--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Often, you have to fail as a writer…" description: "\"Often, you have to fail as a writer before you write that bestselling novel or ground-breaking memoir. If you're failing as a writer - which it definit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/j-k-rowling-2-683_books_often-you-have-to-fail-as-a-writer-befor_379579.jpg" --- # Often, you have to fail as a writer before you write that… ![“Often, you have to fail as a writer before you write that bestselling novel or ground-breaking memoir. If you're failing as a writer - which it definitely feels like when you're struggling to write regularly or can't seem to earn a living as a freelance writer - maybe you need to take a long-term…” quote by J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/j-k-rowling-2-683_books_often-you-have-to-fail-as-a-writer-befor_379579.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/j-k-rowling-2-683_books_often-you-have-to-fail-as-a-writer-befor_379579.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/j-k-rowling-2-683_books_often-you-have-to-fail-as-a-writer-befor_379579.jpg) > “Often, you have to fail as a writer before you write that bestselling novel or ground-breaking memoir. If you're failing as a writer - which it definitely feels like when you're struggling to write regularly or can't seem to earn a living as a freelance writer - maybe you need to take a long-term perspective.” [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers must endure repeated failure before achieving breakthrough success. **In simple terms:** Failure precedes success for writers. Key Takeaway Embrace failure as part of growth. Themes perseverance creativity resilience Mood determined hopeful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - writing practice - career development - freelance work Key Concepts growth mindset creative process Questions to Reflect On - What failures have taught you the most? - How can you reframe setbacks as learning? A Different Perspective Failure alone doesn’t guarantee success; persistence matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fail Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-writer-3445487/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Failing Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing-writer-3445486/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Freelance Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freelance-writer-596296/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [Memoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoir/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Rejection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejection/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-maybe-503142/) [Writer Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-write-389004/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [My principal failing as a writer is the lack of spontaneity; the nuisance of parallel thoughts, second thoughts, third thoughts; inability to express myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/my-principal-failing-as-a-writer-is-the-lack-of-spontaneity-the/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [If you love a young writer, maybe the best thing you can do is give them a little bit of space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/if-you-love-a-young-writer-maybe-the-best-thing-you-can-do-is-give/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [I'm a singer. 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Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [... there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/there-are-far-far-worse-things-in-the-living-world-than-dying/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [Be ruthless about protecting writing days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/be-ruthless-about-protecting-writing-days/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [“I'll join you when Hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-ll-join-you-when-hell-freezes-over-said-neville-dumbledore-s-army/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I just hate meetings. Though it's true that once you've made a lot of money, people around you might be full of ideas about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-just-hate-meetings-though-it-s-true-that-once-you-ve-made-a-lot-of/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [What's the worst that could happen? Everyone turned me down; big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/what-s-the-worst-that-could-happen-everyone-turned-me-down-big-deal/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the fates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/talent-and-intelligence-never-yet-inoculated-anyone-against-the/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I don't think there's any harm at all in allowing a kid to fantasize. In fact, I think to stop people from fantasizing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-there-s-any-harm-at-all-in-allowing-a-kid-to-fantasize/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I don't think I am evangelical in my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-i-am-evangelical-in-my-work/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/the-mind-is-not-a-book-to-be-opened-at-will-and-examined-at-leisure/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [You'll stay with me?' Until the very end,' said James.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/you-ll-stay-with-me-until-the-very-end-said-james/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I'm not anti-middle-class in the slightest. Look at me! I am very pro people putting time and money and effort into trying to improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-m-not-anti-middle-class-in-the-slightest-look-at-me-i-am-very-pro/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I'd always said never say never, because I knew that Warner Brothers wanted to do something with "Fantastic Beasts," and I did have kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-d-always-said-never-say-never-because-i-knew-that-warner-brothers/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I'm not putting them on,” said old Archie in indignation. “I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-m-not-putting-them-on-said-old-archie-in-indignation-i-like-a/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [As he followed Bill back to the others a wry though came to him, born no doubt of the wine he had drunk. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/as-he-followed-bill-back-to-the-others-a-wry-though-came-to-him-born/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) [Explore all 402 J. K. Rowling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. 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There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Often, you have to fail as a writer before you write that bestselling novel or ground-breaking memoir. If you're failing as a writer - which it definitely feels like when you're struggling to write regularly or can't seem to earn a living as a freelance writer - maybe you need to take a long-term perspective.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. K. 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