--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like to sit down every day and not know…" description: "\"I like to sit down every day and not know where the book is going. I have no idea where the book is going to go or how it's going to end as I'm writing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/ted-bell-51375_book_i-like-to-sit-down-every-day-and-not-kno_3148836.jpg" --- # I like to sit down every day and not know where the book… ![“I like to sit down every day and not know where the book is going. I have no idea where the book is going to go or how it's going to end as I'm writing it.” quote by Ted Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/ted-bell-51375_book_i-like-to-sit-down-every-day-and-not-kno_3148836.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/ted-bell-51375_book_i-like-to-sit-down-every-day-and-not-kno_3148836.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/ted-bell-51375_book_i-like-to-sit-down-every-day-and-not-kno_3148836.jpg) > “I like to sit down every day and not know where the book is going. I have no idea where the book is going to go or how it's going to end as I'm writing it.” [Ted Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer embraces uncertainty, allowing the story to unfold without a predetermined plan. **In simple terms:** Writing without a fixed plan, letting the story develop naturally. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and enjoy the creative process. Themes creativity uncertainty process writing Mood inspirational curious Type creative motivational When to use this quote - novel writing - daily journaling - creative projects Key Concepts narrative theory flow state exploration Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated without a clear endpoint? - What methods help you navigate creative uncertainty? A Different Perspective Lack of direction may cause frustration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [My own books drive themselves. I know roughly where a book is going to end, but essentially the story develops under my fingers. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/my-own-books-drive-themselves-i-know-roughly-where-a-book-is-going-to/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You start by writing to live. You end by writing so as not to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/you-start-by-writing-to-live-you-end-by-writing-so-as-not-to-die/) [Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/) > [If you're writing a piece for the Boston Pops, the balance is towards one end. If you're writing a piece for a chamber music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maxwell-davies/if-you-re-writing-a-piece-for-the-boston-pops-the-balance-is-towards/) [Peter Maxwell Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-maxwell-davies/) > [The only end of writing is to enable readers better to enjoy life or better to endure it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-only-end-of-writing-is-to-enable-readers-better-to-enjoy-life-or/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“That this is a practice contrary to the rules of criticism will be readily allowed; but there is always an appeal open from criticism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-this-is-a-practice-contrary-to-the-rules-of-criticism-will-be/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [In the end, when you're writing a really good song, it strikes the right tone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-finn/in-the-end-when-you-re-writing-a-really-good-song-it-strikes-the/) [Craig Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-finn/) > [I like the quiet it takes to pursue an idea the way I pursued 'Hamilton,' but I couldn't write a book, because there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-manuel-miranda/i-like-the-quiet-it-takes-to-pursue-an-idea-the-way-i-pursued/) [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-manuel-miranda/) > [I know a lot of directors have a whole staff of people trying to find their next film for them. I always just end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-helgeland/i-know-a-lot-of-directors-have-a-whole-staff-of-people-trying-to-find/) [Brian Helgeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-helgeland/) > [After a while the business end of writing takes too much of the writing time. Better to pay someone ten percent and find that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/after-a-while-the-business-end-of-writing-takes-too-much-of-the/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [Babbitt as a book was planless; its end arrived apparently because its author had come to the end of the writing-pad, or rather, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/babbitt-as-a-book-was-planless-its-end-arrived-apparently-because-its/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [We wrote 'Stellify' for Rihanna, but as we got to the end of writing it, I thought, 'You know what? I'm gonna keep this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-brown/we-wrote-stellify-for-rihanna-but-as-we-got-to-the-end-of-writing-it/) [Ian Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-brown/) > [“There is no end to writing, I think, no end to the project of rescue." --Sofia Samatar, from "Fallow," in her collection, Tender”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-samatar/there-is-no-end-to-writing-i-think-no-end-to-the-project-of-rescue/) [Sofia Samatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-samatar/) > [“From here on in, many things can happen. But the main one will be this: you decide not to go to law school after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/from-here-on-in-many-things-can-happen-but-the-main-one-will-be-this/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“The end of writing is to instruct; the end of poetry is to instruct by pleasing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-end-of-writing-is-to-instruct-the-end-of-poetry-is-to-instruct-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All stories interest me, and some haunt me until I end up writing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/all-stories-interest-me-and-some-haunt-me-until-i-end-up-writing-them-2/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) ## More by Ted Bell > [“Eating and sleeping are the two periods in your life where writers get a pass for not reading. Check that. Only sleeping.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-bell/eating-and-sleeping-are-the-two-periods-in-your-life-where-writers/) [Ted BELL](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bell/) > [Every major player is working on this technology of artificial intelligence. As of now, it's benign... but I would say that the day is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-bell/every-major-player-is-working-on-this-technology-of-artificial/) [Ted Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bell/) > [I think it takes a lot of desire because I think a lot of people who've never written books don't know quite how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-bell/i-think-it-takes-a-lot-of-desire-because-i-think-a-lot-of-people-who/) [Ted Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bell/) > [“Just write it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-bell/just-write-it/) [Ted Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bell/) > [Typically, a book takes me about a year to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-bell/typically-a-book-takes-me-about-a-year-to-write/) [Ted Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bell/) > [I live in Florida, and I live on a small lagoon. I sit and look out at the water all day - that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-bell/i-live-in-florida-and-i-live-on-a-small-lagoon-i-sit-and-look-out-at/) [Ted Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bell/) [Explore all 7 Ted Bell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bell/) ## 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": "I like to sit down every day and not know where the book is going. 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