--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I am writing, I try to do it five…" description: "\"When I am writing, I try to do it five hours a day but I spend about two of those just fooling around.\" — Truman Capote" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbe/truman-capote-376_five_when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-ho_2086579.jpg" --- # When I am writing, I try to do it five hours a day but I… ![“When I am writing, I try to do it five hours a day but I spend about two of those just fooling around.” quote by Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbe/truman-capote-376_five_when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-ho_2086579.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbe/truman-capote-376_five_when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-ho_2086579.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbe/truman-capote-376_five_when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-ho_2086579.jpg) > “When I am writing, I try to do it five hours a day but I spend about two of those just fooling around.” [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing often involves a mix of focused effort and playful experimentation. **In simple terms:** Writing mixes work and play. Key Takeaway Allow time for both discipline and exploration. Themes creativity discipline play process balance Mood thoughtful balanced Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - novel writing - daily practice - creative blocks Key Concepts productivity flow self‑discipline Questions to Reflect On - How much play is productive? - When does play become procrastination? A Different Perspective Too much play can reduce output quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Day Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-spend-692553/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Fooling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fooling/) [Fooling around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fooling-around/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Try Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-hours-2019228/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-try-420202/) ## Related quotes > [“Wise people are fools not yet caught fooling around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprillia-j/wise-people-are-fools-not-yet-caught-fooling-around/) [Aprillia J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprillia-j/) > [Little do you know your 'best friend' is fooling around with your ex...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/little-do-you-know-your-best-friend-is-fooling-around-with-your-ex/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was foreign and Jewish, with a funny name, and was very small and hated sport, a real problem at an English prep school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/i-was-foreign-and-jewish-with-a-funny-name-and-was-very-small-and/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“This fooling around we're doing, I guess it's kind of like having sex." "When we have sex, you'll know it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-hartwell/this-fooling-around-we-re-doing-i-guess-it-s-kind-of-like-having-sex/) [Luke Hartwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-hartwell/) > [I don't know if she really care for me or if she's just fooling around .. but one thing I'm sure of, I'll do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaypee/i-don-t-know-if-she-really-care-for-me-or-if-she-s-just-fooling/) [Jaypee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaypee/) > [I didn't realize how much harm I was doing back then and I think a lot of rap artists probably don't realize it now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-yauch/i-didn-t-realize-how-much-harm-i-was-doing-back-then-and-i-think-a/) [Adam Yauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-yauch/) > [Our experience in fooling around with the genes of mice has taught us that many of the traits that interest us are not definite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-wolf/our-experience-in-fooling-around-with-the-genes-of-mice-has-taught-us/) [Gary Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-wolf/) > [The fact of the matter is that if we were going to do anything about Gaddafi, it should have been at the beginning. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-eagleburger/the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-if-we-were-going-to-do-anything-about/) [Lawrence Eagleburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-eagleburger/) > [He's fooling around with her, he's playing games. Behind her back he calls her names. He doesn't realize she's falling hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-s-fooling-around-with-her-he-s-playing-games-behind-her-back-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lot of my friends were fooling around with drugs then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-rettig/a-lot-of-my-friends-were-fooling-around-with-drugs-then/) [Tommy Rettig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-rettig/) > [At the end of the day, I know that I make my living by dressing up, fooling around, playing pranks and giving people a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyrus-broacha/at-the-end-of-the-day-i-know-that-i-make-my-living-by-dressing-up/) [Cyrus Broacha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyrus-broacha/) > [I can be a woodsman if need be. I grew up very close to some forest, and I spent a lot of my formative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-turner/i-can-be-a-woodsman-if-need-be-i-grew-up-very-close-to-some-forest/) [Alex Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-turner/) > [I try to get eight or nine hours of sleep a night, and if I don't, I'll make sure to take a nap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-drummond/i-try-to-get-eight-or-nine-hours-of-sleep-a-night-and-if-i-don-t-i-ll/) [Andre Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-drummond/) > [Sleep is important; I try and get about 9 hours if I can at night, but I don't tend to nap during the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-houghton/sleep-is-important-i-try-and-get-about-9-hours-if-i-can-at-night-but/) [Steph Houghton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-houghton/) > [I always try to get at least eight hours of sleep each night. It's the best thing I can do for my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-cameron/i-always-try-to-get-at-least-eight-hours-of-sleep-each-night-it-s-the/) [Candace Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-cameron/) ## More by Truman Capote > [“You can beat your brains out for her, and she’ll hand you horseshit on a platter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/you-can-beat-your-brains-out-for-her-and-she-ll-hand-you-horseshit-on/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“The walls of the cell fell away, the sky came down, I saw the big yellow bird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/the-walls-of-the-cell-fell-away-the-sky-came-down-i-saw-the-big/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“Don't wanna ride on the devil's side...just wanna ride with you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/don-t-wanna-ride-on-the-devil-s-side-just-wanna-ride-with-you/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [Wrinkles