Write a novel if you must, but think of money as an unlikely accident. Get your reward out of writing it, and try to be content with that.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Writing should be pursued for the act itself rather than financial gain, which is uncertain.
- In plain terms
- Write for joy, not money.
- What can you take from it?
- Prioritize craft over profit.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do you write?
- Can art and commerce coexist?
Another view
Writers still need to pay bills, so ignoring money entirely is impractical.
More from Pearl Buck
When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail.
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Permalink to quote #74 We send missionaries to China so the Chinese can get to heaven, but we won't let them into our country.
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