--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A writer must know how people read, what…" description: "\"A writer must know how people read, what are the main sources of reading errors, and what can be done to possibly forestall them.\" — Rudolf Flesch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/rudolf-flesch-45044_done_a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what_2811912.png" --- # A writer must know how people read, what are the main… ![“A writer must know how people read, what are the main sources of reading errors, and what can be done to possibly forestall them.” quote by Rudolf Flesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/rudolf-flesch-45044_done_a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what_2811912.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/rudolf-flesch-45044_done_a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what_2811912.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/rudolf-flesch-45044_done_a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what_2811912.png) > “A writer must know how people read, what are the main sources of reading errors, and what can be done to possibly forestall them.” [Rudolf Flesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stresses understanding reader behavior and error sources to improve writing clarity and prevent mistakes. **In simple terms:** Know readers to write clearly. Key Takeaway Study reading habits. Themes writing communication education clarity error prevention Mood analytical practical Type educational professional When to use this quote - teaching - publishing - content creation - user experience design Key Concepts Cognitive load reader psychology editing techniques Questions to Reflect On - What common errors hinder comprehension? - How can writers test readability? A Different Perspective May not address digital reading differences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Errors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/errors/) [Errors Possibly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/errors-possibly-3525991/) [Know how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-how/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading Errors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-errors-3525989/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) [Sources Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sources-reading-3525990/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-know-698548/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Every writer I know, when asked how to become a writer, responds with one word:Read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/every-writer-i-know-when-asked-how-to-become-a-writer-responds-with/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [If you're a writer, you know that the stories don't come to you - you have to go looking for them. The old men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/if-you-re-a-writer-you-know-that-the-stories-don-t-come-to-you-you/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [You are told that you have to eliminate un-useful sentences, but as a writer you know how important details are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-zambra/you-are-told-that-you-have-to-eliminate-un-useful-sentences-but-as-a/) [Alejandro Zambra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-zambra/) > [I don't believe the writer should know too much where he's going. If he does, he runs into old man blueprint—old man propaganda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/i-don-t-believe-the-writer-should-know-too-much-where-he-s-going-if/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [As a writer you know you don't have to deal with a lot of the crap that most people deal with, the political things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/as-a-writer-you-know-you-don-t-have-to-deal-with-a-lot-of-the-crap/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I'm not a writer. I know a lot of writers; I know a handful of really excellent, great ones, and I know what they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-small/i-m-not-a-writer-i-know-a-lot-of-writers-i-know-a-handful-of-really/) [David Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-small/) > [“Um um um um um. This business of—this business about marketing yourself, there’s nothing wrong with that. Unless we’re allowed to think that that’s—that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/um-um-um-um-um-this-business-of-this-business-about-marketing/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [If you are not a writer, you will not understand the difficulties of writing. If you are not a writer, you will not know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mem-fox/if-you-are-not-a-writer-you-will-not-understand-the-difficulties-of/) [Mem Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mem-fox/) > [“To be a writer and know the pain of artistic block is to know real frustration (though it's not quite as bad as constipation)!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rhodes/to-be-a-writer-and-know-the-pain-of-artistic-block-is-to-know-real/) [John D. Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rhodes/) > [The worst thing for a writer is to know another writer, and worse than that, to know a number of other writers. Like flies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-worst-thing-for-a-writer-is-to-know-another-writer-and-worse-than/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Virtually every writer I know would rather be a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/virtually-every-writer-i-know-would-rather-be-a-musician/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“One writer I know tells me that he sits down every morning and says to himself nicely, "It's not like you don't have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/one-writer-i-know-tells-me-that-he-sits-down-every-morning-and-says/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I don't understand how you can be a decent writer and not know people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-don-t-understand-how-you-can-be-a-decent-writer-and-not-know-people/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [Every writer I know has trouble writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/every-writer-i-know-has-trouble-writing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“A writer may not know the way at first; but if he endeavors to complete his task, he carves a path with his story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-mcintire/a-writer-may-not-know-the-way-at-first-but-if-he-endeavors-to/) [Susan J. McIntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-mcintire/) ## More by Rudolf Flesch > [“What are we after when we open one of those books? What is it that makes a classic a classic? ... in old-fashioned terms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/what-are-we-after-when-we-open-one-of-those-books-what-is-it-that/) [Rudolf Flesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/) > [You can't build a vocabulary without reading. You can't meet friends if you ... stay at home by yourself all the time. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/you-can-t-build-a-vocabulary-without-reading-you-can-t-meet-friends/) [Rudolf Flesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/) > [I say, don't read the classics - try to discover your own classics; every life has its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/i-say-don-t-read-the-classics-try-to-discover-your-own-classics-every/) [Rudolf Flesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/) > [Abstract ideas are the patterns two or more memories have in common.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/abstract-ideas-are-the-patterns-two-or-more-memories-have-in-common/) [Rudolf Flesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/) > [If you go through any newspaper or magazine and look for active, kicking verbs in the sentences, you will realize that this lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/if-you-go-through-any-newspaper-or-magazine-and-look-for-active/) [Rudolf Flesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/) > [Creative thinking may mean simply the realization that there's no particular virtue in doing things the way they always have been done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/creative-thinking-may-mean-simply-the-realization-that-there-s-no/) [Rudolf Flesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/) > [Say what you have to say, and then stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/say-what-you-have-to-say-and-then-stop/) [Rudolf Flesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/) > [Creative thinking may mean simply the realization that there's no particular virtue in doing things the way they have always been done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/creative-thinking-may-mean-simply-the-realization-that-there-s-no-2/) [Rudolf Flesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/) [Explore all 9 Rudolf Flesch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) [Browse all 25,653 Done quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A writer must know how people read, what are the main sources of reading errors, and what can be done to possibly forestall them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rudolf Flesch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what-are-the-main-sources-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Done" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what-are-the-main-sources-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/rudolf-flesch-45044_done_a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what_2811912.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/rudolf-flesch-45044_done_a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what_2811912.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/rudolf-flesch-45044_done_a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what_2811912.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A writer must know how people read, what are the main sources of reading errors, and what can be done to…” — Rudolf Flesch", "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": "Rudolf Flesch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-flesch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A writer must know how people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what-are-the-main-sources-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-flesch/a-writer-must-know-how-people-read-what-are-the-main-sources-of/#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 } } ] } ```