Trusting someone was like holding a little water in your cupped hands - it was so easy to spill the water, and you could never get it back.
Ken FollettRead
Listen, I wrote 10 unsuccessful books before I broke through, so I'm looking all the time to keep my books fascinating. I want to write what people want to read, not push any message.
Interpretation
Success often follows perseverance and understanding audience needs.
In this quote, Ken Follett highlights the challenges he faced in his writing journey, emphasizing that persistent effort is crucial for achieving success. By focusing on what readers find engaging rather than imposing his messages, he underscores the importance of adaptability and audience connection in creative pursuits.
In practice
During a motivational speech about overcoming hurdles in a career.
Trusting someone was like holding a little water in your cupped hands - it was so easy to spill the water, and you could never get it back.
You see, all that I ever held dear has been taken from me," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "And when you've lost everything-" Her facade began to crumble, and her voice broke, but she made herself carry on. "When you've lost everything, you've got nothing to lose.
Without books I would not have become a vivacious reader, and if you are not a reader you are not a writer.
I want to tell a story that makes the reader always want to see what will happen next.
When I'm writing a woman character, I don't think, 'What would a woman do?' I just think, 'What would this character do in this situation?'
Well, for people who want to write best sellers, the best advice I can give is to say that the novel has to engage the reader emotionally.
I feel that my fans have cultivated my talent and they continue to nurture me.
I'll tell you, there is nothing better in life than being a late bloomer. I believe that success can happen at any time and at any age.
Successful people aren't born that way. They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don't like to do. The successful people don't always like these things themselves; they just get on and do them.
Fame itself... doesn't really afford you anything more than a good seat in a restaurant.
Outlier are those who have been given opportunities-- -and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.
I have stocked shelves, waited on tables, and bartended. I have been a salesperson at many levels. Each giving me a unique view of what made a company successful and, even more importantly, what made a company fail.
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