--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I doubt I would have written a line…" description: "\"I doubt I would have written a line ... unless some minor tragedy had sort of twisted my mind out of the normal rut.\" — Roald Dahl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/roald-dahl-899_doubt_i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unle_2198502.jpg" --- # I doubt I would have written a line ... unless some minor… ![“I doubt I would have written a line ... unless some minor tragedy had sort of twisted my mind out of the normal rut.” quote by Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/roald-dahl-899_doubt_i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unle_2198502.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/roald-dahl-899_doubt_i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unle_2198502.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/roald-dahl-899_doubt_i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unle_2198502.jpg) > “I doubt I would have written a line ... unless some minor tragedy had sort of twisted my mind out of the normal rut.” [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer may need personal tragedy to break creative stagnation and produce meaningful work. **In simple terms:** Tragedy can spark creativity. Key Takeaway Embrace hardship as a catalyst. Themes creativity adversity writing Mood reflective determined Type literary motivational When to use this quote - authoring - overcoming writer's block - personal growth Key Concepts psychology inspiration breakthrough Questions to Reflect On - How can you channel difficulty into art? - What non‑tragic sources inspire you? A Different Perspective Hardship may not always lead to insight; it can also hinder. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Every one of us is a minor tragedy. Most of us learn to cope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bear/every-one-of-us-is-a-minor-tragedy-most-of-us-learn-to-cope/) [Elizabeth Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bear/) > [“You cannot cross the line unless you get near it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-rehor/you-cannot-cross-the-line-unless-you-get-near-it/) Tony Rehor > [I will not put the life of an American service member on the line unless that is the option of last resort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beto-o-rourke/i-will-not-put-the-life-of-an-american-service-member-on-the-line/) [Beto O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beto-o-rourke/) > [“She logged in and read a few of her old posts, smiling at the issues she had raged about and shaking her head at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-ganesh-kumar/she-logged-in-and-read-a-few-of-her-old-posts-smiling-at-the-issues/) [Shweta Ganesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-ganesh-kumar/) > [“How first you knew me in a book I wrote, How first you loved me for a written line”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/how-first-you-knew-me-in-a-book-i-wrote-how-first-you-loved-me-for-a/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [“What a grim feeling it is to come across a written line so exceptionally inspiring that your first reaction is, 'Criminy, why didn't I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/what-a-grim-feeling-it-is-to-come-across-a-written-line-so/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [If at the end of your first ten or fifteen years of fighting and working and feeling, you find you've written one line of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/if-at-the-end-of-your-first-ten-or-fifteen-years-of-fighting-and/) [e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) > [Oh, friend, forget not, when you fain would note In me a beauty that was never mine, How first you knew me in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/oh-friend-forget-not-when-you-fain-would-note-in-me-a-beauty-that-was/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [When I feel like I'm in a rut, I remember it's the little things in life that are important, like riding a bike with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/when-i-feel-like-i-m-in-a-rut-i-remember-it-s-the-little-things-in/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [What is interesting and important happens mostly in secret, in places where there is no power. Nothing much of lasting value ever happens at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/what-is-interesting-and-important-happens-mostly-in-secret-in-places/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [Role modeling is the most basic responsibility of parents. Parents are handing life's scripts to their children, scripts that in all likelihood will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/role-modeling-is-the-most-basic-responsibility-of-parents-parents-are/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [ \[All governments\] get into a rut where every potentially good story turns into a bad one. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/all-governments-get-into-a-rut-where-every-potentially-good-story/) [Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/) > [It's time for us to rise up, get out of the rut and routine, and begin to take our Christian faith seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/it-s-time-for-us-to-rise-up-get-out-of-the-rut-and-routine-and-begin/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [I think that's what's important, to see how we ourselves can become all that we are and can be. Everybody says they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/surya-das/i-think-that-s-what-s-important-to-see-how-we-ourselves-can-become/) [Surya Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/surya-das/) > [There is something therapeutic about doing for others that lifts a person out of the rut of self-thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/there-is-something-therapeutic-about-doing-for-others-that-lifts-a/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) ## More by Roald Dahl > [Nowadays you can go anywhere in the world in a few hours, and nothing is fabulous any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/nowadays-you-can-go-anywhere-in-the-world-in-a-few-hours-and-nothing/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When I walked to school in the mornings I would start out alone but would pick up four other boys along the way. