I've never written a book, except my first, without at…
““I've never written a book, except my first, without at some point considering that I might die before it was completed. This is all part of the superstition, the folklore, the mania of the business, the fetishistic fuss…Dying in the middle of a wo(rd), or three-fifths of the way through a nov(el). My friend the nov(el)ist Brian Moore used to fear this as well, though for an extra reason: "Because some bastard will come along and finish it for you." Here is a novelist's would-you-rather. Would you rather die in the middle of a book, and have some bastard finish it for you, or leave behind a work in progress that not a single bastard in the whole world was remotely interested in finishing?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote reflects an author's anxiety about mortality and unfinished work, and fear of others completing it without his vision.
In simple terms: Worried about dying before finishing a book and others finishing it.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the process, not the outcome.
Themes
mortality
creative anxiety
authorship
Mood
reflective
anxious
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- writing a novel
- publishing
- legacy planning
- creative projects
Key Concepts
existential dread
literary control
Questions to Reflect On
- What would you create if you weren’t afraid of death?
- How does control affect artistic freedom?
A Different Perspective
The fear may hinder artistic risk‑taking.