--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At first, writing actually felt the more…" description: "\"“At first, writing actually felt the more arduous of the two activities. But in order to reach cultural-center nirvana, I forced myself to continue. I ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/yu-hua-27202_humor_at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more_1644493.jpg" --- # At first, writing actually felt the more arduous of the… ![“At first, writing actually felt the more arduous of the two activities. But in order to reach cultural-center nirvana, I forced myself to continue. I was young then and it was no easy matter to persuade my bottom to maintain such constant intimacy with my chair” quote by Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/yu-hua-27202_humor_at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more_1644493.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/yu-hua-27202_humor_at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more_1644493.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/yu-hua-27202_humor_at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more_1644493.jpg) > ““At first, writing actually felt the more arduous of the two activities. But in order to reach cultural-center nirvana, I forced myself to continue. I was young then and it was no easy matter to persuade my bottom to maintain such constant intimacy with my chair”” [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer describes the struggle of disciplined practice, persisting despite difficulty to achieve mastery and cultural fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Hard work is needed to reach mastery. Key Takeaway Persist through discomfort. Themes discipline creativity growth Mood determined reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - writing practice - academic study - artistic development Key Concepts cultural center nirvana intimacy Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to keep practicing? - How do you balance effort and rest? A Different Perspective Persistence can lead to burnout if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I can't believe it! Reading and writing actually paid off!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/i-can-t-believe-it-reading-and-writing-actually-paid-off/) [Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/) > [I was always told you're not going to make much money from writing. You can actually do it. Now I've built a really good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-jinks/i-was-always-told-you-re-not-going-to-make-much-money-from-writing/) [Catherine Jinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-jinks/) > [I think that's what fiction writing is actually all about. It's about trying to solve problems in creative ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/i-think-that-s-what-fiction-writing-is-actually-all-about-it-s-about/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [I always find out after the fact that the books I've been writing were actually some sort of therapy, some sort of, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-crouch/i-always-find-out-after-the-fact-that-the-books-i-ve-been-writing/) [Blake Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-crouch/) > [“My new book is going well. It’s practically writing itself! Actually, what I mean is I’m not writing it, my clone is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-new-book-is-going-well-it-s-practically-writing-itself-actually/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [The ability to be writing towards something that was actually going to be a whole series was a really big lure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kring/the-ability-to-be-writing-towards-something-that-was-actually-going/) [Tim Kring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kring/) > [Much of the activity we think of as writing is, actually, getting ready to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/much-of-the-activity-we-think-of-as-writing-is-actually-getting-ready/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [I had at some point the epiphany that if I wanted to be a writer, maybe I should stop thinking about writing, or stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-fraction/i-had-at-some-point-the-epiphany-that-if-i-wanted-to-be-a-writer/) [Matt Fraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-fraction/) > [“Academic writing was actually about hiding what you didn’t know. There was a language, a technique, and I had mastered it. In everything there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-ove-knausgard/academic-writing-was-actually-about-hiding-what-you-didn-t-know-there/) [Karl Ove Knausgård](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-ove-knausgard/) > [I never stopped writing about what was actually going on in my life. There's nothing to hide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/i-never-stopped-writing-about-what-was-actually-going-on-in-my-life/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [Part of the very impulse of writing for me is actually wanting to get away from myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-swift/part-of-the-very-impulse-of-writing-for-me-is-actually-wanting-to-get/) [Graham Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-swift/) > [“Don't fool yourself. Talking about writing is not the same as actually doing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-hall/don-t-fool-yourself-talking-about-writing-is-not-the-same-as-actually/) [Christy Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-hall/) > [Writing should not be routine; writing should actually be the opposite of procedural because otherwise the written word would become a routine word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/writing-should-not-be-routine-writing-should-actually-be-the-opposite/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [You can't improv off of bad writing. Then you have to actually create your objective, which is really hard to do in an element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-coupe/you-can-t-improv-off-of-bad-writing-then-you-have-to-actually-create/) [Eliza Coupe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-coupe/) > [Somebody told me I should try writing. Actually, a lot of people tried to get me to try writing, long before I thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-walton/somebody-told-me-i-should-try-writing-actually-a-lot-of-people-tried/) [Karen Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-walton/) ## More by Yu Hua > [“So things remained until one day, many years later, I happened upon a line in a poem by Heine: “Death is the cooling night.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/so-things-remained-until-one-day-many-years-later-i-happened-upon-a/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“In times like these, who had either the leisure or the inclination to indulge in a touch of elegance?