"I had been writing fiction since I was in eighth grade, because I loved it"
About this Quote
The subtext is a defense of pleasure in a culture that treats enjoyment as suspicious unless it’s monetized or validated by struggle. “Because I loved it” is both explanation and rebuttal: he’s pushing back against the expectation that art must be justified by trauma, genius, or hustle. It also slips in a claim about authenticity. If you’ve been doing something since eighth grade, you’re not chasing a trend; you’re continuing a private conversation you started before anyone was watching.
Coming from a musician, the fiction detail matters. It hints that songwriting isn’t only about melody; it’s about narrative instincts, character, pacing, the emotional turn. Perry is positioning himself less as a performer who happens to write, and more as a storyteller who’s found multiple instruments for the same impulse. The intent feels quietly strategic: to make his work legible as craft, not branding, and to invite listeners to hear his music as literature with a backbeat.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Perry, Thomas. (2026, January 16). I had been writing fiction since I was in eighth grade, because I loved it. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-had-been-writing-fiction-since-i-was-in-eighth-96684/
Chicago Style
Perry, Thomas. "I had been writing fiction since I was in eighth grade, because I loved it." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-had-been-writing-fiction-since-i-was-in-eighth-96684/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I had been writing fiction since I was in eighth grade, because I loved it." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-had-been-writing-fiction-since-i-was-in-eighth-96684/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.