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-i-walked-to-school-in-the-mornings-i-would-start-out-alone-but/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“There's no earthly way of knowing Which direction we are going There's no knowing where we're rowing Or which way the river's flowing Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/there-s-no-earthly-way-of-knowing-which-direction-we-are-going-there/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“One of the vital things for a writer who’s writing a book, which is a lengthy project and is going to take about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/one-of-the-vital-things-for-a-writer-who-s-writing-a-book-which-is-a/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“When Bruce Bogtrotter had eaten his way through half of the entire enormous cake, he paused for just a couple of seconds and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-bruce-bogtrotter-had-eaten-his-way-through-half-of-the-entire/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Eschew all those beastly adjectives...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/eschew-all-those-beastly-adjectives/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/bunkum-and-tummyrot-you-ll-never-get-anywhere-if-you-go-about-what/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [If the Good Lord intended for us to walk, he wouldn't have invented rollar skates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/if-the-good-lord-intended-for-us-to-walk-he-wouldn-t-have-invented/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [The witching hour, somebody had once whispered to her, was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-witching-hour-somebody-had-once-whispered-to-her-was-a-special/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/those-who-don-t-believe-in-magic-will-never-find-it/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/but-there-was-one-other-thing-that-the-grown-ups-also-knew-and-it-was/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. Truth is more important than modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-writing-about-oneself-one-must-strive-to-be-truthful-truth-is/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“the world is a scary place for such a small child”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-world-is-a-scary-place-for-such-a-small-child/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [And above all, watch with glittering eyes the world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/and-above-all-watch-with-glittering-eyes-the-world-around-you-because/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“We must hurry!’ said Mr. Wonka. ‘We have so much time and so little to do! No! Wait! Strike that! Reverse it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/we-must-hurry-said-mr-wonka-we-have-so-much-time-and-so-little-to-do/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) [Explore all 318 Roald Dahl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## More Doubt quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-know-accurately-only-when-we-know-little-with-knowledge-doubt/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Two powerful, little words I've learned to use when facing challenges, fears, and doubts— so what? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/two-powerful-little-words-i-ve-learned-to-use-when-facing-challenges/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Vision motivates, sustains and dispels doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-young/vision-motivates-sustains-and-dispels-doubt/) [Thomas Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-young/) > [One may not doubt that, somehow Good Shall come of Water and of Mud; And sure, the reverent eye must see A purpose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-brooke/one-may-not-doubt-that-somehow-good-shall-come-of-water-and-of-mud/) [Rupert Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-brooke/) > [Let smiles overshadow sadness. Let faith make you believe. Let confidence wash away doubts. Let love complete your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/let-smiles-overshadow-sadness-let-faith-make-you-believe-let/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [When in doubt, suggest that a subcommittee be appointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapman/when-in-doubt-suggest-that-a-subcommittee-be-appointed/) Harry Chapman > [“Those who contemplate never escape the doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/those-who-contemplate-never-escape-the-doubt/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) [Browse all 9,582 Doubt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I doubt I would have written a line ... unless some minor tragedy had sort of twisted my mind out of the normal rut.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roald Dahl" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unless-some-minor-tragedy-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doubt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unless-some-minor-tragedy-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/roald-dahl-899_doubt_i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unle_2198502.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/roald-dahl-899_doubt_i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unle_2198502.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/roald-dahl-899_doubt_i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unle_2198502.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I doubt I would have written a line ... unless some minor tragedy had sort of twisted my mind out of the…” — Roald Dahl", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Roald Dahl", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I doubt I would have written...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unless-some-minor-tragedy-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/i-doubt-i-would-have-written-a-line-unless-some-minor-tragedy-had/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```