--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The writer has to force himself to work…" description: "\"The writer has to force himself to work. He has to make his own hours and if he doesn't go to his desk at all there is nobody to scold him.\" — Roald Dahl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/roald-dahl-899_force_the-writer-has-to-force-himself-to-work_2653518.jpg" --- # The writer has to force himself to work. He has to make… ![“The writer has to force himself to work. He has to make his own hours and if he doesn't go to his desk at all there is nobody to scold him.” quote by Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/roald-dahl-899_force_the-writer-has-to-force-himself-to-work_2653518.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/roald-dahl-899_force_the-writer-has-to-force-himself-to-work_2653518.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/roald-dahl-899_force_the-writer-has-to-force-himself-to-work_2653518.jpg) > “The writer has to force himself to work. He has to make his own hours and if he doesn't go to his desk at all there is nobody to scold him.” [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. The writer must create discipline, setting personal schedules and self‑imposed accountability to produce work. **In simple terms:** Writers need self‑discipline and routine. Key Takeaway Set strict work hours and hold yourself accountable. Themes discipline self‑motivation creativity Mood determined reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - writing sessions - daily word count - deadline setting - self‑review Key Concepts habit formation intrinsic motivation productivity Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance structure with creative freedom? - What routines help you stay productive? A Different Perspective Self‑discipline can become rigid, stifling spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Keeping ridiculous hours doesn't mean you'll be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/keeping-ridiculous-hours-doesn-t-mean-you-ll-be-successful/) [Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/) > [I know that no reader ever asks a question. A writer must force his favors upon his readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-neruda/i-know-that-no-reader-ever-asks-a-question-a-writer-must-force-his/) [Jan Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-neruda/) > [“What I will say is that you have to exercise your writing muscle. Write every day. Get better at it. Read a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-la-cruz/what-i-will-say-is-that-you-have-to-exercise-your-writing-muscle/) [Melissa de la Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-la-cruz/) > [“Let’s be honest: our world offers us mixed signals about what kind of Force is at work behind the scenes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruxy-cavey/let-s-be-honest-our-world-offers-us-mixed-signals-about-what-kind-of/) [Bruxy Cavey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruxy-cavey/) > [“It’s as if there’s a fumble-fingered but powerful universal force at work, always trying to put wrong things right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-s-as-if-there-s-a-fumble-fingered-but-powerful-universal-force-at/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The key thing is to force yourself through the work, force the skills to come; that’s the hardest phase,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-key-thing-is-to-force-yourself-through-the-work-force-the-skills/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [There are three forces--of the body, mind and feeling. Unless these are together, equally developed and harmonized, a steady connection cannot be made with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-de-salzmann/there-are-three-forces-of-the-body-mind-and-feeling-unless-these-are/) [Jeanne de Salzmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-de-salzmann/) > [I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phelps/i-think-goals-should-never-be-easy-they-should-force-you-to-work-even/) [Michael Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phelps/) > [ I need to be out earning. I can make more in two hours at a card show than I did \[as a minor-league manager\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-schmidt/i-need-to-be-out-earning-i-can-make-more-in-two-hours-at-a-card-show/) [Mike Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-schmidt/) > [I used to wish I would be a painter or a violinist, where maybe I wouldn't need to travel as much. Or maybe if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-baker/i-used-to-wish-i-would-be-a-painter-or-a-violinist-where-maybe-i/) [Kathy Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-baker/) > [Being on time is a practice I imbibed from my dad. He would be ready with make-up on at least three hours ahead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/being-on-time-is-a-practice-i-imbibed-from-my-dad-he-would-be-ready/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [Pleasure and action make the hours seem short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/pleasure-and-action-make-the-hours-seem-short/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you have a passion and love for something, it's hard to give it up. I had jobs where the people were helpful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicky-mcclure/if-you-have-a-passion-and-love-for-something-it-s-hard-to-give-it-up/) [Vicky McClure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicky-mcclure/) > [I'd love most of the movies I make to be four hours long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-jones/i-d-love-most-of-the-movies-i-make-to-be-four-hours-long/) [Toby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-jones/) > [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/) ## 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 Force quotes > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/) [Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Above Coblentz almost every mountain has a ruin and a legend. One feels everywhere the spirit of the past, and its stirring recollections come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/above-coblentz-almost-every-mountain-has-a-ruin-and-a-legend-one/) [Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason is terror and force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-one-means-that-wins-the-easiest-victory-over-reason-is-terror-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [Dictatorship is rule based directly upon force and unrestricted by any laws. The revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat is rule won and maintained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/dictatorship-is-rule-based-directly-upon-force-and-unrestricted-by/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [The great force for forging a society into a solid mass has always been war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-great-force-for-forging-a-society-into-a-solid-mass-has-always/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) Segun Magbagbeola Browse all 10,458 Force quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The writer has to force himself to work. 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