--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first thing you have to understand is…" description: "\"The first thing you have to understand is that I was not desperate to be a writer. I was never a closet writer filing away notes in a cupboard.\" — Vika..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/vikas-swarup-10025_away_the-first-thing-you-have-to-understand-i_208123.jpg" --- # The first thing you have to understand is that I was not… ![“The first thing you have to understand is that I was not desperate to be a writer. I was never a closet writer filing away notes in a cupboard.” quote by Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/vikas-swarup-10025_away_the-first-thing-you-have-to-understand-i_208123.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/vikas-swarup-10025_away_the-first-thing-you-have-to-understand-i_208123.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/vikas-swarup-10025_away_the-first-thing-you-have-to-understand-i_208123.jpg) > “The first thing you have to understand is that I was not desperate to be a writer. I was never a closet writer filing away notes in a cupboard.” [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He writes not out of desperation but from a genuine, unforced desire to create. **In simple terms:** Writing comes from passion, not need. Key Takeaway Pursue writing for love, not pressure. Themes creativity motivation authorship identity Mood reflective inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career choice - personal fulfillment - creative projects Key Concepts intrinsic drive self‑realization literary purpose Questions to Reflect On - What fuels your creative drive? - How do you sustain passion? A Different Perspective Desire alone may not ensure success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cupboard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cupboard/) [Desperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“I do understand why a desperate engineer still use a hammer to solve a hard problem. I think, that made him more humane.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/i-do-understand-why-a-desperate-engineer-still-use-a-hammer-to-solve/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [I've been the desperate writer before. I wrote a novel, and they paid me for it, and I've had those calls from my agent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-king/i-ve-been-the-desperate-writer-before-i-wrote-a-novel-and-they-paid/) [Tom King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-king/) > [My family was all police and hard hats at the refineries; they didn't know what to think about me. 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The strange little key, which had been his great-grandmother’s,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-reid-banks/cupboard-the-strange-little-key-which-had-been-his-great-grandmother-s/) [Lynne Reid Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-reid-banks/) > [“Mr. H. Potter The Cupboard under the Stairs 4 Privet Drive Little Whinging Surrey”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/mr-h-potter-the-cupboard-under-the-stairs-4-privet-drive-little/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [Your mind is a cupboard and you stock the shelves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/your-mind-is-a-cupboard-and-you-stock-the-shelves/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [Honestly, there always has to be a jar of Marmite in the cupboard. And a bag of Fruit Gums. That's living with a British…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayma-mays/honestly-there-always-has-to-be-a-jar-of-marmite-in-the-cupboard-and/) [Jayma Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayma-mays/) > [“The fact is that there are many skeletons in the Tower’s cupboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-pollard/the-fact-is-that-there-are-many-skeletons-in-the-tower-s-cupboard/) A.J. Pollard > [The cat which isn't let out of the bag often becomes a skeleton in the cupboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-madan/the-cat-which-isn-t-let-out-of-the-bag-often-becomes-a-skeleton-in/) [Geoffrey Madan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-madan/) > [Let’s see . . . ah, yes, this is nice and cozy.” It was a broom cupboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-s-see-ah-yes-this-is-nice-and-cozy-it-was-a-broom-cupboard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I like my old nose. If I could get it out the cupboard and put it on, then I would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-price/i-like-my-old-nose-if-i-could-get-it-out-the-cupboard-and-put-it-on/) [Katie Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-price/) > [As a kid, there was a painting of 'Appeal to the Great Spirit' that I would see when I would get oatmeal bowls out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-henriksen/as-a-kid-there-was-a-painting-of-appeal-to-the-great-spirit-that-i/) [Lance Henriksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-henriksen/) > [I did things like get in a cupboard before the teacher came in at the beginning of a lesson, and then, two minutes before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-hart/i-did-things-like-get-in-a-cupboard-before-the-teacher-came-in-at-the/) [Miranda Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-hart/) ## More by Vikas Swarup > [The slums are not a place of despair. Its inhabitants are all working towards a better life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/the-slums-are-not-a-place-of-despair-its-inhabitants-are-all-working/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [It is in the genes of cities to bounce back from disasters - whether natural or man made. The denizens of suburbia have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/it-is-in-the-genes-of-cities-to-bounce-back-from-disasters-whether/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [That dreams have power only over your own mind. But with money you can have power over the minds of others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/that-dreams-have-power-only-over-your-own-mind-but-with-money-you-can/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [Twenty20 is cricket on speed. In an era of hectic lifestyles and falling attention spans, it gives spectators more drama and intensity in three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/twenty20-is-cricket-on-speed-in-an-era-of-hectic-lifestyles-and/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [I want to show that the underdog can win. I believe were all the same: you, a slum girl, my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/i-want-to-show-that-the-underdog-can-win-i-believe-were-all-the-same/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [“You must never take a direct route to your destination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/you-must-never-take-a-direct-route-to-your-destination/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [“There is some pleasure even in pain. A sweet ecstasy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/there-is-some-pleasure-even-in-pain-a-sweet-ecstasy/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [India may be the soul of world cricket, but IPL is its commercial heart. Just as 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' changed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/india-may-be-the-soul-of-world-cricket-but-ipl-is-its-commercial/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [“It's a basic rule of human nature that the promise of unexpected wealth short-circuits both intelligence and common sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/it-s-a-basic-rule-of-human-nature-that-the-promise-of-unexpected/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [I am neither a Bengali nor am I from Delhi's St Stephen's. I am an Allahabad boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/i-am-neither-a-bengali-nor-am-i-from-delhi-s-st-stephen-s-i-am-an/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [“The city may have chosen to ignore the ugly growth of Dharavi, but a cancer cannot be stopped simply by being declared illegal. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/the-city-may-have-chosen-to-ignore-the-ugly-growth-of-dharavi-but-a/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [“I held my breath and wished for that moment to last as long as it possibly could, because a waking dream is always more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/i-held-my-breath-and-wished-for-that-moment-to-last-as-long-as-it/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [“Till now, my conception of love has been based entirely on what I have seen in Hindi films, where the hero and the heroine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/till-now-my-conception-of-love-has-been-based-entirely-on-what-i-have/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [I am not into the unrealistic realm of magic realism where birds talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/i-am-not-into-the-unrealistic-realm-of-magic-realism-where-birds-talk/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [I am very interested in human-interest stories emerging from modern India. I get my inspiration and daily dose by reading the 'Hindustan Times.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/i-am-very-interested-in-human-interest-stories-emerging-from-modern/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) [Explore all 68 Vikas Swarup quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) ## More Away quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [You just say the word, and I'll make the rest of the world go away. I'll take you someplace safe, where no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/you-just-say-the-word-and-i-ll-make-the-rest-of-the-world-go-away-i/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Beauty fades away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/beauty-fades-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't kind of take away, you either do or you don't. If you kind of take away something you're a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-t-kind-of-take-away-you-either-do-or-you-don-t-if-you-kind-of/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [“Please don't go away. You--you matter. To me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/please-don-t-go-away-you-you-matter-to-me/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [“Why is it," she asked, snuggling closer, "that I so often imagine myself running away and running free?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/why-is-it-she-asked-snuggling-closer-that-i-so-often-imagine-myself/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) Browse all 4,933 Away quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first thing you have to understand is that I was not desperate to be a writer. 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