--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fiction writing is a twenty-four-hou…" description: "\"Fiction writing is a twenty-four-hou r-a-day occupation. You never leave your work behind. It is always with you, and to some extent, you are always th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/terry-brooks-3252_alive_fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a_419885.png" --- # Fiction writing is a twenty-four-hou r-a-day occupation… ![“Fiction writing is a twenty-four-hou r-a-day occupation. You never leave your work behind. It is always with you, and to some extent, you are always thinking about it. You don't take your work home; your work never leaves home. It lives inside you. It resides and grows and comes alive in your mind.” quote by Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/terry-brooks-3252_alive_fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a_419885.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/terry-brooks-3252_alive_fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a_419885.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/terry-brooks-3252_alive_fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a_419885.png) > “Fiction writing is a twenty-four-hou r-a-day occupation. You never leave your work behind. It is always with you, and to some extent, you are always thinking about it. You don't take your work home; your work never leaves home. It lives inside you. It resides and grows and comes alive in your mind.” [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing fiction consumes the mind; the craft lives inside the writer constantly, shaping thoughts and life. **In simple terms:** Writing is an all‑consuming mental habit. Key Takeaway Accept the immersion and manage boundaries. Themes creativity dedication mental immersion Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - novel writing - daily brainstorming - creative blocks Key Concepts artistic identity work‑life balance Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate self from work? - What boundaries help sustain creativity? A Different Perspective Risk of burnout if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Always thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always-thinking/) [Always with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always-with-you/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-writing/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Occupation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupation/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [When you judge others, the issue is almost always with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-torres/when-you-judge-others-the-issue-is-almost-always-with-you/) [Ray Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-torres/) > [You have good days and bad days, and depression's something that, you know, is always with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/you-have-good-days-and-bad-days-and-depression-s-something-that-you/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) > [In the rush of daily living it's easy to forget all the remarkable people, real or fictional, who have been a part of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-sher/in-the-rush-of-daily-living-it-s-easy-to-forget-all-the-remarkable/) [Barbara Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-sher/) > [I once was here but now Im gone I wasnt here for very long You held me close as if you knew. That some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curly-girl/i-once-was-here-but-now-im-gone-i-wasnt-here-for-very-long-you-held/) Curly Girl > [Your angels are ALWAYS with you, every minute of every day.You are never alone. You are always loved and watched-over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/your-angels-are-always-with-you-every-minute-of-every-day-you-are/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [“As she waited for the soul-crushing grief to envelop her, an odd thing happened. The grief failed to materialize. Instead, she felt... joy. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farrah-rochon/as-she-waited-for-the-soul-crushing-grief-to-envelop-her-an-odd-thing/) [Farrah Rochon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farrah-rochon/) > [I think that foreignness is always with you. Indeed, I find California more foreign to me the longer I live here. In thirty years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/i-think-that-foreignness-is-always-with-you-indeed-i-find-california/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Angels are always with you. You're never alone, especially in your time of need. Listen in stillness for our guidance, which comes upon wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/angels-are-always-with-you-you-re-never-alone-especially-in-your-time/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [No matter how dark things become, someone is always with you - and that someone is God. He helps by giving you peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/no-matter-how-dark-things-become-someone-is-always-with-you-and-that/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [You are a 64-track recording - the tracks are always there, they're always with you. Sometimes the harsh tracks are cranked up and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rza/you-are-a-64-track-recording-the-tracks-are-always-there-they-re/) [RZA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rza/) > [You have an evil twin who is always with you. He is called your ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/you-have-an-evil-twin-who-is-always-with-you-he-is-called-your-ego/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-are-all-a-little-weird-and-life-s-a-little-weird-and-when-we-find-2/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Your two guardian angels are always with you. The other angels come and go as we need them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/your-two-guardian-angels-are-always-with-you-the-other-angels-come/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [The past is always with you. Some people want to be protected from this truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/the-past-is-always-with-you-some-people-want-to-be-protected-from/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) ## More by Terry Brooks > [“a kaleidoscopic, fragmented rush of images that exploded out of memory. They careened into her like an avalanche and swept her away,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/a-kaleidoscopic-fragmented-rush-of-images-that-exploded-out-of-memory/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [Might have, could have, may have, should have—the haves and have nots reduced to pointless possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/might-have-could-have-may-have-should-have-the-haves-and-have-nots/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [“You spend so much time wondering who you are, don't you think? You flounder about, searching for your identity, when most of the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/you-spend-so-much-time-wondering-who-you-are-don-t-you-think-you/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [“Writers need their writing; they need their imaginary worlds in order to find piece in, or make sense of, the real world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/writers-need-their-writing-they-need-their-imaginary-worlds-in-order/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [THE NAME OF THE WIND marks the debut of a writer we would all do well to watch. Patrick Rothfuss has real talent, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/the-name-of-the-wind-marks-the-debut-of-a-writer-we-would-all-do-well/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [If anything in your life is more important than writing - anything at all - you should walk away now while you still can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/if-anything-in-your-life-is-more-important-than-writing-anything-at/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [We are constantly being put to the test by trying circumstances and difficult people and problems not necessarily of our own making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/we-are-constantly-being-put-to-the-test-by-trying-circumstances-and/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [The Golden Compass is one of the best fantasy / adventure stories that I have read. This is a book no one should miss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/the-golden-compass-is-one-of-the-best-fantasy-adventure-stories-that/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [I am incomplete without my work. I am so closely bound to it, so much identified by it, that without it I think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/i-am-incomplete-without-my-work-i-am-so-closely-bound-to-it-so-much/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [We must nurture and love, if life is to have any real meaning. But First we must find a way to survive against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/we-must-nurture-and-love-if-life-is-to-have-any-real-meaning-but/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [When she cried, he would say, "there is nothing wrong with crying. Your feelings tell you who are. They tell what is important. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/when-she-cried-he-would-say-there-is-nothing-wrong-with-crying-your/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [It's better to die in pursuit of your dreams than to live a life without hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/it-s-better-to-die-in-pursuit-of-your-dreams-than-to-live-a-life/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [If you do not hear music in your words, you have put too much thought into your writing and not enough heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/if-you-do-not-hear-music-in-your-words-you-have-put-too-much-thought/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [If I have the means, I have the responsibility to employ them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/if-i-have-the-means-i-have-the-responsibility-to-employ-them/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [“but when you’re dying you don’t have much time for common sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/but-when-you-re-dying-you-don-t-have-much-time-for-common-sense/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) [Explore all 133 Terry Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Fiction writing is a twenty-four-hou r-a-day occupation. You never leave your work behind. It is always with you, and to some extent, you are always thinking about it. You don't take your work home; your work never leaves home. It lives inside you. It resides and grows and comes alive in your mind.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Brooks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a-day-occupation-you-never/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a-day-occupation-you-never/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/terry-brooks-3252_alive_fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a_419885.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/terry-brooks-3252_alive_fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a_419885.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/terry-brooks-3252_alive_fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a_419885.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Fiction writing is a twenty-four-hou r-a-day occupation. You never leave your work behind. It is always with…” — Terry Brooks", "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": "Terry Brooks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Fiction writing is a twenty-four-hou r-a-day...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a-day-occupation-you-never/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/fiction-writing-is-a-twenty-four-hou-r-a-day-occupation-you-never/#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 } } ] } ```