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I have never written a novel yet...without doing 40,000…

“I have never written a novel yet...without doing 40,000 words or more and finding they were all wrong and going back and starting again, and this after filling 400 words with notes, mostly delirious, before getting into anything in the nature of a coherent scenario.” quote by P.G. Wodehouse
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““I have never written a novel yet...without doing 40,000 words or more and finding they were all wrong and going back and starting again, and this after filling 400 words with notes, mostly delirious, before getting into anything in the nature of a coherent scenario.””

P.G. Wodehouse

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Writing often requires extensive drafting and revision before achieving coherence.

In simple terms: Writing needs many drafts.

Key Takeaway

Embrace revision.

Themes

writing creativity process perseverance learning

Mood

reflective determined pragmatic

Type

advice inspirational

When to use this quote

  • novel writing
  • academic papers
  • screenplays
  • blog posts

Key Concepts

drafting self‑critique iteration

Questions to Reflect On

  • When is it time to stop revising?
  • How do you balance perfectionism with progress?
A Different Perspective

Excessive revision can lead to paralysis or loss of original voice.

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