If at first ...

Do you ever feel like the universe is trying to tell you something? This quote from Beckett has been appearing everywhere, and last night I opened an old favourite 'How Writers Write' to find this engraving in there. So:

'Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.'

There are plenty of talented people out there, but at the end of the day if you don't keep working if you don't 'fall down seven times, stand up eight' you aren't going to succeed. You have to be willing to fail - and learn from your mistakes in life and work, and do better next time. It's the way we learn as children - no one can walk, let alone write a symphony or paint a masterpiece at first go. Maybe as adults we have our eye on the goal so firmly we forget how much joy and learning there is in the journey to get there.

Well, I've learnt a lot editing the new book this time. An old friend used to regularly quote a phrase she picked up living in Rome: 'pazienza e coraggio'. It seems appropriate.

One day at a time ... and coming up are two child-free days, and the goal is transcribing 20,000 new handwritten words (knew all those months getting my Pitmans would come in handy). Do you reckon I can do it, 10,000 words a day? Can only try ... (flexes fingers). Perhaps those of you also typing like crazy in the closing stages of NaNo are feeling more like this other comment from Beckett:

'I can't go on. I'll go on.'

You're in the home strait - you can do it :)

TODAY'S PROMPT: We could all do with some motivation around about now - NaNoers are powering on through the last few days, some of us are attempting to set the land speed typing record ... What are the great quotes you turn to? your favourite sayings by other writers? Why not put them in the comments box and we can cheer each other on to the finish line?