Comments on: On Failure

By: S.L. Farrell

S.L. Farrell — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:11:52 +0000

I agree, Jim. Failure is a great teacher… as I know all too well!

By: Michele Conti

Michele Conti — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:19:43 +0000

That’s how life works though. It’s not that things are a bad idea, it’s just that it’s not the right time for them to be seen.

By: fritz freiheit.com » Friday link dump

fritz freiheit.com » Friday link dump — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:07:26 +0000

[…] On Failure at SF Novelists […]

By: Jim C. Hines

Jim C. Hines — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:50:21 +0000

Marie — yup Grell was a very different goblin in the first draft. But she was no fun at all to write. I’m *really* glad I came up with a better incarnation for her character. Though now that I think about it, Talia from my current book reminds me a bit of Grell 1.0. Interesting how things pop up again.

By: Marie Brennan

Marie Brennan — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:06:35 +0000

. . . Grell used to be WHAT?

By: C.S. Cole

C.S. Cole — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:57:01 +0000

Completely agreed though it took a little time for me to internalize this. Timely post too, very timely. Thanks!

By: Karen Wester Newton

Karen Wester Newton — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:48:11 +0000

If failing wasn’t OK, none of us would be here. The history of civilization is the history of failing and trying again. To paraphrase, Rome wasn’t built on the first try.

By: Jim C. Hines

Jim C. Hines — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:20:17 +0000

Di — I wondered if anyone would ask that. I’ll see if I can pound the post into shape for LJ between now and the end of the month…

There’s definitely a lot to be said for experience, for knowing you’ve failed before and still been able to keep writing (or doing whatever) and succeed on a subsequent attempt.

By: Diana Pharaoh Francis

Diana Pharaoh Francis — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:16:51 +0000

Just to toss in a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really top to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lied through his horror. I can take the next thing that comes along’ . . . .You must do this thing you think you cannot do.”

I think that sometimes failing and getting to the other side in writing is what it takes to know that when you are slogging through something that isn’t quite working, or you can’t tell if it’s working, or what have you, that you really can do this. You’ve looked it in the face before (and it is horror when it happens) and you can get through. Successfully.

But I’m really curious about what it was you were going to write about. Can’t wait to see if it ever comes together.

By: Missy S

Missy S — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:14:24 +0000

Bwahaha… ok, sorry… that’s for the Grell character change. Very nice. And I love Grell. WHAT a difference! I can’t even imagine the story without her two canes.

As for failure… yeah, realizing most of what I’ve written is childish and needs a higher than 4th grade technique was rough, BUT I am determined. Besides sometimes out of the failures comes the spark for new ideas and characters. And out of failure comes success (hopefully).

Thanks, Jim! -Missy