Books Quote by Erin Bow
““No writing is wasted. Did you know that sourdough from San Francisco is leavened partly by a bacteria called lactobacillus sanfrancisensis? It is native to the soil there, and does not do well elsewhere. But any kitchen can become an ecosystem. If you bake a lot, your kitchen will become a happy home to wild yeasts, and all your bread will taste better. Even a failed loaf is not wasted. Likewise, cheese makers wash the dairy floor with whey. Tomato gardeners compost with rotten tomatoes. No writing is wasted: the words you can't put in your book can wash the floor, live in the soil, lurk around in the air. They will make the next words better.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Unknown, date unknown
Every piece of writing, even discarded drafts, enriches future work like microbes enrich a kitchen ecosystem.
In simple terms: All writing contributes to later ideas.
Key Takeaway
Value all drafts as creative fertilizer.
Themes
creativity
process
resilience
Mood
thoughtful
inspirational
Type
creative
metaphorical
When to use this quote
- authoring
- research
- food preparation
- learning from failure
Key Concepts
ecology
metaphor
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you repurpose unfinished work?
- What “soil” can you enrich with discarded ideas?
A Different Perspective
Not all drafts become publishable; effort may be hidden.
![“Meryl [Stripe]spoke out about the low percentage of female critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Why are there 760 male critics and just 168 women? You are immediately [biased] on what kind of films you are being told to go see. What are you told are good films? Male films.” quote by Catherine Hardwicke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ea6/catherine-hardwicke-16179_biased_meryl-stripe-spoke-out-about-the-low-per_1213648.jpg)
