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Daily Inspiration Quote by Kate Mulgrew

"Great writing is great writing. It's as simple as all that"

About this Quote

Mulgrew’s line lands like an eye roll aimed at gatekeeping. “Great writing is great writing” is a tautology on purpose: it refuses the usual qualifying clauses people tack onto art to make it behave (great for TV, great for women, great “for genre”). As an actress who’s spent decades carrying other people’s words onstage and on camera, she’s staking out a performer’s blunt truth: the script either gives you oxygen or it doesn’t. No amount of prestige framing, IP branding, or “elevated” labeling changes the molecular structure of a line that sings.

The second sentence, “It’s as simple as all that,” is doing quiet combat work. In an industry that loves to mystify craft and monetize expertise, Mulgrew’s simplicity is a provocation. She’s stripping away the alibis: the excuse that a project’s flaws are the audience’s fault, or that certain forms (sci-fi, soap, franchise) are inherently lesser. Coming from someone associated with mainstream, historically scrutinized spaces like television, the subtext reads as a defense of the medium and the people who make it. Good writing isn’t a rare orchid that only blooms in “serious” rooms; it’s a standard that can show up anywhere and should be demanded everywhere.

It also doubles as a subtle assertion of authority. Actors are often treated as interpreters, not arbiters, yet Mulgrew’s repetition implies a practiced litmus test: she’s seen enough pages to know that greatness isn’t a vibe. It’s craft you can feel in the body.

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TopicWriting
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APA Style (7th ed.)
Mulgrew, Kate. (n.d.). Great writing is great writing. It's as simple as all that. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/great-writing-is-great-writing-its-as-simple-as-122725/

Chicago Style
Mulgrew, Kate. "Great writing is great writing. It's as simple as all that." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/great-writing-is-great-writing-its-as-simple-as-122725/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Great writing is great writing. It's as simple as all that." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/great-writing-is-great-writing-its-as-simple-as-122725/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

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Kate Mulgrew (born April 29, 1955) is a Actress from USA.

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