--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Starting writing is stressful and scary…" description: "\"Starting writing is stressful and scary and hard, but also, it's just like going to the gym. You're just stiff and weird, and you can't do it as well.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/tamara-jenkins-33031_gym_starting-writing-is-stressful-and-scary_431877.jpg" --- # Starting writing is stressful and scary and hard, but… ![“Starting writing is stressful and scary and hard, but also, it's just like going to the gym. You're just stiff and weird, and you can't do it as well.” quote by Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/tamara-jenkins-33031_gym_starting-writing-is-stressful-and-scary_431877.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/tamara-jenkins-33031_gym_starting-writing-is-stressful-and-scary_431877.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/tamara-jenkins-33031_gym_starting-writing-is-stressful-and-scary_431877.jpg) > “Starting writing is stressful and scary and hard, but also, it's just like going to the gym. You're just stiff and weird, and you can't do it as well.” [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She compares starting to write to beginning a workout: both feel awkward at first but improve with practice. **In simple terms:** Writing is like a gym: awkward at start, gets easier. Key Takeaway Treat writing as regular practice. Themes creativity discipline growth Mood encouraging realistic Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - writing workshops - daily writing prompts - peer feedback Key Concepts habit formation skill development confidence building Questions to Reflect On - What small writing habit can you start? - How does routine reduce anxiety? A Different Perspective Fear of failure may inhibit starting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gym/) [Hard Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-just/) [Scary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary/) [Starting Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting-writing-679145/) [Stressful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stressful/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Stressful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-stressful-3804415/) ## Related quotes > [I started quite late. I only discovered that I could write a song when I was, like, 17... some musicians, they're starting out, writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-merton/i-started-quite-late-i-only-discovered-that-i-could-write-a-song-when/) [Alice Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-merton/) > [I starting writing when I was about 13 or 14 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsea-ballerini/i-starting-writing-when-i-was-about-13-or-14-years-old/) [Kelsea Ballerini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsea-ballerini/) > [ The thing for someone just starting off \[in writing\] is to write. You need to have limber fingers, whether you write with your fingers… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/the-thing-for-someone-just-starting-off-in-writing-is-to-write-you/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [I don't have problems starting writing. I have problems stopping. I'm one of the last dads to arrive at school to collect the kids,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/i-don-t-have-problems-starting-writing-i-have-problems-stopping-i-m/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [ I worked more intensively hour after hour when I was starting out \[writing\]. More laboriously. I'd say quantity is important as well as quality,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/i-worked-more-intensively-hour-after-hour-when-i-was-starting-out/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [I know it sounds stupid, but we're just playing. We're playing hard, but we're just playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcy-tucker/i-know-it-sounds-stupid-but-we-re-just-playing-we-re-playing-hard-but/) [Darcy Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcy-tucker/) > [Got damn, I'm glad ya'll set it off. Used to be hard, now you're just wet and soft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/got-damn-i-m-glad-ya-ll-set-it-off-used-to-be-hard-now-you-re-just/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [I throw just as hard as ever - it just takes twice as long to get there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-spahn/i-throw-just-as-hard-as-ever-it-just-takes-twice-as-long-to-get-there/) [Warren Spahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-spahn/) > [If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olin-miller/if-you-want-to-make-an-easy-job-seem-mighty-hard-just-keep-putting/) [Olin Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olin-miller/) > [Women's style is so hard for me. I just know what I think looks good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pusha-t/women-s-style-is-so-hard-for-me-i-just-know-what-i-think-looks-good/) [Pusha T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pusha-t/) > [Being an actor, in and of itself, is just hard. You have to just do it for its own sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-wu/being-an-actor-in-and-of-itself-is-just-hard-you-have-to-just-do-it/) [Constance Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-wu/) > [Learning to trust again is hard when everyone just keeps on letting you down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learning-to-trust-again-is-hard-when-everyone-just-keeps-on-letting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's hard for me to just practice without writing something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geddy-lee/it-s-hard-for-me-to-just-practice-without-writing-something/) [Geddy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geddy-lee/) > [I have to work hard, just like any other player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/i-have-to-work-hard-just-like-any-other-player/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [I don't work this hard just to be the best player. I do it to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-mcpeak/i-don-t-work-this-hard-just-to-be-the-best-player-i-do-it-to-win/) [Holly McPeak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-mcpeak/) ## More by Tamara Jenkins > [Producer Ed Pressman had a book about Diane Arbus - it's the only biography that exists - and there had been many Diane Arbus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/producer-ed-pressman-had-a-book-about-diane-arbus-it-s-the-only/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [I remember in film school, when we made shorts, you'd sit there and screen them with your peers, which has its own flavor, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/i-remember-in-film-school-when-we-made-shorts-you-d-sit-there-and/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [Little projects - not feature - film projects - you know, theater things, writing things, and jobs like doing rewriting for money, stuff like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/little-projects-not-feature-film-projects-you-know-theater-things/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [I spent a lot of time on Diane Arbus film, not only writing it, but running around talking through various production issues. All this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-on-diane-arbus-film-not-only-writing-it-but/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [Focus