--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All I thought about when I wrote my…" description: "\"All I thought about when I wrote my stories was, \"I hope that these comic books would sell so I can keep my job and continue to pay the rent.\" Never in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/stan-lee-1586_book_all-i-thought-about-when-i-wrote-my-stor_755537.jpg" --- # All I thought about when I wrote my stories was, "I hope… ![“All I thought about when I wrote my stories was, "I hope that these comic books would sell so I can keep my job and continue to pay the rent." Never in a million years could I have imagined that it would turn into what it has evolved into nowadays. Never.” quote by Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/stan-lee-1586_book_all-i-thought-about-when-i-wrote-my-stor_755537.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/stan-lee-1586_book_all-i-thought-about-when-i-wrote-my-stor_755537.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/stan-lee-1586_book_all-i-thought-about-when-i-wrote-my-stor_755537.jpg) > “All I thought about when I wrote my stories was, "I hope that these comic books would sell so I can keep my job and continue to pay the rent." Never in a million years could I have imagined that it would turn into what it has evolved into nowadays. Never.” [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing stories was a means to earn a living; unexpected success reshaped the medium. **In simple terms:** He wrote for money, not fame. Key Takeaway Focus on purpose, not fame. Themes creativity career unexpected success Mood inspirational pragmatic Type reflective motivational When to use this quote - career planning - creative entrepreneurship - media studies - financial stability Key Concepts storytelling industry evolution Questions to Reflect On - What drives your creative work? - How do you handle unexpected fame? A Different Perspective Success can bring pressures and loss of original intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Comic book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic-book/) [Comic books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic-books/) [Hope Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-comic-5868279/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Imagined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagined/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Stories Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-hope-494118/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Wrote Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-stories-273126/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Imagined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-imagined-2388684/) ## Related quotes > [“I never, in a million years, imagined I could be as happy and fulfilled as I was with you. I never wanted anything more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-bell/i-never-in-a-million-years-imagined-i-could-be-as-happy-and-fulfilled/) [Christine Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-bell/) > [Never in a million years would I have imagined that this is how my life would have ended up. I just thought I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-santos/never-in-a-million-years-would-i-have-imagined-that-this-is-how-my/) [Nico Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-santos/) > [I never in a million years imagined losing my ex's whole family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larsa-pippen/i-never-in-a-million-years-imagined-losing-my-ex-s-whole-family/) [Larsa Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larsa-pippen/) > [I have wanted to fly into space for many years, but never imagined it would really be feasible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-have-wanted-to-fly-into-space-for-many-years-but-never-imagined-it/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [As long as we have our stories there is hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/as-long-as-we-have-our-stories-there-is-hope/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [People across the world are yearning to be connected to stories of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/people-across-the-world-are-yearning-to-be-connected-to-stories-of/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [“The Word of God is a hub where stories of hope are told, from the young to the old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/the-word-of-god-is-a-hub-where-stories-of-hope-are-told-from-the/) [Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/) > [The only thing that kept me going was stories. Stories are hope. They take you out of yourself for a bit, and when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-only-thing-that-kept-me-going-was-stories-stories-are-hope-they/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“All of these heroes had failed to cajole and coerce the masters of America. Their ambition of a better world had been frustrated. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/all-of-these-heroes-had-failed-to-cajole-and-coerce-the-masters-of/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [I don't write stories about despair. I write stories about hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-waid/i-don-t-write-stories-about-despair-i-write-stories-about-hope/) [Mark Waid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-waid/) > [The most hopeful thing in the stories, I hope, is wit. I make it up. If I make up a world in which we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/the-most-hopeful-thing-in-the-stories-i-hope-is-wit-i-make-it-up-if-i/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [To be honest, when I was writing these stories a million years ago, I never thought about movies at all one way or another.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/to-be-honest-when-i-was-writing-these-stories-a-million-years-ago-i/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [I'm no prophet, but I'm guessing that comic books will always be strong. I don't think anything can really beat the pure fun and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-m-no-prophet-but-i-m-guessing-that-comic-books-will-always-be/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [The experience of reading a printed comic book will never change, but now, thanks to the digital age, there are many different ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/the-experience-of-reading-a-printed-comic-book-will-never-change-but/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [ Maybe there will always be a market for the regular comic books because you can read \[them\] at your own pace. You can save… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/maybe-there-will-always-be-a-market-for-the-regular-comic-books/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) ## More by Stan Lee > [I think the way you become a good storyteller is to read a lot of stories and evaluate them in your own mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-think-the-way-you-become-a-good-storyteller-is-to-read-a-lot-of/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [I enjoy the fact that we have these mobile comics now, which are sort of a cross between a comic book and an animated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-enjoy-the-fact-that-we-have-these-mobile-comics-now-which-are-sort/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [To tell you the truth, I never thought of myself as much of a success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/to-tell-you-the-truth-i-never-thought-of-myself-as-much-of-a-success/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [I am so impressed with people who can really make a big movie, a good movie. The amount of work that goes into it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-am-so-impressed-with-people-who-can-really-make-a-big-movie-a-good/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [MARVEL IS A CORNUCOPIA OF FANTASY, A WILD IDEA , A SWASHBUCKLING ATTITUDE , AN ESCAPE FROM THE HUMDRUM AND PROSAIC. IT'S A SERENDIPITOUS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/marvel-is-a-cornucopia-of-fantasy-a-wild-idea-a-swashbuckling/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [Your humans slaughter each other because of the color of your skin, or your faith or your plitics -- or for no reason at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/your-humans-slaughter-each-other-because-of-the-color-of-your-skin-or/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [That's what everybody tells me. "I would've had a great comic-book collection, but my mother made me throw them away." But when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/that-s-what-everybody-tells-me-i-would-ve-had-a-great-comic-book/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [I have always tried to have a message, not to be a preacher, but a message that shows it's better to be a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-have-always-tried-to-have-a-message-not-to-be-a-preacher-but-a/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [ I was in the beginning when \[comic book superheroes\] started, but not anymore. Now I expect it. I've gotten very used to it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-was-in-the-beginning-when-comic-book-superheroes-started-but-not/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [I always felt the 'X-Men,' in a subtle way, often touched upon the subject of racism and inequality, and I believe that subject has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-always-felt-the-x-men-in-a-subtle-way-often-touched-upon-the/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [Every kid loves fairy tales, stories of witches and giants and magicians. Then, when you get a little older you can't read fairy tales…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/every-kid-loves-fairy-tales-stories-of-witches-and-giants-and/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [Wherever we find news, excitement, mystery and adventure, there, too, we find the newspaper reporter. Always on the alert for something new, ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/wherever-we-find-news-excitement-mystery-and-adventure-there-too-we/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [I hated teenagers in comics because they were always sidekicks. And I always felt if I were a superhero, there's no way I'd pal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-hated-teenagers-in-comics-because-they-were-always-sidekicks-and-i/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [The experience of reading a printed comic book will never change, but now, thanks to the digital age, there are many different ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/the-experience-of-reading-a-printed-comic-book-will-never-change-but/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [I'm just somebody who tries to write things that entertain people. And if I can do it in a way that makes them prefer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-m-just-somebody-who-tries-to-write-things-that-entertain-people-and/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) [Explore all 224 Stan Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [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 don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All I thought about when I wrote my stories was, \"I hope that these comic books would sell so I can keep my job and continue to pay the rent.\" Never in a million years could I have imagined that it would turn into what it has evolved into nowadays. 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