--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writers of fiction should stick to…" description: "\"Writers of fiction should stick to writing, not pop up on panel shows or as a talking head.\" — Robert Harris" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/robert-harris-2039_fiction_writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writi_2703670.png" --- # Writers of fiction should stick to writing, not pop up on… ![“Writers of fiction should stick to writing, not pop up on panel shows or as a talking head.” quote by Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/robert-harris-2039_fiction_writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writi_2703670.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/robert-harris-2039_fiction_writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writi_2703670.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/robert-harris-2039_fiction_writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writi_2703670.png) > “Writers of fiction should stick to writing, not pop up on panel shows or as a talking head.” [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers should focus on creating stories rather than seeking media fame. **In simple terms:** Focus on writing, not fame. Key Takeaway Prioritize craft over publicity. Themes creativity professionalism authenticity Mood reflective critical Type advice commentary When to use this quote - book launches - writing workshops - author panels Key Concepts literary focus media distraction Questions to Reflect On - How does media exposure affect your writing? - Can fame coexist with creative integrity? A Different Perspective Public exposure can dilute artistic integrity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Panel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/panel/) [Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Fiction must stick to facts, and the truer the facts the better the fiction—so we are told. Therefore”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fiction-must-stick-to-facts-and-the-truer-the-facts-the-better-the-2/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Fiction must stick to facts, and the truer the facts the better the fiction — so we are told.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-wolff/fiction-must-stick-to-facts-and-the-truer-the-facts-the-better-the/) Virginia Wolff > [Writers of fiction, when they begin, are more likely to try the short form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/writers-of-fiction-when-they-begin-are-more-likely-to-try-the-short/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [Too many writers of fiction don't give the reader enough credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-evison/too-many-writers-of-fiction-don-t-give-the-reader-enough-credit/) [Jonathan Evison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-evison/) > [“One must not ask for sincere autobiographies from writers. Fiction was invented precisely to give men the possibility of expressing themselves freely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-shestov/one-must-not-ask-for-sincere-autobiographies-from-writers-fiction-was/) [Lev Shestov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-shestov/) > [“Do writers of fiction tell lies or just tall stories?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-owen-barry/do-writers-of-fiction-tell-lies-or-just-tall-stories/) [Clive Owen Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-owen-barry/) > [I have always felt like an artist when I work on a book. I see no reason why the word should always be confined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/i-have-always-felt-like-an-artist-when-i-work-on-a-book-i-see-no/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) > [All writers of fiction will at some point find themselves abandoning a piece of work - or find themselves putting it aside, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/all-writers-of-fiction-will-at-some-point-find-themselves-abandoning/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [Writers, at least writers of fiction, are always full of anxiety and worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/writers-at-least-writers-of-fiction-are-always-full-of-anxiety-and/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [Fact is often stranger than fiction because most writers of fiction try to make their stories plausible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-posner/fact-is-often-stranger-than-fiction-because-most-writers-of-fiction/) [Richard Posner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-posner/) > [“Writers of fiction embellish reality almost without knowing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aljean-harmetz/writers-of-fiction-embellish-reality-almost-without-knowing-it/) Aljean Harmetz > [A friend of mine who writes history books said to me that he thought that the two creatures most to be pitied were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/a-friend-of-mine-who-writes-history-books-said-to-me-that-he-thought/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [The most underrated of all contemporary American writers of fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-march/the-most-underrated-of-all-contemporary-american-writers-of-fiction/) [William March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-march/) > [From a very early age, I was in tune with pop radio, and most of this listening was done driving. We had an old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/from-a-very-early-age-i-was-in-tune-with-pop-radio-and-most-of-this/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [I say that why don't we bring all points of view. Sit around a table and discuss this evidence, and produce evidence as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/i-say-that-why-don-t-we-bring-all-points-of-view-sit-around-a-table/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) ## More by Robert Harris > [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/men-mistook-measurement-for-understanding-and-they-always-had-to-put/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [If one first gives himself to the Lord, all other giving is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/if-one-first-gives-himself-to-the-lord-all-other-giving-is-easy/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“He felt more human with his boots on. A man can face the world with something on his feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/he-felt-more-human-with-his-boots-on-a-man-can-face-the-world-with/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [Cicero most reminds me of Harold Wilson. Both men knew how to keep the show on the road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/cicero-most-reminds-me-of-harold-wilson-both-men-knew-how-to-keep-the/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [The financial world is at the cutting edge of high technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/the-financial-world-is-at-the-cutting-edge-of-high-technology/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“To