--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was heavily influenced by my first…" description: "\"I was heavily influenced by my first attempt at a novel. I started a fantasy novel back in high school, and... well... it really sucked. It was a plotl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4e/patrick-rothfuss-145_books_i-was-heavily-influenced-by-my-first-att_2046688.jpg" --- # I was heavily influenced by my first attempt at a novel. I… ![“I was heavily influenced by my first attempt at a novel. I started a fantasy novel back in high school, and... well... it really sucked. It was a plotless, clichéd mess.” quote by Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4e/patrick-rothfuss-145_books_i-was-heavily-influenced-by-my-first-att_2046688.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4e/patrick-rothfuss-145_books_i-was-heavily-influenced-by-my-first-att_2046688.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4e/patrick-rothfuss-145_books_i-was-heavily-influenced-by-my-first-att_2046688.jpg) > “I was heavily influenced by my first attempt at a novel. I started a fantasy novel back in high school, and... well... it really sucked. It was a plotless, clichéd mess.” [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Admits early writing attempts were poor, showing growth through failure and perseverance. **In simple terms:** First novel was bad. Key Takeaway Learn from early mistakes. Themes writing growth self‑critique Mood reflective encouraging Type personal creative When to use this quote - school projects - first drafts - self‑publishing Key Concepts creative process learning curves Questions to Reflect On - How did you improve after that? - What kept you writing? A Different Perspective Failure can discourage future attempts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fantasy Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy-novel/) [Fantasy novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy-novels/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [When you read a fantasy novel part of the fun is getting to explore a new world. Everyone knows that. 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I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/after-i-d-been-in-college-for-a-couple-years-i-d-read-shakespeare-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [We have more brilliant fantasy novels than brilliant fantasy movies. Movies and TV are done by committee. But with a novel, it's really just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/we-have-more-brilliant-fantasy-novels-than-brilliant-fantasy-movies/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [When you're 14, anything with a sword and a dragon is pretty cool. But when you're 21 and you've read 2,000 fantasy novels, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/when-you-re-14-anything-with-a-sword-and-a-dragon-is-pretty-cool-but/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [My novel, which I had started with such hope shortly after publishing my first book of stories, wouldn't budge past the 75-page mark. 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Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [No one will ever write a fantasy novel better than The Hobbit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-one-will-ever-write-a-fantasy-novel-better-than-the-hobbit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Patrick Rothfuss > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [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/) > [“Prefiero tocar canciones que divierten a mis amigos que complacer a quienes me juzgan basándose solo en habladurías" - Kvothe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/prefiero-tocar-canciones-que-divierten-a-mis-amigos-que-complacer-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Wilem snorted."That doesn't sound suspicious at all," he said. "And you wonder why people talk about you." "I don't wonder why they talk," I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/wilem-snorted-that-doesn-t-sound-suspicious-at-all-he-said-and-you/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“The point isn't to win the game. The point is to play a beautiful game. 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It is an act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/there-is-something-deeply-satisfying-in-shaping-something-with-your/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [He had a bright, reckless tenor that was always wandering off, looking for notes in the wrong places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/he-had-a-bright-reckless-tenor-that-was-always-wandering-off-looking/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I smiled,"Deoch, my heart is made of stronger stuff than glass. When she strikes she'll find it strong as iron-bound brass, or gold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-smiled-deoch-my-heart-is-made-of-stronger-stuff-than-glass-when-she/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I have a blog where I keep in touch with my fans. I write about things that are important to me. Sometimes on there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-have-a-blog-where-i-keep-in-touch-with-my-fans-i-write-about-things/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Soft fantasy worlds have a much looser cause-and-effect relationship. Alchemists can turn lead into gold and nobody wonders about how it will impact the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/soft-fantasy-worlds-have-a-much-looser-cause-and-effect-relationship/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [But how awful would that be? How terrible to live surrounded by the stark, sharp, hollowness of things that simply were enough?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/but-how-awful-would-that-be-how-terrible-to-live-surrounded-by-the/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [ Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. \[That's one of the reason I review so many books on Goodreads.\] Giving books you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by-recommendations-that-s-one-of/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was pretty poor for a long time. Not \*poor\* poor. But college student poor. 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