The Saturday Writing Quote — the power of failure

IMGP1940“In three years, I must have failed over a thousand times, but each failure brought me closer to what I needed to write, and for that, I’m grateful.”

– Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, on what he learned writing and rewriting the opening pages of his novel 150-200 times, searching for the right narrator and POV. Quoted by James Clear in “How creative geniuses come up with good ideas,” reprinted in Montana State of the Arts, Nov-Dec 2014. I also appreciate this observation by Clear:

“If you find 200 ways to reinvent yourself, to get better at your craft, then luck seems to have a way of finding you.”

(photo: Echinacea, or coneflower, in my garden, by Leslie)

Leave a Reply