Abandoned Quote by Seth Grahame-Smith
“I wrote one terrible manuscript after another for a decade and I guess they gradually got a little less terrible. But there were many, many unpublished short stories, abandoned screenplays and novels... a Library of Congress worth of awful literature.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing Writing Process, 2012
Repeatedly producing poor work can improve over time, but much remains unpublished.
In simple terms: Bad work improves; many pieces stay hidden.
Key Takeaway
Persist despite setbacks.
Themes
writing
improvement
failure
perseverance
Mood
determined
humorous
Type
literary
self‑reflective
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- short stories
- screenwriting
Key Concepts
creative process
self‑critique
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines a "terrible" manuscript?
- How to balance quantity and quality?
A Different Perspective
Success is not guaranteed despite effort.
