--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't tear up the page and start over…" description: "\"Don't tear up the page and start over again when you write a bad line-try to write your way out of it. Make mistakes and plunge on. Writing is a means ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/garrison-keillor-1037_discovery_don-t-tear-up-the-page-and-start-over-ag_1248110.jpg" --- # Don't tear up the page and start over again when you write… ![“Don't tear up the page and start over again when you write a bad line-try to write your way out of it. Make mistakes and plunge on. Writing is a means of discovery, always.” quote by Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/garrison-keillor-1037_discovery_don-t-tear-up-the-page-and-start-over-ag_1248110.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/garrison-keillor-1037_discovery_don-t-tear-up-the-page-and-start-over-ag_1248110.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/garrison-keillor-1037_discovery_don-t-tear-up-the-page-and-start-over-ag_1248110.jpg) > “Don't tear up the page and start over again when you write a bad line-try to write your way out of it. Make mistakes and plunge on. Writing is a means of discovery, always.” [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When a line fails, keep writing to work through the problem rather than erasing it. **In simple terms:** Keep writing through mistakes. Key Takeaway Persist and discover through continued writing. Themes creativity perseverance process growth Mood reflective determined Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - writing workshops - drafting novels - journal entries - academic papers Key Concepts problem‑solving iteration self‑compassion Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance persistence with critical revision? - When does rewriting become more helpful than continuing? A Different Perspective May lead to endless loops without editing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Making mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-mistakes/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pages/) [Plunge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plunge/) [Plunge Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plunge-writing-3923321/) [Starting over](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting-over/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Try Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-write/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-bad/) [Write Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-way/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Be courageous and try to write in a way that scares you a little.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holley-gerth/be-courageous-and-try-to-write-in-a-way-that-scares-you-a-little/) [Holley Gerth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holley-gerth/) > [It's fun for me to try to write concise, compact things. It's a very good exercise for me. And I think it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/it-s-fun-for-me-to-try-to-write-concise-compact-things-it-s-a-very/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [When I write songs, I try to write in a way to reach as many people as I can, to be a lighthouse versus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-tomlin/when-i-write-songs-i-try-to-write-in-a-way-to-reach-as-many-people-as/) [Chris Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-tomlin/) > [I try and write the way things happen. I don't try and fulfill people's wishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-pekar/i-try-and-write-the-way-things-happen-i-don-t-try-and-fulfill-people/) [Harvey Pekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-pekar/) > [I try to write in a way where the lyrics have many meanings and you won't really know what's behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-momsen/i-try-to-write-in-a-way-where-the-lyrics-have-many-meanings-and-you/) [Taylor Momsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-momsen/) > [ Senator \[Ben\] Sanders and I share some very big progressive goals. I've been fighting for universal healthcare for many years, and we're now on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/senator-ben-sanders-and-i-share-some-very-big-progressive-goals-i-ve/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [One can be well-bred and write bad poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/one-can-be-well-bred-and-write-bad-poetry/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [If you can write someone off as a bad person, then it's easier, but when someone is also great and noble and generous and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/if-you-can-write-someone-off-as-a-bad-person-then-it-s-easier-but/) [Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/) > [“Because you fight it out, and stumble, and write bad poetry, and pick yourself up again, and at the end, hopefully, someday youre sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-bloss/because-you-fight-it-out-and-stumble-and-write-bad-poetry-and-pick/) [Josie Bloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-bloss/) > [Bad facts make bad law, and people who write bad laws are in my opinion more dangerous than songwriters who celebrate sexuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/bad-facts-make-bad-law-and-people-who-write-bad-laws-are-in-my/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Theres really not much that people can pick on me for my work, so obviously they find other reasons to write something bad about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/theres-really-not-much-that-people-can-pick-on-me-for-my-work-so/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [“But this lump does not absolve me, because I got it through heedlessness, not though courage. I run my tongue over my lip and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/but-this-lump-does-not-absolve-me-because-i-got-it-through/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [We may know that the work we continue to put off doing will be bad. Worse, however, is the work we never do. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/we-may-know-that-the-work-we-continue-to-put-off-doing-will-be-bad/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“A person who wrote badly did better than a person who does not write at all. A bad writing can be corrected. An empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/a-person-who-wrote-badly-did-better-than-a-person-who-does-not-write/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [You make me want to write bad poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-make-me-want-to-write-bad-poetry/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Garrison Keillor > [God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/god-writes-a-lot-of-comedy-the-trouble-is-he-s-stuck-with-so-many-bad/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [The socially redeeming aspect of golf lies in the vast number of lawyers and bankers and managers who play it, and when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-socially-redeeming-aspect-of-golf-lies-in-the-vast-number-of/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [God plays a lot of jokes on us to get our attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/god-plays-a-lot-of-jokes-on-us-to-get-our-attention/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Ha! Easy for nuns to talk about giving up things. That's what they do for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/ha-easy-for-nuns-to-talk-about-giving-up-things-that-s-what-they-do/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [This is the big reason most humorists fail. Drunks don't read books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/this-is-the-big-reason-most-humorists-fail-drunks-don-t-read-books/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Before the world was made, when it was only darkness and mist and waters, God was well aware of Lake Wobegon, my family, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-only-darkness-and-mist-and/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [On investments, 1998: Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/on-investments-1998-where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [“The rich can afford to be progressive. Poor people have reason to be afraid of the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-rich-can-afford-to-be-progressive-poor-people-have-reason-to-be/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [English is the perfect language for preachers because it allows you to talk until you think of what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/english-is-the-perfect-language-for-preachers-because-it-allows-you/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [“If you can't read a simple goddam sign and follow one simple goddam instruction then get your fat butt the hell out of here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/if-you-can-t-read-a-simple-goddam-sign-and-follow-one-simple-goddam/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [“The Gospel is meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-gospel-is-meant-to-comfort-the-afflicted-and-afflict-the/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [I don't want them to be told to remember me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/i-don-t-want-them-to-be-told-to-remember-me/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Childhood is the small town everyone came from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/childhood-is-the-small-town-everyone-came-from/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [I have taken so many wrong turns and been so careless with precious things and managed to lose, or break, or leave out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/i-have-taken-so-many-wrong-turns-and-been-so-careless-with-precious/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see, say, thirty cans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is-what-s-here-on-the/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) [Explore all 304 Garrison Keillor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) ## More Discovery quotes > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Throughout my work, I have assumed that the standard model is correct, and hence, the Higgs boson should be found. 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Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The discovery that heartbreak is indeed heartbreaking consoles us about our humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/the-discovery-that-heartbreak-is-indeed-heartbreaking-consoles-us/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [ “\[W\]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves-to-the-discovery-that-some-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [We cannot predict the new forces, powers, and discoveries that will be disclosed to us when we reach the other planets and set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/we-cannot-predict-the-new-forces-powers-and-discoveries-that-will-be/) [Arthur C. 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Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/) > [The European talks of progress because by the aid of a few scientific discoveries he has established a society which has mistaken comfort for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/the-european-talks-of-progress-because-by-the-aid-of-a-few-scientific/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/education-is-a-progressive-discovery-of-our-own-ignorance/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. 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