--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My dad told me that no one could ever…" description: "\"My dad told me that no one could ever make it as a writer, that my chances were equivalent to winning the lottery - which was good for me, because I li..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/poppy-z-brite-10238_chance_my-dad-told-me-that-no-one-could-ever-ma_2043573.jpg" --- # My dad told me that no one could ever make it as a writer… ![“My dad told me that no one could ever make it as a writer, that my chances were equivalent to winning the lottery - which was good for me, because I like to have something to prove.” quote by Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/poppy-z-brite-10238_chance_my-dad-told-me-that-no-one-could-ever-ma_2043573.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/poppy-z-brite-10238_chance_my-dad-told-me-that-no-one-could-ever-ma_2043573.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/poppy-z-brite-10238_chance_my-dad-told-me-that-no-one-could-ever-ma_2043573.jpg) > “My dad told me that no one could ever make it as a writer, that my chances were equivalent to winning the lottery - which was good for me, because I like to have something to prove.” [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing doubt, the narrator uses skepticism as motivation to prove themselves as a writer. **In simple terms:** Doubt fuels determination to succeed. Key Takeaway Turn criticism into a drive to succeed. Themes self‑belief creativity resilience Mood determined defiant Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - writing career - personal challenges - creative projects Key Concepts motivation psychology identity Questions to Reflect On - How do you channel doubt into productive effort? - What proof do you seek from yourself? A Different Perspective Criticism can also erode confidence if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Lottery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lottery/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Winning the lottery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning-the-lottery/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I figure you have the same chance of winning the lottery whether you play or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-figure-you-have-the-same-chance-of-winning-the-lottery-whether-you/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [The good news is that going blind is not going to make you as unhappy as you think it will. The bad news is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/the-good-news-is-that-going-blind-is-not-going-to-make-you-as-unhappy/) [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) > [Watching a pretty girl walk past you that you can't pick up is like winning the lottery and not being able to cash the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pradeep-chandra/watching-a-pretty-girl-walk-past-you-that-you-can-t-pick-up-is-like/) Pradeep Chandra > [You go and you buy a lottery ticket. You've got just as much chance of getting struck by lightning as you do of winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/you-go-and-you-buy-a-lottery-ticket-you-ve-got-just-as-much-chance-of/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [To get syndicated as a comic strip artist is as likely as winning the lottery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/to-get-syndicated-as-a-comic-strip-artist-is-as-likely-as-winning-the/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [Kroos was right to go abroad. It was like winning the lottery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/kroos-was-right-to-go-abroad-it-was-like-winning-the-lottery/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) > [Being with you is like winning the lottery but with no money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-with-you-is-like-winning-the-lottery-but-with-no-money/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Winning the lottery is winning the lottery. It's highly unlikely and very unusual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lansens/winning-the-lottery-is-winning-the-lottery-it-s-highly-unlikely-and/) [Lori Lansens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lansens/) > [I knew the HIV virus was something anyone could get but also believed the chances were very slim... I honestly believed I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-morrison/i-knew-the-hiv-virus-was-something-anyone-could-get-but-also-believed/) [Tommy Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-morrison/) > [How come you never read about a psychic winning the lottery?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-come-you-never-read-about-a-psychic-winning-the-lottery/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What is the likelihood, of winning the lottery, then lose it all the next day when you step out your front door and get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/what-is-the-likelihood-of-winning-the-lottery-then-lose-it-all-the/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [“Weirdly—but as Danny and Amos had suspected—the further the winning number was from the number on a person's lottery ticket, the less regret they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/weirdly-but-as-danny-and-amos-had-suspected-the-further-the-winning/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [“The chances of winning the lottery are approximately one in fourteen million,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-smale/the-chances-of-winning-the-lottery-are-approximately-one-in-fourteen/) [Holly Smale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-smale/) > [She was staying. A little longer. V smiled to himself. So this was what winning the lottery felt like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/she-was-staying-a-little-longer-v-smiled-to-himself-so-this-was-what/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [It's sad, the lottery. Good projects get funded by it, but there's an air of desperation about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/it-s-sad-the-lottery-good-projects-get-funded-by-it-but-there-s-an/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) ## More by Poppy Z. Brite > [My childhood may have been more demented than most, because I learned to read very early and was allowed to read whatever I wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/my-childhood-may-have-been-more-demented-than-most-because-i-learned/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [If you’re ever lucky enough to belong somewhere, if a place takes you in and you take it into yourself, you don't desert it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/if-you-re-ever-lucky-enough-to-belong-somewhere-if-a-place-takes-you/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [Young writers shouldn't be afraid of striving to emulate their favorites. It's a good way to learn, as long as you move on from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/young-writers-shouldn-t-be-afraid-of-striving-to-emulate-their/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [Mostly I enjoy the restaurants (my husband is a chef), though I wish we had a wider diversity of ethnic food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/mostly-i-enjoy-the-restaurants-my-husband-is-a-chef-though-i-wish-we/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [Celebrities, even insignificant ones like me, are created to be abused by the Great Unwashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/celebrities-even-insignificant-ones-like-me-are-created-to-be-abused/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [“Let the night come. We are not afraid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/let-the-night-come-we-are-not-afraid/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [Horror is the badge of humanity, worn proudly, self-righteously, and often falsely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/horror-is-the-badge-of-humanity-worn-proudly-self-righteously-and/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [“+ He wasn’t much for erasing anyway. Sometimes your mistakes showed you the really interesting connections between your brain, your hand, and your heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/he-wasn-t-much-for-erasing-anyway-sometimes-your-mistakes-showed-you/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [You can only maintain an immensely gothic attitude for so long before either killing yourself or beginning to feel like a poser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/you-can-only-maintain-an-immensely-gothic-attitude-for-so-long-before/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [New Orleans cuisine is Creole rather than Cajun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/new-orleans-cuisine-is-creole-rather-than-cajun/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [I've certainly learned a great deal from my husband, though, and could never have written a book like Liquor without him and the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/i-ve-certainly-learned-a-great-deal-from-my-husband-though-and-could/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [“They were kissing again, carefully at first, learning the shape and texture of each other's lips, testing the sharpness of the teeth behind them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/they-were-kissing-again-carefully-at-first-learning-the-shape-and/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [And I can't think of a reason I'd ever use a pseudonym, as I wouldn't want to publish something that I didn't like enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/and-i-can-t-think-of-a-reason-i-d-ever-use-a-pseudonym-as-i-wouldn-t/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [Why bother? I was right all along: the second you make yourself vulnerable to someone, they start drawing blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/why-bother-i-was-right-all-along-the-second-you-make-yourself/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) > [I don't like to talk about work in progress, but the novel I'm working on now is definitely not horror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-z-brite/i-don-t-like-to-talk-about-work-in-progress-but-the-novel-i-m-working/) [Poppy Z. Brite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) [Explore all 67 Poppy Z. Brite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-z-brite/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. No one ever thought I'd be the champ, and look where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stipe-miocic/i-understand-it-s-promotion-but-no-one-ever-gave-me-a-chance-no-one/) [Stipe Miocic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stipe-miocic/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) Alejandro Taubas > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. And by chance and how the world works, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-thought-my-first-few-jobs-would-just-be-off-off-off-off-off/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/) [Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) [Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My dad told me that no one could ever make it as a writer, that my chances were equivalent to winning the lottery - which was good for me, because I like to have something to prove.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Poppy Z. 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