--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think I could have written what I…" description: "\"I don't think I could have written what I did any earlier.\" — Terry Goodkind" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/terry-goodkind-924_thinking_i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what_1380619.jpg" --- # I don't think I could have written what I did any earlier. ![“I don't think I could have written what I did any earlier.” quote by Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/terry-goodkind-924_thinking_i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what_1380619.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/terry-goodkind-924_thinking_i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what_1380619.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/terry-goodkind-924_thinking_i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what_1380619.jpg) > “I don't think I could have written what I did any earlier.” [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work often matures; timing; earlier attempts may lack depth or readiness. **In simple terms:** Good ideas need time to develop. Key Takeaway Allow ideas to mature before execution. Themes creativity patience growth Mood reflective encouraging Type inspirational motivational When to use this quote - writing - musical composition - software design - research projects Key Concepts artistic development self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What project could you start now? - How do you know when an idea is ready? A Different Perspective Waiting too long can cause missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Did Earlier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-earlier-2748016/) [Earlier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earlier/) [Think Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-written-1027034/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) [Written Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written-did-2210521/) ## Related quotes > [Yeah, well, it did earlier - but as Bobby and I have played together, our thing as a unit has become so strong that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-hunter/yeah-well-it-did-earlier-but-as-bobby-and-i-have-played-together-our/) [Charlie Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-hunter/) > [“But … even if I did – which I didn’t – how could I have found them myself, found them old and faded? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-morton-shaw/but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-could-i-have-found-them-myself/) [Christine Morton-Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-morton-shaw/) > [Seeing her cry still made me feel the same way it did earlier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeing-her-cry-still-made-me-feel-the-same-way-it-did-earlier/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I change the date on my homework to make it seem like I did it earlier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-change-the-date-on-my-homework-to-make-it-seem-like-i-did-it-earlier/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wrote a song, but I can't read music so I don't know what it is. Every once in a while I'll be listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-wrote-a-song-but-i-can-t-read-music-so-i-don-t-know-what-it-is/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I don't know what people who I've never met think about me. Some have written horrible things, some have written nice things - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elton/i-don-t-know-what-people-who-i-ve-never-met-think-about-me-some-have/) [Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) > [I just live my life and do what I want to do and don't think about what is written about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-wozniacki/i-just-live-my-life-and-do-what-i-want-to-do-and-don-t-think-about/) [Caroline Wozniacki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-wozniacki/) > [I think I have written the things I was put on Earth to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-faber/i-think-i-have-written-the-things-i-was-put-on-earth-to-write/) [Michel Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-faber/) > [If I were brave enough to say so, I'd like to think that I had written some poems that people are not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-davison/if-i-were-brave-enough-to-say-so-i-d-like-to-think-that-i-had-written/) [Peter Davison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-davison/) > [My greatest wish is to write in such a manner that all may think they have written it themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-of-wied/my-greatest-wish-is-to-write-in-such-a-manner-that-all-may-think-they/) [Elisabeth of Wied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-of-wied/) > ['Where The Wild Things Are,' I think I could have written on my own. When I brought Dave Eggers on, I already had 60…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/where-the-wild-things-are-i-think-i-could-have-written-on-my-own-when/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I don't think anyone has written a great graphic novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/i-don-t-think-anyone-has-written-a-great-graphic-novel/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [“I think,” said my guardian, thoughtfully regarding her, “I think it must be somewhere written that the virtues of the mothers shall occasionally be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-think-said-my-guardian-thoughtfully-regarding-her-i-think-it-must/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“You could fill a book with all the things you don't know,girl. In fact-I think someone may have already written it.But that's neither here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/you-could-fill-a-book-with-all-the-things-you-don-t-know-girl-in-fact/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [I think I would have written five times as much as I've written if I didn't have this terrible sense of perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/i-think-i-would-have-written-five-times-as-much-as-i-ve-written-if-i/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) ## More by Terry Goodkind > [Sometimes, it is necessary to step beyond what you have known and to reach for something more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/sometimes-it-is-necessary-to-step-beyond-what-you-have-known-and-to/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“It should hurt, shouldn’t it? Shouldn’t it hurt to be ripped in half? But it didn’t. It didn’t hurt the least little bit. Cold.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/it-should-hurt-shouldn-t-it-shouldn-t-it-hurt-to-be-ripped-in-half/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Dancing with death meant being committed to killing, committed with your heart and soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/dancing-with-death-meant-being-committed-to-killing-committed-with/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Only a fool walks into the future backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/only-a-fool-walks-into-the-future-backwards/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“Sometimes it's more important to seize the chance and do what you can even knowing that it won't likely account for everything, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/sometimes-it-s-more-important-to-seize-the-chance-and-do-what-you-can/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“While it was understandable to be afraid, and no one would expect you not to be, the worst thing you could do was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/while-it-was-understandable-to-be-afraid-and-no-one-would-expect-you/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“Leadership is a nurturing of those under your command.