--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having reached the halfway mark in the…" description: "\"Having reached the halfway mark in the alphabet, my prime focus is on writing each new book as well as I can.\" — Sue Grafton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/sue-grafton-1640_alphabet_having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-a_405697.png" --- # Having reached the halfway mark in the alphabet, my prime… ![“Having reached the halfway mark in the alphabet, my prime focus is on writing each new book as well as I can.” quote by Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/sue-grafton-1640_alphabet_having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-a_405697.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/sue-grafton-1640_alphabet_having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-a_405697.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/sue-grafton-1640_alphabet_having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-a_405697.png) > “Having reached the halfway mark in the alphabet, my prime focus is on writing each new book as well as I can.” [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. After completing half the alphabet, the focus shifts to writing each new book as well as possible. **In simple terms:** Focus on quality writing. Key Takeaway Prioritize craft over quantity. Themes writing discipline creativity Mood determined reflective Type literary motivational When to use this quote - book publishing - creative deadlines - personal writing goals - career planning Key Concepts Serial storytelling authorial focus Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance productivity and quality? - What habits sustain long‑term creativity? A Different Perspective Risk of burnout from pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alphabet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alphabet/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Strategy for a Marathon I will start when the gun goes off. I will run for five miles. Feeling good, I will run to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marnie-mueller/strategy-for-a-marathon-i-will-start-when-the-gun-goes-off-i-will-run/) Marnie Mueller > [I focus on the writing and let the rest of the process take care of itself. I've learned to trust my own instincts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/i-focus-on-the-writing-and-let-the-rest-of-the-process-take-care-of/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“I placed the highest priority on the sort of life that lets me focus on writing, not associating with all the people around me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-placed-the-highest-priority-on-the-sort-of-life-that-lets-me-focus/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Let's stop reflexively comparing Chinese writers to Chinese writers, Indian writers to Indian writers, black writers to black writers. Let's focus on the writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/let-s-stop-reflexively-comparing-chinese-writers-to-chinese-writers/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [My neck and shoulders are killing me. Hard to focus on writing about murder, doom, shagging, our hopeless future & other comedy etc etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-ellis/my-neck-and-shoulders-are-killing-me-hard-to-focus-on-writing-about/) [Warren Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-ellis/) > [A writer can't afford to just focus on writing and leave marketing aside in today's competitive market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amish-tripathi/a-writer-can-t-afford-to-just-focus-on-writing-and-leave-marketing/) [Amish Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amish-tripathi/) > [Once I'm in a situation where I can not do anything for three years and go off the map, I'll focus more on writing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/once-i-m-in-a-situation-where-i-can-not-do-anything-for-three-years/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [“Focus on writing first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyra-parish/focus-on-writing-first/) [Lyra Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyra-parish/) > [We were so focused on the production aspect of it that it wasn't until later in our college experience that we realized we needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-duffer/we-were-so-focused-on-the-production-aspect-of-it-that-it-wasn-t/) [Ross Duffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-duffer/) > [When you're in a place, the details you focus on are different than details you focus on when you're writing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/when-you-re-in-a-place-the-details-you-focus-on-are-different-than/) [Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > ['E.T.' was the movie that made me want to make movies in the first place, and it was the first movie that made me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/e-t-was-the-movie-that-made-me-want-to-make-movies-in-the-first-place/) [Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/) > [Once I got my life sorted and started to get healthy, then I was able to focus on writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/once-i-got-my-life-sorted-and-started-to-get-healthy-then-i-was-able/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [Too many people focus on writing what they think they should write, what should be in a song, what radio would want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/too-many-people-focus-on-writing-what-they-think-they-should-write/) [Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/) > [I would love to focus on writing books that were not just about issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-may/i-would-love-to-focus-on-writing-books-that-were-not-just-about-issues/) [Elizabeth May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-may/) > [I don't really focus on if what I'm writing is pop or not. I just write music and then I try to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-lafourcade/i-don-t-really-focus-on-if-what-i-m-writing-is-pop-or-not-i-just/) [Natalia Lafourcade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-lafourcade/) ## More by Sue Grafton > [“Life is hard. Life hurts. So what? You tough it out. You get through and then you'll feel good again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/life-is-hard-life-hurts-so-what-you-tough-it-out-you-get-through-and/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“nothing wrong with a lie or two when the situation demanded it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/nothing-wrong-with-a-lie-or-two-when-the-situation-demanded-it/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“I can just about promise you Philip Marlowe was never as dainty as I.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/i-can-just-about-promise-you-philip-marlowe-was-never-as-dainty-as-i/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“You can always push people around, but it's not a good idea. Better to let them volunteer information for reasons of their own. