Cutting Quote by Molly Antopol
“I always tell my students to write the story all the way through, not to play with the language and fall in love with sentences that you then have to cut. I actually find that really difficult to do; there's something so demoralizing about looking at a pile of not very great sentences. As I ease into writing every morning, I tweak a sentence and then tweak a paragraph.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Writing Advice, Molly Antopol, 2020
Write the whole story first, then refine; avoid getting stuck on perfect sentences early.
In simple terms: Draft fully before polishing language.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize story structure over sentence perfection.
Themes
writing
process
editing
Mood
practical
encouraging
Type
instructional
motivational
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- academic essays
- blog posts
Key Concepts
drafting
revision
creative flow
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance structure and style?
- When is it okay to keep a rough sentence?
A Different Perspective
Perfectionism can stall progress if over‑emphasized.
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