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/leadership-is-a-nurturing-of-those-under-your-command/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“To question me once is a simple mistake, Lieutenant. Twice is treason. We execute traitors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/to-question-me-once-is-a-simple-mistake-lieutenant-twice-is-treason/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Fate does not seek our consent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/fate-does-not-seek-our-consent/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Wizard's Third Rule Passion rules reason, For better or for worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/wizard-s-third-rule-passion-rules-reason-for-better-or-for-worse/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“Nicci looked up at Kahlan. “Knives are not my talent.” “It’s not hard,” Kahlan said as she pressed the handle into Nicci’s hand. “When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/nicci-looked-up-at-kahlan-knives-are-not-my-talent-it-s-not-hard/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“This was why he couldn’t let Richard know it was the chimes themselves that were loose. Richard would not have accepted what Zedd intended,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/this-was-why-he-couldn-t-let-richard-know-it-was-the-chimes/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“price. There is no such thing as pure good or pure evil, least of all in people. In the best of us there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/price-there-is-no-such-thing-as-pure-good-or-pure-evil-least-of-all/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [The first step to believing something is true is wanting to believe it is true... or being afraid it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/the-first-step-to-believing-something-is-true-is-wanting-to-believe/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [...you'll find that being a friend is to like a person for who they are, even the parts you don't understand. You don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/you-ll-find-that-being-a-friend-is-to-like-a-person-for-who-they-are/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) [Explore all 323 Terry Goodkind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) ## More Earlier quotes > [I had sort of had a 21st birthday when I was 17, 18 years old living in Japan. I had all of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wright/i-had-sort-of-had-a-21st-birthday-when-i-was-17-18-years-old-living/) [Sarah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wright/) > [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [One of my earlier films is 'Quigley Down Under.' That was early on in my career, and that was horsey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/one-of-my-earlier-films-is-quigley-down-under-that-was-early-on-in-my/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [I think I've explained earlier on in the year that I kind of underestimated how important experience was in this series, especially when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wheldon/i-think-i-ve-explained-earlier-on-in-the-year-that-i-kind-of/) [Dan Wheldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wheldon/) > [“Wine o'clock was getting earlier every night”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-pennington/wine-o-clock-was-getting-earlier-every-night/) [Jill Pennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-pennington/) > [People can be so neglectful of each other and of their own heritage - then death intrudes. Conversations we wish that we'd had earlier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/people-can-be-so-neglectful-of-each-other-and-of-their-own-heritage/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [No writing effort is ever wasted. At the very least, it's practice, and a writer never knows when he or she might usefully cannibalize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/no-writing-effort-is-ever-wasted-at-the-very-least-it-s-practice-and/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [One of the reasons I didn't really want to do TV earlier in my career was because it is so life-consuming, and I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/one-of-the-reasons-i-didn-t-really-want-to-do-tv-earlier-in-my-career/) [Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/) > [Typing with your fingers or thumbs is sooooo 2012. I tweeted that earlier in the year. I type with my eyes. Not only that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-gleason/typing-with-your-fingers-or-thumbs-is-sooooo-2012-i-tweeted-that/) [Steve Gleason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-gleason/) > [Because of the earlier loss of the two elder siblings, my brother and I lived a very pampered and protected life. Nursemaids kept constant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-k-kao/because-of-the-earlier-loss-of-the-two-elder-siblings-my-brother-and/) [Charles K. Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-k-kao/) > [After spending 460 days as a hostage, I did emerge a fundamentally changed person. But I think, like everyone does as they grow older…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/after-spending-460-days-as-a-hostage-i-did-emerge-a-fundamentally/) [Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/) > [Anytime new insight replaces an old assumption or a fossilized perception is the spring. New understandings sprout, new tolerances appear, and new curiosity draws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/anytime-new-insight-replaces-an-old-assumption-or-a-fossilized/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [I try to keep it light and positive most of the time, whereas earlier on I didn't always do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-lightfoot/i-try-to-keep-it-light-and-positive-most-of-the-time-whereas-earlier/) [Gordon Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-lightfoot/) > [I remember the noise of the bells ringing at school as the effigy of Guy Fawkes we'd prepared earlier was carried out on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pippa-middleton/i-remember-the-noise-of-the-bells-ringing-at-school-as-the-effigy-of/) [Pippa Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pippa-middleton/) > [If we can contain and monitor animal viruses at an earlier stage - when they're first entering human populations, preferably before they've had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-wolfe/if-we-can-contain-and-monitor-animal-viruses-at-an-earlier-stage-when/) [Nathan Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-wolfe/) [Browse all 223 Earlier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earlier/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't think I could have written what I did any earlier.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Goodkind" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what-i-did-any-earlier/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Earlier" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what-i-did-any-earlier/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/terry-goodkind-924_thinking_i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what_1380619.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/terry-goodkind-924_thinking_i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what_1380619.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/terry-goodkind-924_thinking_i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what_1380619.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't think I could have written what I did any earlier.” — Terry Goodkind", "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 Goodkind", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't think I could have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what-i-did-any-earlier/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what-i-did-any-earlier/#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 } } ] } ```