--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing takes gall. I like to think…" description: "\"Writing takes gall. I like to think that's true even for writers with several books under their belt, writers who have been doing it for years. It take..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/rumaan-alam-5326_books_writing-takes-gall-i-like-to-think-that_310709.jpg" --- # Writing takes gall. I like to think that's true even for… ![“Writing takes gall. I like to think that's true even for writers with several books under their belt, writers who have been doing it for years. It takes something - guts, gumption, self-delusion - to ask for a reader's time when we all know there's nothing new under the sun; that it's all been…” quote by Rumaan Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/rumaan-alam-5326_books_writing-takes-gall-i-like-to-think-that_310709.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/rumaan-alam-5326_books_writing-takes-gall-i-like-to-think-that_310709.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/rumaan-alam-5326_books_writing-takes-gall-i-like-to-think-that_310709.jpg) > “Writing takes gall. I like to think that's true even for writers with several books under their belt, writers who have been doing it for years. It takes something - guts, gumption, self-delusion - to ask for a reader's time when we all know there's nothing new under the sun; that it's all been said, or written, before.” [Rumaan Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumaan-alam/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing demands courage and self‑deception because readers expect novelty, yet everything feels already said. **In simple terms:** Writing needs guts despite seeming sameness. Key Takeaway Embrace boldness, accept imperfection. Themes courage self‑deception creativity Mood anxious determined Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - publishing - personal essays - novel drafts - marketing pitches Key Concepts existentialism authorial anxiety originality Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you willing to take for authenticity? - How does self‑delusion aid or hinder your work? A Different Perspective Even with guts, fear of redundancy can paralyze creation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Too much has already been said and written about women's sphere. Leave women, then, to find their sphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-stone/too-much-has-already-been-said-and-written-about-women-s-sphere-leave/) [Lucy Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-stone/) > [“Was it not said and written that give unto God what belongs to God and to Ceaser what belongs to him? 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