Book Quote by Roald Dahl
““When you're writing a book, it's rather like going on a very long walk, across valleys and mountains and things, and you get the first view of what you see and you write it down. Then you walk a bit further, maybe up onto the top of a hill, and you see something else. Then you write that and you go on like that, day after day, getting different views of the same landscape really. The highest mountain on the walk is obviously the end of the book, because it's got to be the best view of all, when everything comes together and you can look back and see that everything you've done all ties up. But it's a very, very long, slow process.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Art of Writing, Roald Dahl, 1975
Writing a book is likened to a long walk through varied terrain, each step revealing new perspectives that build toward a final, cohesive view.
In simple terms: Writing is a gradual journey with evolving insights.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the slow, incremental process.
Themes
creativity
process
growth
Mood
reflective
inspired
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- drafting
- editing
- storyboarding
- research
- revision
Key Concepts
narrative development
perspective
iteration
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you maintain momentum during long projects?
- What techniques help integrate earlier insights?
A Different Perspective
The final view may never fully capture the complexity of the journey.
![“When you're writing a book, it's rather like going on a very long walk, across valleys and mountains and things [...] The highest mountain on the walk is obviously the end of the book, because it's got to be the best view of all, when everything comes together and you can look back and see that…” quote by Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/07a/roald-dahl-899_being-the-best_when-you-re-writing-a-book-it-s-rather-l_1102879.jpg)
