"Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you're doomed." — Ray Bradbury
The quote I pulled this from comes from one of the most prolific writers of short stories and a legend, in my opinion. Ray Bradbury was nothing if not infinitely quotable. He's an inspiration to any writer not holding an MBA or a college degree. But it is his unabashed truth-telling that has me circling back to him.
You can check out several of his lectures on YouTube. He offers invaluable advice to everyone who has slid up to a keyboard, sharpened a pencil, clicked a pen, and set out to move the words out of their skulls. This nugget — and it's a common theme — is tantamount to becoming a worthwhile writer. The more you write, the better you become at it. Practice, in all its forms, makes you and your work sharper.
I've not read, listened to, or watched a single writer who doesn't advise any writer of two things necessary to excel in this art form: read voraciously and write abundantly. Form habits around these two things and you're on the right path. Ignore one, and unless preternaturally talented, you will fail.
I read my earlier writing now, and I see it. The more words I stack, the better my writing becomes. I can see mistakes in style, prose, grammar, and structure that I overlooked earlier. Millions of words have spun from my fingers, and I'm still learning, still honing a craft that defies mastery. I've learned along the way.
There is no greater truth in any craft than that doing that craft is the greatest teacher. The more you work, the more you practice, the greater the quality of the end product. This quote is potent, factual, and should be ignored at a writer's own risk.
It is true. Quantity produces quality.