choose one's victims, to prepare one's plans minutely, to slake an implacable vengeance, and then to go to bed ... there is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/to-choose-one-s-victims-to-prepare-one-s-plans-minutely-to-slake-an/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“Nature has granted man no better gift than the shortness of life. The senses grow dull, the limbs are numb, sight, bearing, gait, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/nature-has-granted-man-no-better-gift-than-the-shortness-of-life-the/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“A crock of shit,” Rick had called it. But actually this was worse. Shit, to quote Gore Vidal, has its own integrity. This was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/a-crock-of-shit-rick-had-called-it-but-actually-this-was-worse-shit/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“... unfortunately, freedom alone is not enough, by far. If there is a shortage of bread, a shortage of butter and fats, a shortage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/unfortunately-freedom-alone-is-not-enough-by-far-if-there-is-a/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [It is perseverance, and not genius that takes a man to the top. Rome is full of unrecognized geniuses. Only perseverance enables you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/it-is-perseverance-and-not-genius-that-takes-a-man-to-the-top-rome-is/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“No one can really claim to know politics properly until he has stayed up all night writing a speech for delivery the following day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/no-one-can-really-claim-to-know-politics-properly-until-he-has-stayed/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [People perish. Books are immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/people-perish-books-are-immortal/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [Does a name stick because it suits a man or does the man, unconsciously, evolve into his name?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/does-a-name-stick-because-it-suits-a-man-or-does-the-man/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“He glanced around the reading room and closed his eyes, trying to keep hold of the past for a minute longer, a fattening and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/he-glanced-around-the-reading-room-and-closed-his-eyes-trying-to-keep/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [The natural impulse of men is to follow and whoever has the strongest sense of purpose will always dominate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/the-natural-impulse-of-men-is-to-follow-and-whoever-has-the-strongest/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) [Explore all 184 Robert Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) ## More Fiction quotes > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [The thing about science fiction is that it's totally wide open. But it's wide open in a conditional way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/the-thing-about-science-fiction-is-that-it-s-totally-wide-open-but-it/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [I do think that theater is a great venue for science fiction, and not just adaptations but also original work. I also think some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-einhorn/i-do-think-that-theater-is-a-great-venue-for-science-fiction-and-not/) Edward Einhorn > [Fiction is a way of exploring possibilities present but undreamt of in the living of a single life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/fiction-is-a-way-of-exploring-possibilities-present-but-undreamt-of/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [I love writing fiction and can do it anywhere - I once even missed a flight because I was so engrossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/i-love-writing-fiction-and-can-do-it-anywhere-i-once-even-missed-a/) [Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/) > [“The fiction will seek the real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coheed-and-cambria/the-fiction-will-seek-the-real/) Coheed and Cambria > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [I'm not interested in making a diagnostic novel or a concern. I'm 100 percent committed in fiction to the pleasure principle - that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-m-not-interested-in-making-a-diagnostic-novel-or-a-concern-i-m-100/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“His hands on my waist he gently pulled me n embrace. I could feel his breath on my face our lips were about to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-eglinger/his-hands-on-my-waist-he-gently-pulled-me-n-embrace-i-could-feel-his/) [Nicole Eglinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-eglinger/) > [In early drafts, one of the trickiest things for me to do was to realize that the techniques and devices that make readable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rooney/in-early-drafts-one-of-the-trickiest-things-for-me-to-do-was-to/) [Kathleen Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rooney/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [Metafiction says something. It has to do with taking a large fiction itself and writing within it; that kind of self-reflecting writing that emerges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coover/metafiction-says-something-it-has-to-do-with-taking-a-large-fiction/) [Robert Coover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-coover/) [Browse all 7,410 Fiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writers of fiction should stick to writing, not pop up on panel shows or as a talking head.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Harris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writing-not-pop-up-on-panel-shows/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fiction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writing-not-pop-up-on-panel-shows/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/robert-harris-2039_fiction_writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writi_2703670.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/robert-harris-2039_fiction_writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writi_2703670.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/robert-harris-2039_fiction_writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writi_2703670.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writers of fiction should stick to writing, not pop up on panel shows or as a talking head.” — Robert Harris", "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": "Robert Harris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Writers of fiction should stick to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writing-not-pop-up-on-panel-shows/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/writers-of-fiction-should-stick-to-writing-not-pop-up-on-panel-shows/#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 } } ] } ```