The Saturday Writing Post — on failure, again

Maybe it’s because I’m working on something completely new, writing a novel without a contract for the first time in six years, that all the quotes in my collection that jump out at me are about failure. < sigh > Reading them is helpful — as was the sight of a hillside full of my favorite wildflower, the arrowleaf balsamroot. I hope the quotes are useful to you, too.

“[Successful novelists] know that success is never a sure thing and that failure is always an option. Writing is intimidating and scary, but also exciting, because the most important things we do in life involve some risk.”

– John Freeman, author of How to Read a Novelist, in The Writer, Oct 2013

2 thoughts on “The Saturday Writing Post — on failure, again

  1. You are absolutely NOT a failure! That kind of talk is self destructive and counter to your mental well being. We all fail, but that does not make us failures. We only become failures when we give up. “Never give up. Never surrender!” Galaxy Quest

    • Yes, the distinction between failing and “being a failure” is an important one. Failing is not just inevitable, but essential to moving forward!

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