Advice from the Masters: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jan 25, 2012 | Better Writing

Most of the advice you’ll find on this blog is about writing. But sometimes great writers give advice that will benefit all of us. That’s the case with the following, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald to his daughter, shortly before his death at 46.

“Do you know what bankruptcy exactly means? It means drawing on resources which one does not possess. I thought I was so strong that I never would be ill and suddenly I was ill for three years, and faced with a long, slow uphill climb. Wiser people seem to manage to pile up a reserve.”

Whatever you do in life, it makes good sense to pile up reserves, both financial and physical. In the long run, that’s how you get more good work done.

Want more? Check out the complete list of Advice from the Masters posts.