--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, most good playwrights write…" description: "\"You know, most good playwrights write seven good plays and then something happens and after that they're crap.\" — Sarah Kane" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/sarah-kane-9287_actor_you-know-most-good-playwrights-write-sev_2743693.jpg" --- # You know, most good playwrights write seven good plays and… ![“You know, most good playwrights write seven good plays and then something happens and after that they're crap.” quote by Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/sarah-kane-9287_actor_you-know-most-good-playwrights-write-sev_2743693.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/sarah-kane-9287_actor_you-know-most-good-playwrights-write-sev_2743693.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/sarah-kane-9287_actor_you-know-most-good-playwrights-write-sev_2743693.jpg) > “You know, most good playwrights write seven good plays and then something happens and after that they're crap.” [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Most playwrights produce a few great works before declining, suggesting creative peaks are hard to sustain. **In simple terms:** Creative output often peaks early. Key Takeaway Accept creative cycles and focus on lasting impact. Themes creativity art career decline legacy Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical creative When to use this quote - writing workshops - mentor relationships - portfolio reviews - self‑assessment Key Concepts literature psychology career development Questions to Reflect On - What defines a “good” work for you? - How can you sustain artistic growth? A Different Perspective Success can be defined beyond quantity, focusing on influence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [After](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/after/) [Crap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crap/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-plays-536732/) [Good Playwrights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-playwrights-3046135/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/) [Plays Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays-happens-320490/) [Playwrights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playwrights/) [Playwrights Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playwrights-write-1827137/) [Seven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seven/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [For many playwrights, they write the plays anyway because they've got to be, the work has been started, it's got to be finished, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/for-many-playwrights-they-write-the-plays-anyway-because-they-ve-got/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [Each player wants to perform in every match he plays. Sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn't. If I am not able to perform in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prithvi-shaw/each-player-wants-to-perform-in-every-match-he-plays-sometimes-it/) [Prithvi Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prithvi-shaw/) > [Some of the greatest athletes in the world play this game. Sometimes, you make plays, sometimes, they make plays. That's what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrelle-revis/some-of-the-greatest-athletes-in-the-world-play-this-game-sometimes/) [Darrelle Revis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrelle-revis/) > [Well, one of the things we're supposed to be able to do as playwrights is write from a place of empathy, get into another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/well-one-of-the-things-we-re-supposed-to-be-able-to-do-as-playwrights/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [It's the function of a playwright to write. Some playwrights write a large number of plays, some write a small number.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/it-s-the-function-of-a-playwright-to-write-some-playwrights-write-a/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Anytime I get the opportunity to get the ball, I just want to make good plays and help my team win the game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desean-jackson/anytime-i-get-the-opportunity-to-get-the-ball-i-just-want-to-make/) [DeSean Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desean-jackson/) > [Our job is to unleash the play. It's not just about your character or interaction with the other characters. There's an energy in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/our-job-is-to-unleash-the-play-it-s-not-just-about-your-character-or/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [It's my job to get us in good plays, or more importantly, out of bad plays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-brees/it-s-my-job-to-get-us-in-good-plays-or-more-importantly-out-of-bad/) [Drew Brees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-brees/) > [Eat good dinners and drink good wine; read good novels if you have the leisure and see good plays; fall in love, if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/eat-good-dinners-and-drink-good-wine-read-good-novels-if-you-have-the/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [A great many quite good plays could be performed with rhythmic howls in the place of dialogue and lose almost nothing by the change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/a-great-many-quite-good-plays-could-be-performed-with-rhythmic-howls/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [I'm just going to continue to make good plays. Making the right decisions, good decisions with the ball so my team can play with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-moore/i-m-just-going-to-continue-to-make-good-plays-making-the-right/) [Maya Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-moore/) > [I don't believe really good plays - interesting plays, complicated plays - can mean just one thing to every single person in the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-mantello/i-don-t-believe-really-good-plays-interesting-plays-complicated-plays/) [Joe Mantello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-mantello/) > [My '60s plays were as good as most of the other plays I've written ... except I wasn't in a condition to refine them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/my-60s-plays-were-as-good-as-most-of-the-other-plays-i-ve-written/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [Good plays drive bad playgoers crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-atkinson/good-plays-drive-bad-playgoers-crazy/) [Brooks Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-atkinson/) > [Once you get a couple good plays, you get confidence and it carries over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-gostkowski/once-you-get-a-couple-good-plays-you-get-confidence-and-it-carries/) [Stephen Gostkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-gostkowski/) ## More by Sarah Kane > [“Some will call this self-indulgence (They are lucky not to know its truth) Some will know the simple fact of pain This is becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/some-will-call-this-self-indulgence-they-are-lucky-not-to-know-its/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [“And when I don’t feel it, it’s pointless. Think about getting up it’s pointless. Think about eating it’s pointless. Think about dressing it’s pointless.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/and-when-i-don-t-feel-it-it-s-pointless-think-about-getting-up-it-s/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [To create something beautiful about despair or out of a feeling of despair is for me the most hopeful life affirming thing a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/to-create-something-beautiful-about-despair-or-out-of-a-feeling-of/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [Death is my lover and he wants to move in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/death-is-my-lover-and-he-wants-to-move-in/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [I'm not a brand name, I'm a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/i-m-not-a-brand-name-i-m-a-person/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [“I am much fucking angrier than you think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/i-am-much-fucking-angrier-than-you-think/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [“As a child I liked to piss on the carpet. The carpet rotted and I blamed it on the dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/as-a-child-i-liked-to-piss-on-the-carpet-the-carpet-rotted-and-i/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [I have no interest in trying to manipulate people's emotions or opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/i-have-no-interest-in-trying-to-manipulate-people-s-emotions-or/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [Your hair is an act of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/your-hair-is-an-act-of-god/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [“Long before I had the chance to adore all of you, I adored the bits of you I could see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/long-before-i-had-the-chance-to-adore-all-of-you-i-adored-the-bits-of/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [“the capture the rapture the rupture of a soul a solo symphony”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/the-capture-the-rapture-the-rupture-of-a-soul-a-solo-symphony/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [I am the beast at the end of the rope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/i-am-the-beast-at-the-end-of-the-rope/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [“Phaedra: I wanted to see your face when you came. Hippolytus: Why? Phaedra: I'd like to see you lose yourself. Hippolytus: It's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/phaedra-i-wanted-to-see-your-face-when-you-came-hippolytus-why/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [“don't say no to me you can't say no to me because it's such a relief to have love again and to lie in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/don-t-say-no-to-me-you-can-t-say-no-to-me-because-it-s-such-a-relief/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [“And I want to play hide-and-seek and give you my clothes and tell you I like your shoes and sit on the steps while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/and-i-want-to-play-hide-and-seek-and-give-you-my-clothes-and-tell-you/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) [Explore all 74 Sarah Kane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. 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