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/in-times-like-these-who-had-either-the-leisure-or-the-inclination-to/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“A parte de la vida misma, no veo otropa motivo para seguir viviendo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/a-parte-de-la-vida-misma-no-veo-otropa-motivo-para-seguir-viviendo/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“You don't have to pay tax on bullshit”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/you-don-t-have-to-pay-tax-on-bullshit/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“The residents of the the town are attracted by the words and the pictures on the signs. They know full well the perils posed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/the-residents-of-the-the-town-are-attracted-by-the-words-and-the/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“No matter how lucky a person is, the moment he decides he wants to die, there's nothing that will keep him alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/no-matter-how-lucky-a-person-is-the-moment-he-decides-he-wants-to-die/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“As the black night descended from the heavens, I knew that in the blink of an eye I would witness the death of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/as-the-black-night-descended-from-the-heavens-i-knew-that-in-the/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“Those immediately behind number 50 were anguish personified. They let loose an endless stream of foul language and it was hard to tell whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/those-immediately-behind-number-50-were-anguish-personified-they-let/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“The more boldly a man dares, the more richly his land bears”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/the-more-boldly-a-man-dares-the-more-richly-his-land-bears/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“Your life is given to you by your parents. If you don't want to live, you have to ask them first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/your-life-is-given-to-you-by-your-parents-if-you-don-t-want-to-live/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“If literature truly possesses a mysterious power, I think perhaps it is precisely this: that one can read a book by a writer of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/if-literature-truly-possesses-a-mysterious-power-i-think-perhaps-it/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“People fear getting famous just as pigs fear getting fat. Reflecting the observation that fame invites a fall just as a fattened pig invites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/people-fear-getting-famous-just-as-pigs-fear-getting-fat-reflecting/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“Unequal lives give rise to unequal dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/unequal-lives-give-rise-to-unequal-dreams/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“We were fishers of memory waiting on the banks of time and waiting for the past to swallow the date.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/we-were-fishers-of-memory-waiting-on-the-banks-of-time-and-waiting/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) > [“The emperor beckons me; he wants me to marry his daughter. The road to the capital is long and distant; I don't want her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/the-emperor-beckons-me-he-wants-me-to-marry-his-daughter-the-road-to/) [Yu Hua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) [Explore all 17 Yu Hua quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/) ## More Humor quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [In my opinion, sexiness comes down to three things: chemistry, sense of humor, and treatment of waitstaff at restaurants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/in-my-opinion-sexiness-comes-down-to-three-things-chemistry-sense-of/) [Rhoda Janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/) > [“...I haven't guessed where your shirt is from yet Bane, but I don't think it'll matter once it's underwater!' Tristan looked at Bane questioningly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-k-munt/i-haven-t-guessed-where-your-shirt-is-from-yet-bane-but-i-don-t-think/) S.K. Munt > [“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 > [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/) [Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) TimBur > [“ “Do Southerners laugh at different things than Northerners do? Yes, I say--Northerners.” Roy Blount, Jr., Roy Blount’s Book of Southern Humor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/do-southerners-laugh-at-different-things-than-northerners-do-yes-i/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [I love being my silly ole self! Lifes a lot better when you have a good sense of humor and you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-being-my-silly-ole-self-lifes-a-lot-better-when-you-have-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) [Browse all 33,155 Humor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“At first, writing actually felt the more arduous of the two activities. But in order to reach cultural-center nirvana, I forced myself to continue. I was young then and it was no easy matter to persuade my bottom to maintain such constant intimacy with my chair”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yu Hua" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more-arduous-of-the-two-activities/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Humor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more-arduous-of-the-two-activities/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/yu-hua-27202_humor_at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more_1644493.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/yu-hua-27202_humor_at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more_1644493.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/yu-hua-27202_humor_at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more_1644493.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At first, writing actually felt the more arduous of the two activities. But in order to reach…” — Yu Hua", "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": "Yu Hua", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-hua/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“At first, writing actually felt the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more-arduous-of-the-two-activities/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-hua/at-first-writing-actually-felt-the-more-arduous-of-the-two-activities/#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 } } ] } ```