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/you-can-always-push-people-around-but-it-s-not-a-good-idea-better-to/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [You can't make anyone love you and you can't stop anyone from dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/you-can-t-make-anyone-love-you-and-you-can-t-stop-anyone-from-dying/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“Some people die accidentally. It's a fact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/some-people-die-accidentally-it-s-a-fact/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [Thinking is hard work, which is why you don't see many people doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/thinking-is-hard-work-which-is-why-you-don-t-see-many-people-doing-it/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [Pay enough for anything and it passes for taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/pay-enough-for-anything-and-it-passes-for-taste/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“It’s hard to have faith in your fellow man when you’re forced to look at some of his handiwork.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/it-s-hard-to-have-faith-in-your-fellow-man-when-you-re-forced-to-look/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [Insecure people have a special sensitivity for anything that finally confirms their own low opinion of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/insecure-people-have-a-special-sensitivity-for-anything-that-finally/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“I wondered if I'd ever be nice enough to volunteer for anything. I was hoping not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/i-wondered-if-i-d-ever-be-nice-enough-to-volunteer-for-anything-i-was/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [Ideas are easy. It's the execution of ideas that really separates the sheep from the goats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/ideas-are-easy-it-s-the-execution-of-ideas-that-really-separates-the/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“You can't believe everything you hear. Sometimes, you can't even believe your eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/you-can-t-believe-everything-you-hear-sometimes-you-can-t-even/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“It wasn’t about finding the right answer; it was about patience and diligence. I surrendered to the process, ascribing the same importance to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/it-wasn-t-about-finding-the-right-answer-it-was-about-patience-and/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“Life is simple. You're the one making things complex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/life-is-simple-you-re-the-one-making-things-complex/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) [Explore all 217 Sue Grafton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) ## More Alphabet quotes > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I have thought that wild flowers might be the alphabet of angels, — whereby they write on hills and fields mysterious truths, which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-have-thought-that-wild-flowers-might-be-the-alphabet-of-angels/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [My alphabet starts with this letter called yuzz. It s the letter I use to spell yuzz a ma tuzz. You ll be sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/my-alphabet-starts-with-this-letter-called-yuzz-it-s-the-letter-i-use/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [I cannot find it in me to fear a man who took ten years a learning of his alphabet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-cannot-find-it-in-me-to-fear-a-man-who-took-ten-years-a-learning-of/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [Why' is the only question that bothers people enough to have an entire letter of the alphabet named after it. The alphabet does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/why-is-the-only-question-that-bothers-people-enough-to-have-an-entire/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I used to have a little saying I used when people said, 'What are your priorities?' I'd give them a bit of government alphabet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayden/i-used-to-have-a-little-saying-i-used-when-people-said-what-are-your/) [Michael Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayden/) > [All I want is that Americans still be able to read the alphabet in a hundred years. I am not very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/all-i-want-is-that-americans-still-be-able-to-read-the-alphabet-in-a/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The visual power of the phonetic alphabet is the translate other languages into itself is part of its power to invade right hemisphere (oral)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/the-visual-power-of-the-phonetic-alphabet-is-the-translate-other/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [Architecture is the alphabet of giants; it is the largest set of symbols ever made to meet the eyes of men. A tower stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/architecture-is-the-alphabet-of-giants-it-is-the-largest-set-of/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [I've always thought of the T-shirt as the Alpha and Omega of the fashion alphabet, ... The White T.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-armani/i-ve-always-thought-of-the-t-shirt-as-the-alpha-and-omega-of-the/) [Giorgio Armani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-armani/) > [Alphabetical order had to be invented to help people organize the first dictionaries. On the other hand, we may have reached a point where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/alphabetical-order-had-to-be-invented-to-help-people-organize-the/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [One who has not only the four Ss, which are required in every good lover, but even the whole alphabet. as for example¦ Agreeable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/one-who-has-not-only-the-four-ss-which-are-required-in-every-good/) [Miguel De Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [New York doesn't exactly have neighborhoods, the way most cities do. What it has is closer to distinct and separate villages, some of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/new-york-doesn-t-exactly-have-neighborhoods-the-way-most-cities-do/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) [Browse all 336 Alphabet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alphabet/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Having reached the halfway mark in the alphabet, my prime focus is on writing each new book as well as I can.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sue Grafton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-alphabet-my-prime-focus-is-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alphabet" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-alphabet-my-prime-focus-is-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/sue-grafton-1640_alphabet_having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-a_405697.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/sue-grafton-1640_alphabet_having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-a_405697.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/sue-grafton-1640_alphabet_having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-a_405697.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Having reached the halfway mark in the alphabet, my prime focus is on writing each new book as well as I can.” — Sue Grafton", "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": "Sue Grafton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Having reached the halfway mark in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-alphabet-my-prime-focus-is-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/having-reached-the-halfway-mark-in-the-alphabet-my-prime-focus-is-on/#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 } } ] } ```