If you interrupt the writing of fast narrative with too much introspection and self-criticism, you will be lucky if you write 500 words a day and you will be disgusted with them into the bargain. By following my formula, you write 2,000 words a day and you aren’t disgusted with them until the book is finished, which will be in about six weeks.
Interpretation
Focusing on writing without overthinking can lead to greater productivity.
Ian Fleming emphasizes the importance of maintaining a flow in writing by avoiding excessive self-criticism and introspection. He suggests that by adhering to a structured approach, a writer can produce a significant amount of work in a short time frame without becoming overwhelmed by the quality of their writing until the process is complete.
In practice
During a writing workshop, you might use this quote to encourage participants to focus on their output rather than perfection.
Above all, he liked it that everything was one's own fault. There was only oneself to praise or blame. Luck was a servant and not a master. Luck had to be accepted with a shrug or taken advantage of up to the hilt. But it had to be understood and recognized for what it was and not confused with a faulty appreciation of the odds, for, at gambling, the deadly sin is to mistake bad play for bad luck. And luck in all its moods had to be loved and not feared
Most marriages don't add two people together. They subtract one from the other.
Worry is a dividend paid to disaster before it is due
And don't get hurt,' [Dexter] added. 'There's no one to help you up there. And don't go stirring up a lot of trouble for us. This case isn't ripe yet. Until it is, our policy with Mr Big is 'live and let live'.' Bond looked quizzically at Captain Dexter In my job,' he said, 'when I come up against a man like this one, I have another motto. It's 'live and let die'.
You only live twice. Once when you are born and once when you look death in the face.
I made a decision to write for my readers, not to try to find more readers for my writing.
Above all, have a good time. If you aren’t enjoying writing it, you can hardly expect someone else to enjoy reading it.
Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.
I consider the process of gestation just as important as when you're actually sitting down putting words to the paper.
I don't write for catharsis; I have to write to understand.
Write the best book you can, the one that demands to be written, no matter what genre it is. Even a trend the trades tell you has gone stale can be revitalized by a superb piece of writing. It'll never be revitalized by someone jumping on a trend bandwagon.
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