group was helpful in the way it always is when you make movies, especially with anything funny. You can find the right edit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/focus-group-was-helpful-in-the-way-it-always-is-when-you-make-movies/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [After the editing room, I go and take a nap. I'm not in the practice of writing, and I feel like I'm flabby, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/after-the-editing-room-i-go-and-take-a-nap-i-m-not-in-the-practice-of/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [In terms of my peer group, nobody's parents were dying of old age. There was no dialogue to have among friends. I had that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/in-terms-of-my-peer-group-nobody-s-parents-were-dying-of-old-age/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [I did watching my films with an audience at the beginning when we went to Sundance and we screened The Savages there. I watched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/i-did-watching-my-films-with-an-audience-at-the-beginning-when-we/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [That's what all these studios do: They recruit people who've seen certain films. It's this weird, fake science-y thing the studios call a "tool."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/that-s-what-all-these-studios-do-they-recruit-people-who-ve-seen/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [I just thought that was so interesting, that people that deal with bodies on a much more corporeal level, like the attendants, had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/i-just-thought-that-was-so-interesting-that-people-that-deal-with/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [Ideally, I'd prefer never having to be in a test-screening environment. Some famous director said "The group is smart, the individuals are stupid," about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/ideally-i-d-prefer-never-having-to-be-in-a-test-screening-environment/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [I had the experience of having my grandmother in a nursing home at the end of her life, and had dementia set in with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/i-had-the-experience-of-having-my-grandmother-in-a-nursing-home-at/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [Writing is so... I don't know, it's such a practice, and I feel very unpracticed in it, because I'm not doing it every day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/writing-is-so-i-don-t-know-it-s-such-a-practice-and-i-feel-very/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [Obviously, once you're finished, you're like, "Okay, I have to make this a movie now, and I need people - bodies to play these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/obviously-once-you-re-finished-you-re-like-okay-i-have-to-make-this-a/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) [Explore all 15 Tamara Jenkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) ## More Gym quotes > [What do you think of our gym <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-do-you-think-of-our-gym-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being fit is the easiest part of being a dance professional. I used to just throw on a backpack full of rocks and run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-du-beke/being-fit-is-the-easiest-part-of-being-a-dance-professional-i-used-to/) [Anton du Beke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-du-beke/) > [It's similar to basketball: when you go to different gyms and win or lose, you learn something new. So when kids get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/it-s-similar-to-basketball-when-you-go-to-different-gyms-and-win-or/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [For girls who want to get their waistline down a little bit and don't have any weights in the house, they can actually use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepa/for-girls-who-want-to-get-their-waistline-down-a-little-bit-and-don-t/) [Pepa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pepa/) > [I'm a competitive person. I love the game of basketball. I'm a gym rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-m-a-competitive-person-i-love-the-game-of-basketball-i-m-a-gym-rat/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [I do not like to go to the gym; I am more of a nature person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nushrat-bharucha/i-do-not-like-to-go-to-the-gym-i-am-more-of-a-nature-person/) [Nushrat Bharucha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nushrat-bharucha/) > [Get out there, even if it's a hike or something, just break up the monotony of going to the gym.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-biel/get-out-there-even-if-it-s-a-hike-or-something-just-break-up-the/) [Jessica Biel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-biel/) > [Some people get up in the morning, don't go to the gym, they go take a shower. Well, I go to the gym, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-plitt/some-people-get-up-in-the-morning-don-t-go-to-the-gym-they-go-take-a/) [Greg Plitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-plitt/) > [One of the big misconceptions about me is that I walk around in mini-skirts and high heels twenty-four seven and go to the gym…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-electra/one-of-the-big-misconceptions-about-me-is-that-i-walk-around-in-mini/) [Carmen Electra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-electra/) > [I forgot to go to the gym today... That's 5 years in a row now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-forgot-to-go-to-the-gym-today-that-s-5-years-in-a-row-now/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [On the rare occasions I go to the gym, I prefer silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-neuwirth/on-the-rare-occasions-i-go-to-the-gym-i-prefer-silence/) [Bebe Neuwirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-neuwirth/) > [I am first one in the gym, I do cardio before I have breakfast, and I am training hard every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinder-mahal/i-am-first-one-in-the-gym-i-do-cardio-before-i-have-breakfast-and-i/) [Jinder Mahal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jinder-mahal/) > [The harder I train every day on the track and in the gym, the more trust I gain in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cotto/the-harder-i-train-every-day-on-the-track-and-in-the-gym-the-more/) [Miguel Cotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cotto/) > [I dislike the gym, but I'll chase a tennis ball all day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-kuchar/i-dislike-the-gym-but-i-ll-chase-a-tennis-ball-all-day/) [Matt Kuchar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-kuchar/) > [I love spin classes. I'm also very big on music, so I make a mix on my iPod that's 45 minutes to an hour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-accola/i-love-spin-classes-i-m-also-very-big-on-music-so-i-make-a-mix-on-my/) [Candice Accola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-accola/) [Browse all 1,966 Gym quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gym/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Starting writing is stressful and scary and hard, but also, it's just like going to the gym. 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