When I was fifteen I wrote seven hundred pages of an…
“When I was fifteen I wrote seven hundred pages of an incredibly bad novel - it's a very funny book I still like a lot. Then, when I was nineteen I wrote a couple hundred pages of another novel, which wasn't very good either. I was still determined to be a writer. And since I was a writer, and here I was twenty-nine years old and I wasn't a very good poet and I wasn't a very good novelist, I thought I would try writing a play, which seems to have worked out a little better.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
He describes early prolific but low-quality writing attempts, perseverance, and eventual modest success in playwriting.
In simple terms: Early attempts were poor but kept trying.
Key Takeaway
Keep practicing despite setbacks.
Themes
perseverance
creativity
growth
Mood
determined
introspective
Type
creative
career
When to use this quote
- writing drafts
- workshops
- self‑editing
- career shifts
Key Concepts
writing process
self‑assessment
discipline
Questions to Reflect On
- What motivates you to keep creating?
- How do you measure progress?
A Different Perspective
Success may be modest; not all effort leads to fame.