Used under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Photo by Alan Light.
More and more, I turn to the wisdom of Ray Bradbury when I’m seeking inspiration on writing.
Today’s quotation is this:
“Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed.”
Despite all my talk of being doomed with the first publication rights of my novels perhaps being used up since I published them on my blog, I’m seeing glimmers of hope. Not necessarily for these projects, but for others I’ve started, then abandoned, and for others which right now are only just a few jots and tittles on errant bits of paper – or blog posts – for now.
I know most of the stuff I’ve produced for “Considering How to Run,” and “Their Hearts Run Cold” isn’t stellar – but if these two projects have taught me anything, it’s that I can complete a novel, even if it’s mediocre. That gives me hope that some of the other things I’ve started or have cooking, which I think I can make better than these first two, have a chance of coming to fruition.
And since I’m not completely done with the first two books, there’s a chance still I can make them better through editing and re-writing.
It’s just getting to it. Right now, the act of creation is a vast and vile temptation. I know I could be working with other material, but the draw to create new cloth right now is very strong.
Quantity produces quality. I can see that in Bradbury’s own work, because there are some things he wrote that I read and say, Yeah, that’s not his best. But then there are the other things, of which I remain in awe, thirty years after having read them for the first time.
The man speaks – and writes – the truth.
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