--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some of this book—perhaps too much—has…" description: "\"Some of this book—perhaps too much—has been about how I learned to do it. Much of it has been about how you can do it better. The rest of it—and perhap..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/stephen-king-13_art_some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-b_832450.jpg" --- # Some of this book—perhaps too much—has been about how I… ![“Some of this book—perhaps too much—has been about how I learned to do it. Much of it has been about how you can do it better. The rest of it—and perhaps the best of it—is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water of…” quote by Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/stephen-king-13_art_some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-b_832450.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/stephen-king-13_art_some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-b_832450.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/stephen-king-13_art_some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-b_832450.jpg) > “Some of this book—perhaps too much—has been about how I learned to do it. Much of it has been about how you can do it better. The rest of it—and perhaps the best of it—is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.” [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing is a creative act that can be learned, improved, and approached with courage, offering personal fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Writing is a learnable, rewarding craft. Key Takeaway Write regularly and embrace the process. Themes creativity self‑improvement discipline Mood inspirational motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - daily writing practice - workshop participation - publishing pursuits Key Concepts craftsmanship authorial voice Questions to Reflect On - What story have you been hesitant to start? - How does daily writing change your perspective? A Different Perspective Fear of criticism can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Brave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-art/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Water of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water-of-life/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end it's about enriching the lives of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/writing-isn-t-about-making-money-getting-famous-getting-dates-getting/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/writing-is-magic-as-much-the-water-of-life-as-any-other-creative-art/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The rest of it - and perhaps the best of it - is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-rest-of-it-and-perhaps-the-best-of-it-is-a-permission-slip-you/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Write yourself a permission slip to be surprised by someone's potential. Who knows? One day that person could be you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-shepherd/write-yourself-a-permission-slip-to-be-surprised-by-someone-s/) [Sherri Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherri-shepherd/) > [I've been waiting for someone to sign the permission slip for me to write about sex. In the meantime, I've written about sex in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/i-ve-been-waiting-for-someone-to-sign-the-permission-slip-for-me-to/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [I've learned lately that no one is going to hand me a permission slip and tell me to take time out for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynonna-judd/i-ve-learned-lately-that-no-one-is-going-to-hand-me-a-permission-slip/) [Wynonna Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynonna-judd/) > [ “Not only was \[her dog\] a good companion, he was also like a permission slip to be more present in the world.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-lochen/not-only-was-her-dog-a-good-companion-he-was-also-like-a-permission/) [Andrea Lochen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-lochen/) > [Choose to give your creative art priority over other things. You can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-leland/choose-to-give-your-creative-art-priority-over-other-things-you-can/) [Nita Leland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-leland/) > [Readers have a loyalty that cannot be matched anywhere else in the creative arts, which explains why so many writers who have run out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/readers-have-a-loyalty-that-cannot-be-matched-anywhere-else-in-the/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“... it is worth remembering that the act of writing has its own magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-oliver/it-is-worth-remembering-that-the-act-of-writing-has-its-own-magic/) Jonathan Oliver > [Writing is not magic. It’s a craft, a process, a set of steps. As with any process, things sometimes break down. Even in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-peter-clark/writing-is-not-magic-it-s-a-craft-a-process-a-set-of-steps-as-with/) [Roy Peter Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-peter-clark/) > [“Writing is magic for those willing to follow their imagination to a region where anything is possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kotzwinkle/writing-is-magic-for-those-willing-to-follow-their-imagination-to-a/) [William Kotzwinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kotzwinkle/) > [Why is it that we understand playing the cello will require work, but we attribute writing to the magic of inspiration?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/why-is-it-that-we-understand-playing-the-cello-will-require-work-but/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [When you start writing the magic comes when the characters seem to take on a life of their own and write the words for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/when-you-start-writing-the-magic-comes-when-the-characters-seem-to/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [Writing about magic is harder than writing about spies because you're dealing with something that doesn't really exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/writing-about-magic-is-harder-than-writing-about-spies-because-you-re/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) ## More by Stephen King > [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? Not as friends, but as enemies and equals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/shall-there-be-truth-between-us-as-two-men-not-as-friends-but-as/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“October 3, 2017 The clown, Hagarty said, looked like a cross between Ronald McDonald and that old TV clown, Bozo—or so he thought at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/october-3-2017-the-clown-hagarty-said-looked-like-a-cross-between/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Eddie saw great things and near misses. Albert Einstein as a child, not quite struck by a run-away milk-wagon as he crossed a street.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/eddie-saw-great-things-and-near-misses-albert-einstein-as-a-child-not/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [It hurt, of course, but more often than not the best things do, I've found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-hurt-of-course-but-more-often-than-not-the-best-things-do-i-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The sun had burned through and the day had gone from dull to dazzling, yet in the west blask-satin thunderheads continued to stack up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-sun-had-burned-through-and-the-day-had-gone-from-dull-to-dazzling/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Flakes of snow swirled and danced across the porch. The Overlook faced it as it had for nearly three-quarters of a century, its darkened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/flakes-of-snow-swirled-and-danced-across-the-porch-the-overlook-faced/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“In that instant it all seemed to come clear to him- it came in a grisly flash of light, and he realized that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-that-instant-it-all-seemed-to-come-clear-to-him-it-came-in-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Who gets to be best-liked in any community? Who is the most trusted? Why, the man who does the dirty job, of course, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/who-gets-to-be-best-liked-in-any-community-who-is-the-most-trusted/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“¿Lo ves, tonto? Volvió a regañarse. Tú lo inventaste todo, gato asustado. No fue más que tu imaginación, gato asustado, gato asustado... No te…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/lo-ves-tonto-volvi-a-rega-arse-t-lo-inventaste-todo-gato-asustado-no/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Death . . . but not for you. That was what Walter, clever as Satan even at the end, had said. A lawyer’s answer . . . so close to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/death-but-not-for-you-that-was-what-walter-clever-as-satan-even-at/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The ghost story movie that scared me the most was The Changeling with George C. Scott. I think that's sometimes overlooked, but it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-ghost-story-movie-that-scared-me-the-most-was-the-changeling-with/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Climb aboard, Jonesy. I'm going to send you up where the air is rare and the view is much more than fair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/climb-aboard-jonesy-i-m-going-to-send-you-up-where-the-air-is-rare/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) [Explore all 3,589 Stephen King quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some of this book—perhaps too much—has been about how I learned to do it. Much of it has been about how you can do it better. The rest of it—and perhaps the best of it—is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen King" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-been-about-how-i-learned-to-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-been-about-how-i-learned-to-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/stephen-king-13_art_some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-b_832450.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/stephen-king-13_art_some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-b_832450.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/stephen-king-13_art_some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-b_832450.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some of this book—perhaps too much—has been about how I learned to do it. Much of it has been about how you…” — Stephen King", "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": "Stephen King", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Some of this book—perhaps too much—has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-been-about-how-i-learned-to-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/some-of-this-book-perhaps-too-much-has-been-about-how-i-learned-to-do/#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 } } ] } ```