--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I think about how good my book could…" description: "\"When I think about how good my book could be, I can hardly breathe.\" — Truman Capote" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/truman-capote-376_book_when-i-think-about-how-good-my-book-coul_2248057.jpg" --- # When I think about how good my book could be, I can hardly… ![“When I think about how good my book could be, I can hardly breathe.” quote by Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/truman-capote-376_book_when-i-think-about-how-good-my-book-coul_2248057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/truman-capote-376_book_when-i-think-about-how-good-my-book-coul_2248057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/truman-capote-376_book_when-i-think-about-how-good-my-book-coul_2248057.jpg) > “When I think about how good my book could be, I can hardly breathe.” [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. Anticipation of a book's potential can be overwhelming, causing anxiety and breathlessness. **In simple terms:** Fear of high expectations can be suffocating. Key Takeaway Manage expectations and focus on process. Themes creativity anxiety expectation Mood nervous hopeful Type reflective motivational When to use this quote - writing workshops - therapy sessions Key Concepts writer’s block self‑doubt Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle creative pressure? - What steps calm your mind? A Different Perspective Perfectionism may stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Hardly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-hardly-2344166/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Breathe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathe/) [Hardly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardly/) [Hardly Breathe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardly-breathe-1853467/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes when I think how good my book can be, I can hardly breathe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/sometimes-when-i-think-how-good-my-book-can-be-i-can-hardly-breathe/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [Baby I'm so into you I can hardly breathe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-mcbride/baby-i-m-so-into-you-i-can-hardly-breathe/) [Martina McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-mcbride/) > [I'm supposed to be writing a book, and I can hardly read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fidrych/i-m-supposed-to-be-writing-a-book-and-i-can-hardly-read/) [Mark Fidrych](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fidrych/) > [“Real life oppressed me with its novelty so much that I could hardly breathe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/real-life-oppressed-me-with-its-novelty-so-much-that-i-could-hardly/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Leia felt her corner of their world shrinking tighter and tighter until she could hardly breathe in their presence. 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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? 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