--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The biggest gift a writer could have is…" description: "\"“The biggest gift a writer could have is to have someone with the writing expertise and experience of John Grisham brought to bear on their work. My bi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/tony-vanderwarker-107584_books_the-biggest-gift-a-writer-could-have-is_606021.jpg" --- # The biggest gift a writer could have is to have someone… ![“The biggest gift a writer could have is to have someone with the writing expertise and experience of John Grisham brought to bear on their work. My biggest lesson from all this is that a writer should never give up. Sleeping Dogs is a book that was turned down by I don't know how many agents. When…” quote by Tony Vanderwarker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/tony-vanderwarker-107584_books_the-biggest-gift-a-writer-could-have-is_606021.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/tony-vanderwarker-107584_books_the-biggest-gift-a-writer-could-have-is_606021.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/tony-vanderwarker-107584_books_the-biggest-gift-a-writer-could-have-is_606021.jpg) > ““The biggest gift a writer could have is to have someone with the writing expertise and experience of John Grisham brought to bear on their work. My biggest lesson from all this is that a writer should never give up. Sleeping Dogs is a book that was turned down by I don't know how many agents. When I went back to it, and reprised it with John's mentoring, it sold. The lesson there is to have faith in yourself.”” Tony Vanderwarker ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer’s greatest gift is mentorship; perseverance and self‑belief are crucial, as illustrated by a book’s eventual success after many rejections. **In simple terms:** Mentorship and perseverance lead to success. Key Takeaway Seek guidance and keep believing. Themes writing mentorship perseverance self‑belief literary success Mood inspirational practical Type Books:1 Faith in yourself:1 Sleeping dogs:1 Writer:1 Writing:1 Writer Writing:1 Gift Writer:1 Lesson Writer:1 Writing Expertise:1 When to use this quote - publishing - workshops - personal writing projects Key Concepts creative process career resilience authorial development Questions to Reflect On - Who can you turn to for writing guidance? - What fuels your persistence? A Different Perspective Mentorship may not guarantee success for everyone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Faith in yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-in-yourself/) [Sleeping dogs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleeping-dogs/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The final lesson a writer learns is that everything can nourish the writer. The dictionary, a new word, a voyage, an encounter, a talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-final-lesson-a-writer-learns-is-that-everything-can-nourish-the-2/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“I have learned one lesson as a writer...keep writing and never throw any notes away. Written parts that can't be used today...may be used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/i-have-learned-one-lesson-as-a-writer-keep-writing-and-never-throw/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [The final lesson a writer learns is that everything can nourish the writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-final-lesson-a-writer-learns-is-that-everything-can-nourish-the/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“Writing is a gift to both the writer and the reader.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-alleway/writing-is-a-gift-to-both-the-writer-and-the-reader/) Cheryl Alleway > [I feel like it's a gift for any writer to be recognized like this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-k-smith/i-feel-like-it-s-a-gift-for-any-writer-to-be-recognized-like-this/) [Tracy K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-k-smith/) > [To be of mixed blood is a great gift for a writer. I have one foot on tribal lands and one foot in middle-class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/to-be-of-mixed-blood-is-a-great-gift-for-a-writer-i-have-one-foot-on/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [The gift of a writer as good as Dickens is not to explain everything; that way, the reader has, in terms of their imagination,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/the-gift-of-a-writer-as-good-as-dickens-is-not-to-explain-everything/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [The greatest gift anyone can give to a writer is time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/the-greatest-gift-anyone-can-give-to-a-writer-is-time/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [Let sleeping dogs lie or lying dogs sleep or whatever. Time to move on. People get divorced. Life doesn't owe you your own personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axl-rose/let-sleeping-dogs-lie-or-lying-dogs-sleep-or-whatever-time-to-move-on/) [Axl Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/axl-rose/) > [A woman who repeatedly asks a man she knows to be gay when he's going to get married and have children is not trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/a-woman-who-repeatedly-asks-a-man-she-knows-to-be-gay-when-he-s-going/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [Let sleeping dogs lie — who wants to rouse 'em?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-copperfield/let-sleeping-dogs-lie-who-wants-to-rouse-em/) [David Copperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-copperfield/) > [“Why didn’t she wake me up?” “Haven’t you heard the expression ‘let sleeping dogs lie’?” Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “Werewolves are not dogs, Shaye. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franca-storm/why-didn-t-she-wake-me-up-haven-t-you-heard-the-expression-let/) [Franca Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franca-storm/) > [Let sleeping dogs lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-walpole/let-sleeping-dogs-lie/) [Robert Walpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-walpole/) > [The old saw says, 'Let a sleeping dog lie.' Right. Still, when there is much at stake it is better to get a newspaper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-old-saw-says-let-a-sleeping-dog-lie-right-still-when-there-is/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/he-is-your-friend-your-partner-your-defender-your-dog-you-are-his/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) ## More by Tony Vanderwarker > [“John (Grisham) was really helpful keeping me on track, not wandering off into subplots, making sure I didn't spill the beans too early, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-vanderwarker/john-grisham-was-really-helpful-keeping-me-on-track-not-wandering-off/) Tony Vanderwarker Explore all 2 Tony Vanderwarker quotes ## More Books 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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [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/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [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/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The biggest gift a writer could have is to have someone with the writing expertise and experience of John Grisham brought to bear on their work. My biggest lesson from all this is that a writer should never give up. Sleeping Dogs is a book that was turned down by I don't know how many agents. When I went back to it, and reprised it with John's mentoring, it sold. 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