--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That element of surprise is what I look…" description: "\"That element of surprise is what I look for when I am writing. It is my way of judging what I am doing - which is never an easy thing to do.\" — V. S. N..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/v-s-naipaul-3828_easy_that-element-of-surprise-is-what-i-look_934671.png" --- # That element of surprise is what I look for when I am… ![“That element of surprise is what I look for when I am writing. It is my way of judging what I am doing - which is never an easy thing to do.” quote by V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/v-s-naipaul-3828_easy_that-element-of-surprise-is-what-i-look_934671.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/v-s-naipaul-3828_easy_that-element-of-surprise-is-what-i-look_934671.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/v-s-naipaul-3828_easy_that-element-of-surprise-is-what-i-look_934671.png) > “That element of surprise is what I look for when I am writing. It is my way of judging what I am doing - which is never an easy thing to do.” [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Surprise fuels creativity; unexpected elements sharpen judgment in writing. **In simple terms:** Surprise improves writing. Key Takeaway Embrace the unexpected. Themes creativity surprise writing Mood introspective creative Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - fiction writing - journalism - teaching - brainstorming Key Concepts innovation intuition literary technique Questions to Reflect On - What surprises inspire you? - How does surprise affect your decisions? A Different Perspective Predictability can stifle originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Element of surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-of-surprise/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I want to keep looking for roles that have an element of surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-raj-bhasin/i-want-to-keep-looking-for-roles-that-have-an-element-of-surprise/) [Tahir Raj Bhasin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-raj-bhasin/) > [“In fight, by 'knowing what to do next', element of surprise can be overcomed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/in-fight-by-knowing-what-to-do-next-element-of-surprise-can-be/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [The element of surprise is the most important thing and what keeps me interested in writing. I can feel it if I've written that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-waller-bridge/the-element-of-surprise-is-the-most-important-thing-and-what-keeps-me/) [Phoebe Waller-Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-waller-bridge/) > [The element of surprise wasn't allowed near the Periodic Table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/the-element-of-surprise-wasn-t-allowed-near-the-periodic-table/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [“So much for the element of surprise,” I said. She sniffed. “I’d rather have the element of naked threat any day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-r-green/so-much-for-the-element-of-surprise-i-said-she-sniffed-i-d-rather/) [Simon R. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-r-green/) > [What I always got excited about with 'Arrested Development' was the element of surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hale/what-i-always-got-excited-about-with-arrested-development-was-the/) [Tony Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hale/) > [It's that element of surprise. When you lose control, you discover new things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lanois/it-s-that-element-of-surprise-when-you-lose-control-you-discover-new/) [Daniel Lanois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lanois/) > [When I go to the cinema, I'm often frustrated because I can guess exactly what is going to happen about ten minutes into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-leone/when-i-go-to-the-cinema-i-m-often-frustrated-because-i-can-guess/) [Sergio Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-leone/) > [The element of surprise - where you think you know where a joke is going, and then you're wrong. Those are my favorite kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riki-lindhome/the-element-of-surprise-where-you-think-you-know-where-a-joke-is/) [Riki Lindhome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riki-lindhome/) > [The director Steve McQueen has found a way to constantly include the element of surprise in his work, both as an artist and as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/the-director-steve-mcqueen-has-found-a-way-to-constantly-include-the/) [Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/) > [I love the element of surprise, throwing people off of what they think they know about what I can do and who I am.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tyree-henry/i-love-the-element-of-surprise-throwing-people-off-of-what-they-think/) [Brian Tyree Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tyree-henry/) > [Life will be interesting only when there is an element of surprise in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamsalekha/life-will-be-interesting-only-when-there-is-an-element-of-surprise-in/) [Hamsalekha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamsalekha/) > [Element of surprise is really fun for me in comedy. I have to be surprised, and everything's been done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/element-of-surprise-is-really-fun-for-me-in-comedy-i-have-to-be/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) > [If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn't expecting it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-in-difficulties-with-a-book-try-the-element-of-surprise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can capture the element of surprise, you're way ahead of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-maisel/if-you-can-capture-the-element-of-surprise-you-re-way-ahead-of-the/) [Jay Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-maisel/) ## More by V. S. 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Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [If you decide to move to another country and to live within its laws you don't express your disregard for the essence of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/if-you-decide-to-move-to-another-country-and-to-live-within-its-laws/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [I don't feel I can speak with authority for many other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/i-don-t-feel-i-can-speak-with-authority-for-many-other-people/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [To this day, if you ask me how I became a writer, I cannot give you an answer. To this day, if you ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/to-this-day-if-you-ask-me-how-i-became-a-writer-i-cannot-give-you-an/) [V. S. 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Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [In the beginning, before the arrival of the white men, I had considered myself neutral. I had wanted neither side to win, neither the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/in-the-beginning-before-the-arrival-of-the-white-men-i-had-considered/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [I'm my own writer. My material means I'm entirely separate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/i-m-my-own-writer-my-material-means-i-m-entirely-separate/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [The only lies for which we are truly punished are those we tell ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/the-only-lies-for-which-we-are-truly-punished-are-those-we-tell/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [I have always moved by intuition alone. I have no system, literary or political. I have no guiding political idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/i-have-always-moved-by-intuition-alone-i-have-no-system-literary-or/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [Where jargon turns living issues into abstractions, and where jargon ends by competing with jargon, people don't have causes. They only have enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/where-jargon-turns-living-issues-into-abstractions-and-where-jargon/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) [Explore all 121 V. S. Naipaul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) ## More Easy quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. 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