it-s-the-only-way-to-get-to-the/) Tom Winton > [As a writer you ask yourself to dream while awake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/as-a-writer-you-ask-yourself-to-dream-while-awake/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [Americans think anything you do not get paid for is not worth doing. As a consequence, the things that don't get done are often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-overmire/americans-think-anything-you-do-not-get-paid-for-is-not-worth-doing/) [Laurence Overmire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-overmire/) > [Some idiotic things are well worth doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/some-idiotic-things-are-well-worth-doing/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“Everyone is trying to get attention but intelligent persons get theirs by doing something worthwhile, beneficial to himself and the community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beatrice-sparks/everyone-is-trying-to-get-attention-but-intelligent-persons-get/) [Beatrice Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beatrice-sparks/) > [If you just work on your craft hard, that's your only hope of doing anything worthwhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-russell/if-you-just-work-on-your-craft-hard-that-s-your-only-hope-of-doing/) [David O. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-russell/) > [Basically, I should feel at the end of the day that I am doing something worthwhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamani/basically-i-should-feel-at-the-end-of-the-day-that-i-am-doing/) [Priyamani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamani/) ## More by Richard Ford > [Something will be there when the flood recedes. We know that. It will be those people now standing in the water, and on those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/something-will-be-there-when-the-flood-recedes-we-know-that-it-will/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [If you lose all hope, you can always find it again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/if-you-lose-all-hope-you-can-always-find-it-again/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I started reading literature at 17 or 18, and I felt this extra beat to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/i-started-reading-literature-at-17-or-18-and-i-felt-this-extra-beat/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I don't hate children. My wife and I just didn't think we would be good parents, and also by the time we got married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/i-don-t-hate-children-my-wife-and-i-just-didn-t-think-we-would-be/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [Writing never came naturally and I still have to force my hand to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/writing-never-came-naturally-and-i-still-have-to-force-my-hand-to-do/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“Conversations with adults other than a person's parents had more of an outcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/conversations-with-adults-other-than-a-person-s-parents-had-more-of/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [Some people want to be bank presidents. Other people want to rob banks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/some-people-want-to-be-bank-presidents-other-people-want-to-rob-banks/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [In order to write novels for a living - it's not pathological, but I do think and worry and brood and fidget about stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/in-order-to-write-novels-for-a-living-it-s-not-pathological-but-i-do/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [There are more people in America that love guns and want guns for themselves and everyone else than there are not. It is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/there-are-more-people-in-america-that-love-guns-and-want-guns-for/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [That said, being dyslexic, I wasn't a great reader when I was kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/that-said-being-dyslexic-i-wasn-t-a-great-reader-when-i-was-kid/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I'm an equal opportunity reader - although I don't much read plays. And since I was raised a Presbyterian, pretty much all pleasures are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/i-m-an-equal-opportunity-reader-although-i-don-t-much-read-plays-and/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [The pace of life feels morally dangerous to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/the-pace-of-life-feels-morally-dangerous-to-me/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“to sit in the empty stands of a Florida ball park and hear the sounds of glove leather and chatter;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/to-sit-in-the-empty-stands-of-a-florida-ball-park-and-hear-the-sounds/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“And what there is to learn from almost any human experience is that your own interests usually do not come first where other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/and-what-there-is-to-learn-from-almost-any-human-experience-is-that/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“It was on such a night as this that the unhappy things came about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/it-was-on-such-a-night-as-this-that-the-unhappy-things-came-about/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) [Explore all 184 Richard Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) Browse all 7,138 Asks quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The thing about being a writer is that you never have to ask, 'Am I doing something that's worthwhile?' 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