Bigs Quote by Jerry Pournelle
“You no longer have much in the way of knowing what to do in a big, epic novel about the future, because nobody knows what the hell is going to happen.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Future of Epic Novels”, 1992
Predicting future narratives is impossible; authors must embrace uncertainty.
In simple terms: Future stories are unpredictable.
Key Takeaway
Write with openness to unknown outcomes.
Themes
creativity
uncertainty
future
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- story planning
- creative brainstorming
Key Concepts
literature
philosophy
speculation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you handle narrative uncertainty?
- What strategies help when plot is unclear?
A Different Perspective
Uncertainty can cause writer’s block.
![“In any bureaucracy, the people devoted to the benefit of the bureaucracy itself always get in control, and those dedicated to the goals the bureaucracy is supposed to accomplish have less and less influence, and sometimes are eliminated entirely.[Pournelle's law of Bureaucracy]” quote by Jerry Pournelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a1a/jerry-pournelle-10851_accomplish_in-any-bureaucracy-the-people-devoted-to_701805.jpg)
![“The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before going in with [Larry] Holmes. That would have made all the difference.” quote by Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d63/gerry-cooney-20863_bigs_the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-m_1534.jpg)
