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You will have to write and put away or burn a lot of material before you are comfortable in this medium. You might as well start now and get the work done. For I believe that eventually quantity will make for quality.
Ray Bradbury
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Creating art involves producing a lot of work, and through practice, one eventually achieves quality.

Ray Bradbury emphasizes the importance of volume in the creative process. He suggests that aspiring artists must produce a significant amount of material, even if it's not perfect, as this groundwork is essential for developing mastery in their craft. The act of writing, discarding, or even destroying work is part of the journey, and ultimately, the quantity of work leads to improved quality over time.

Themes

CreativityPracticeWritingQuantityQuality

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be inspirational in a writing workshop where participants are encouraged to share their drafts.

More from Ray Bradbury

I've written about 2,000 short stories; I've only published 300 and I feel I'm still learning. Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer. Ray Bradbury, 1967 interview (Doing the Math - that means for every story he sold, he wrote six "un-publishable" ones. Keep typing!)
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I think the sun is a flower, That blooms for just one hour.
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The first thing a writer should be is - excited. He should be a thing of fevers and enthusiasms. Without such vigor, he might as well be out picking peaches or digging ditches; God knows it'd be better for his health.
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You can't try to do things; you simply must do them.
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