and bones, white hair and diamonds: I can't wait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/wrinkles-and-bones-white-hair-and-diamonds-i-can-t-wait/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [You can't blame a writer for what the characters say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/you-can-t-blame-a-writer-for-what-the-characters-say/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [There is really no practical help that one can offer; it is a matter of self-discovery, of one's own convictions, or working with one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/there-is-really-no-practical-help-that-one-can-offer-it-is-a-matter/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“...Narcissus was so egotist...he was merely another of us who, in our unshatterable isolation, recognized, on seeing his reflection, the beautiful comrade, the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/narcissus-was-so-egotist-he-was-merely-another-of-us-who-in-our/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“Is it - I'm not certain - possible to love someone if your first interest is the use you can make of him? Doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/is-it-i-m-not-certain-possible-to-love-someone-if-your-first-interest/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [One of the most difficult things in writing a novel or anything at all is to choose the point of view from which it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-in-writing-a-novel-or-anything-at/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [I've never worked for a newspaper. I've had some very bad reviews in newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/i-ve-never-worked-for-a-newspaper-i-ve-had-some-very-bad-reviews-in/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [But, my dear, so few things are fulfilled: what are most lives but a series of incompleted episodes? 'We work in the dark, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/but-my-dear-so-few-things-are-fulfilled-what-are-most-lives-but-a/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“…she, glittery voyager of secure destination, steamed down the harbor with whistles whistling and confetti in the air.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/she-glittery-voyager-of-secure-destination-steamed-down-the-harbor/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“Because it's indeed difficult to portray, in any meaningful depth, another being, his appearance, speech, mentality, without to some degree, and often for quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/because-it-s-indeed-difficult-to-portray-in-any-meaningful-depth/) [truman capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“It's a bore, but the answer is good things only happen to you if you're good. Good? Honest is more what I mean. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/it-s-a-bore-but-the-answer-is-good-things-only-happen-to-you-if-you/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“In the courtyard there was an angel of black stone, and its angel head rose above giant elephant leaves; the stark glass angel eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/in-the-courtyard-there-was-an-angel-of-black-stone-and-its-angel-head/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) [Explore all 585 Truman Capote quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) ## More Five quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [If you look at the charts every year, there may be five or ten memorable songs from each year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-jackson/if-you-look-at-the-charts-every-year-there-may-be-five-or-ten/) [Randy Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-jackson/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [I remember my friend Johnny von Neumann used to say, 'with four parameters I can fit an elephant and with five I can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-fermi/i-remember-my-friend-johnny-von-neumann-used-to-say-with-four/) [Enrico Fermi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-fermi/) > [That is the real problem of depression - a condition which will affect an estimated one in five of the population at some point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/that-is-the-real-problem-of-depression-a-condition-which-will-affect/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [I don't think we need a featuring though , because five of us are enough .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-hyun-joong/i-don-t-think-we-need-a-featuring-though-because-five-of-us-are-enough/) [Kim Hyun-joong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-hyun-joong/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [I am naturally a thin person and I am 5'1" and putting on five or 10 pounds, that looks like a lot on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-richie/i-am-naturally-a-thin-person-and-i-am-5-1-and-putting-on-five-or-10/) [Nicole Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-richie/) > [The official independence celebration was going to be held over four or five days, and a group of journalists from all over the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/the-official-independence-celebration-was-going-to-be-held-over-four/) [Ryszard Kapuscinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [Man, you'd be surprised how much I'm learning - not only about myself, but about the musicians who came before me. You don't realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-hubbard/man-you-d-be-surprised-how-much-i-m-learning-not-only-about-myself/) [Freddie Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-hubbard/) > [A lot of times, when people send me books to read - new writers mostly - I find that the book is still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/a-lot-of-times-when-people-send-me-books-to-read-new-writers-mostly-i/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) [Browse all 6,265 Five quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I am writing, I try to do it five hours a day but I spend about two of those just fooling around.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Truman Capote" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-hours-a-day-but-i-spend-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Five" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-hours-a-day-but-i-spend-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbe/truman-capote-376_five_when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-ho_2086579.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbe/truman-capote-376_five_when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-ho_2086579.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbe/truman-capote-376_five_when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-ho_2086579.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I am writing, I try to do it five hours a day but I spend about two of those just fooling around.” — Truman Capote", "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": "Truman Capote", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I am writing, I try...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-hours-a-day-but-i-spend-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/when-i-am-writing-i-try-to-do-it-five-hours-a-day-but-i-spend-about/#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 } } ] } ```