--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think (if I can make a judgement about…" description: "\"“I think (if I can make a judgement about writers coming into the business), I feel everybody is in a horrific hurry these days. You write one book and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/sue-grafton-1640_business_i-think-if-i-can-make-a-judgement-about_2510605.png" --- # I think (if I can make a judgement about writers coming… ![“I think (if I can make a judgement about writers coming into the business), I feel everybody is in a horrific hurry these days. You write one book and you're ready for fame and fortune. I don't know that people are spending the time and attention on learning how to write -- which takes years…” quote by Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/sue-grafton-1640_business_i-think-if-i-can-make-a-judgement-about_2510605.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/sue-grafton-1640_business_i-think-if-i-can-make-a-judgement-about_2510605.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/sue-grafton-1640_business_i-think-if-i-can-make-a-judgement-about_2510605.png) > ““I think (if I can make a judgement about writers coming into the business), I feel everybody is in a horrific hurry these days. You write one book and you're ready for fame and fortune. I don't know that people are spending the time and attention on learning how to write -- which takes years. Everybody sees the success stories. So instead of taking five years to learn how to write a decent sentence, they're writing a book proposal and asking who your editor and your agent are. So I find it a little infuriating that there is not more care given to the issue of being wonderful at writing.”” [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. The quote criticizes the modern rush to publish without mastering the craft, emphasizing that true writing skill requires years of practice, not just chasing fame. **In simple terms:** People rush to publish without learning to write well. Key Takeaway Invest time mastering writing before seeking fame. Themes writing craft patience publishing career literature Mood frustrated critical reflective Type advice observational.critical When to use this quote - author workshops - creative writing courses - self‑editing - publishing contracts - career planning Key Concepts skill development industry pressure learning curve Questions to Reflect On - How can writers balance speed with skill development? - What structures support deep learning in writing? A Different Perspective Rapid publishing can sacrifice quality and long‑term credibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Fame and fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame-and-fortune/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [Sentence Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentence-writing-1152520/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writers Coming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-coming-1152519/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing a book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-a-book/) [Writing Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-book/) ## Related quotes > [“Another drink, another sentence, and the writing continues on. . . .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-r-miller/another-drink-another-sentence-and-the-writing-continues-on/) [Dennis R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-r-miller/) > [When you're a mass-market writer, people think that you can just decide 'this happens, this happens, this happens', whereas with literary writers it's coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/when-you-re-a-mass-market-writer-people-think-that-you-can-just/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [I am looking for different roles as many writers are coming up with the same kind of characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rao-ramesh/i-am-looking-for-different-roles-as-many-writers-are-coming-up-with/) [Rao Ramesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rao-ramesh/) > [“Writing a book is like sliding down a rainbow! Marketing it is like trudging through a field of chewed bubblegum on a hot, sticky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-dravis/writing-a-book-is-like-sliding-down-a-rainbow-marketing-it-is-like/) [Betty Dravis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-dravis/) > [All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives lies a mystery. Writing a book is a long,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/all-writers-are-vain-selfish-and-lazy-and-at-the-very-bottom-of-their/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Hands down, the hardest part for me is coming up with an idea. I spend about 14 months writing a book, and that's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/hands-down-the-hardest-part-for-me-is-coming-up-with-an-idea-i-spend/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [By the end of the time I'm writing a book, I'm tearing my hair out and I want to go do stand-up. 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I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/do-you-know-what-writing-a-book-is-it-s-sitting-alone-in-a-room-for/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [When I was in college, I used to write little ditties and short stories and poetry for my friends. Writing a book is another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/when-i-was-in-college-i-used-to-write-little-ditties-and-short/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [“Writing a book is a blood sport. If it doesn't hurt when you're done, you're probably doing something wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevis-hendrickson/writing-a-book-is-a-blood-sport-if-it-doesn-t-hurt-when-you-re-done/) [Kevis Hendrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevis-hendrickson/) > [Writing a book is a brilliant thing because once you've finished it, you've done it, and there's the potential for it to go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/writing-a-book-is-a-brilliant-thing-because-once-you-ve-finished-it/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [These are rules I've picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I'm writing a book, to help me show rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/these-are-rules-i-ve-picked-up-along-the-way-to-help-me-remain/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Writing a book is an adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/writing-a-book-is-an-adventure/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) ## 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 Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [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/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. 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You write one book and you're ready for fame and fortune. I don't know that people are spending the time and attention on learning how to write -- which takes years. Everybody sees the success stories. So instead of taking five years to learn how to write a decent sentence, they're writing a book proposal and asking who your editor and your agent are. 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