--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know I am a writer because until I’m…" description: "\"“I know I am a writer because until I’m writing I don’t know what I know.”\" — Wayson Choy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/wayson-choy-69526_writer_i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-w_2933796.jpg" --- # I know I am a writer because until I’m writing I don’t… ![“I know I am a writer because until I’m writing I don’t know what I know.” quote by Wayson Choy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/wayson-choy-69526_writer_i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-w_2933796.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/wayson-choy-69526_writer_i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-w_2933796.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/wayson-choy-69526_writer_i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-w_2933796.jpg) > ““I know I am a writer because until I’m writing I don’t know what I know.”” Wayson Choy ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing reveals hidden knowledge; the act of writing uncovers what the writer didn't know. **In simple terms:** Writing helps discover unknown ideas. Key Takeaway Write to uncover deeper insights. Themes creativity self‑discovery process knowledge Mood inquisitive inspired Type creative motivational When to use this quote - authoring - journaling - research - creative workshops Key Concepts literary theory cognitive science intuition Questions to Reflect On - What topics spark your curiosity? - How can you start writing today? A Different Perspective Writing can be intimidating. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I am married to a writer, and this - writing - is an odd enterprise. It's something we both support very strongly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-am-married-to-a-writer-and-this-writing-is-an-odd-enterprise-it-s/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [I'm not so sure that I can teach people how to, you know, write dialogue or create plot or anything like that. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/i-m-not-so-sure-that-i-can-teach-people-how-to-you-know-write/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“You know that you are a writer if you are imaginative. You know that you are a writer if you are curious. You know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka-katie-dicamillo/you-know-that-you-are-a-writer-if-you-are-imaginative-you-know-that/) Jon Scieszka Katie DiCamillo > [There's a mystery to writing, and you don't really know where most of it comes from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-diamond/there-s-a-mystery-to-writing-and-you-don-t-really-know-where-most-of/) [Neil Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-diamond/) > [My subconscious does the writing; I don't have control over that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/my-subconscious-does-the-writing-i-don-t-have-control-over-that/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [I love writing but don't get a huge amount of time to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennie-james/i-love-writing-but-don-t-get-a-huge-amount-of-time-to-do-it/) [Lennie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennie-james/) > [The language has got to be fully alive - I can't bear dull, flaccid writing myself and I don't see why any reader should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/the-language-has-got-to-be-fully-alive-i-can-t-bear-dull-flaccid/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [I've had to tell people that I'm not co-writing. I don't want to do it and that's that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-ve-had-to-tell-people-that-i-m-not-co-writing-i-don-t-want-to-do-it/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [One of my fears is not writing. I don't know how to do anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/one-of-my-fears-is-not-writing-i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I try to make sure that, when I'm writing, I don't put too much Cody in it. But I don't want to lose it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-try-to-make-sure-that-when-i-m-writing-i-don-t-put-too-much-cody-in/) [Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/) > [I like writing because I can do it anywhere, and I don't need money to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-like-writing-because-i-can-do-it-anywhere-and-i-don-t-need-money-to/) [Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/) > [“The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/the-beautiful-part-of-writing-is-that-you-don-t-have-to-get-it-right-2/) [Robert Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cormier/) > [I don't really do anything that isn't about writing, and I don't really know who I am if I'm not thinking about writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-don-t-really-do-anything-that-isn-t-about-writing-and-i-don-t/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [I have fun writing. I don't make it a chore. I don't have to struggle with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-have-fun-writing-i-don-t-make-it-a-chore-i-don-t-have-to-struggle/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“When I'm writing I don't want anyone else in the room - including myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/when-i-m-writing-i-don-t-want-anyone-else-in-the-room-including-myself/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) ## More by Wayson Choy > [“Tears..." Pho-Poh told Mrs. Lim, as if her friend instead had asked the question. "... tears save us from damnation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayson-choy/tears-pho-poh-told-mrs-lim-as-if-her-friend-instead-had-asked-the/) Wayson Choy > [“Yes, yes," Gee Sook said. "Look how Jung stands like a man today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayson-choy/yes-yes-gee-sook-said-look-how-jung-stands-like-a-man-today/) Wayson Choy > [“While we played, Meiying often sat by herself on the bench, huddled against the chill, looking at the library books on her lap, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayson-choy/while-we-played-meiying-often-sat-by-herself-on-the-bench-huddled/) Wayson Choy Explore all 4 Wayson Choy quotes ## More Writer quotes > [“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/) > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [“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/) > [If I don't know who I'm writing for, I make it up and pick somebody I'm writing for. That's really the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/if-i-don-t-know-who-i-m-writing-for-i-make-it-up-and-pick-somebody-i/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [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/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“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 > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [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/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [“Note found in the patron suggestion box: "You have SIGNS up near the computers that say BE QUIET, but people don't be quiet. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-sheridan/note-found-in-the-patron-suggestion-box-you-have-signs-up-near-the/) [Gina Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-sheridan/) [Browse all 43,858 Writer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I know I am a writer because until I’m writing I don’t know what I know.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wayson Choy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayson-choy/i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-writing-i-don-t-know-what-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Writer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayson-choy/i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-writing-i-don-t-know-what-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/wayson-choy-69526_writer_i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-w_2933796.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/wayson-choy-69526_writer_i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-w_2933796.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/wayson-choy-69526_writer_i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-w_2933796.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know I am a writer because until I’m writing I don’t know what I know.” — Wayson Choy", "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": "Wayson Choy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayson-choy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I know I am a writer...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayson-choy/i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-writing-i-don-t-know-what-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayson-choy/i-know-i-am-a-writer-because-until-i-m-writing-i-don-t-know-what-i/#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 } } ] } ```