I turned on the pillow with a little moan, and at this juncture Jeeves entered with the vital oolong. I clutched at it like a drowning man at a straw hat.
P. G. WodehouseRead
Success comes to a writer as a rule, so gradually that it is always something of a shock to him to look back and realize the heights to which he has climbed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Success in writing often builds up slowly, surprising the writer when they recognize their own achievements.
In this quote, P. G. Wodehouse highlights the gradual nature of success in a writer's journey. Writers often do not notice their progress until they reflect on their past, leading to a sense of shock and unexpected pride as they realize how far they have come and the significant milestones they have achieved in their craft.
Themes
SuccessWritingJourneyAchievementProgress
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to aspiring authors, one might reference this quote to inspire resilience through the gradual process of success.
More from P. G. Wodehouse
All quotes →While not exactly disgruntled, he was far from feeling gruntled. He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.
P. G. WodehouseRead
She fitted into my biggest arm-chair as if it had been built round her by someone who knew they were wearing arm-chairs tight about the hips that season
P. G. WodehouseRead
It was a nasty look. It made me feel as if I were something the dog had brought in and intended to bury later on, when he had time.
P. G. WodehouseRead
Memories are like mulligatawny soup in a cheap restaurant. It is wiser not to stir them.
P. G. WodehouseRead
It was a confusion of ideas between him and one of the lions he was hunting in Kenya that had caused A. B. Spottsworth to make the obituary column. He thought the lion was dead, and the lion thought it wasn't.
P. G. WodehouseRead
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