It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
Herman Melville
It is better
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3 thoughts on “It is better”
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It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
Herman Melville
Comments are closed.
Melville is one of my favorite writers. Chapter 32, Cetology, never fails to set me laughing. Whales on weather-vanes in the same book with Ahab!
But I disagree with the master. I imitate to study how a piece of writing works and to add depth to my own voice.
If you want to appreciate Raymond Chandler or P.G. Wodehouse’s genius, sit down to imitate them.
Somebody should tell Hollywood.
Anybody can copy – and some do even that badly …