Words can fall hard like a boulder loosed from a cliff. Words can drift unnoticed like a weed seed on a breeze. Words can sing.
Shannon HaleRead
The rewrites are a struggle right now. Sometimes I wish writing a book could just be easy for me at last. But when I think about it practically, I am glad it's a struggle. I am (as usual) attempting to write a book that's too hard for me. I'm telling a story I'm not smart enough to tell. The risk of failure is huge. But I prefer it this way. I'm forced to learn, forced to smarten myself up, forced to wrestle. And if it works, then I'll have written something that is better than I am.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Struggling with challenges in writing helps one grow and learn, leading to better outcomes.
This quote by Shannon Hale reflects the idea that the challenges and struggles inherent in creative processes, such as writing, are not only inevitable but also beneficial. Hale expresses a desire for the ease of writing a book but ultimately recognizes that the difficulty forces her to improve and evolve as an author. By tackling complex narratives, she embraces the risk of failure, asserting that success will yield work that surpasses her current capabilities, embodying the growth that comes from adversity.
Themes
WritingStruggleGrowthLearningFailureSuccess
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about embracing challenges, this quote highlights the importance of struggle in personal development.
More from Shannon Hale
All quotes →I’ve always believed that as an author, I do 50% of the work of storytelling, and the reader does the other 50%. There’s no way I can control the story you tell yourself from my book. Your own experiences, preferences, prejudices, mood at the moment, current events in your life, needs and wants influence how you read my every word.
Shannon HaleRead
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