Stephen Dubner

It goes back to when I was in graduate school for writing. Most of us were young, earnest, hardworking writers. And it seemed that the obvious path to success was to emulate other successful writers. So we read and wrote and read and wrote and read some more. And we wrote a lot of short stories that tried to be Raymond Carver, a lot of novels that tried to be Virginia Woolf.

It goes back to when I was in graduate school for writing. Most of us were young, earnest, hardworking writers. And it seemed that the obvious path to success was to emulate other successful writers. So we read and wrote and read and wrote and read some more. And we wrote a lot of short stories that tried to be Raymond Carver, a lot of novels that tried to be Virginia Woolf.

I did not find this to be a fruitful path. It struck me that great writers are great because of some unique combination of factors that are by definition inimitable. So why are we trying to imitate their success? But there was something I found really instructive when I read the other students' writing and it didn't work.

I did not find this to be a fruitful path. It struck me that great writers are great because of some unique combination of factors that are by definition inimitable. So why are we trying to imitate their success? But there was something I found really instructive when I read the other students' writing and it didn't work.

I did not find this to be a fruitful path. It struck me that great writers are great because of some unique combination of factors that are by definition inimitable. So why are we trying to imitate their success? But there was something I found really instructive when I read the other students' writing and it didn't work.

If it was boring or pretentious or confusing or if it lacked self-awareness, I could see that failure right there on the page in a way that it was hard to see in my own writing. In other words, I found more inspiration in learning how writing can fail than in trying to replicate writing that had been deemed a success. Maybe that's just me. Maybe this idea strikes you as ludicrous.

If it was boring or pretentious or confusing or if it lacked self-awareness, I could see that failure right there on the page in a way that it was hard to see in my own writing. In other words, I found more inspiration in learning how writing can fail than in trying to replicate writing that had been deemed a success. Maybe that's just me. Maybe this idea strikes you as ludicrous.

If it was boring or pretentious or confusing or if it lacked self-awareness, I could see that failure right there on the page in a way that it was hard to see in my own writing. In other words, I found more inspiration in learning how writing can fail than in trying to replicate writing that had been deemed a success. Maybe that's just me. Maybe this idea strikes you as ludicrous.

But, hey, I've got the microphone today, so I'm going to go for it. Today on Freakonomics Radio, an episode full of failures.

But, hey, I've got the microphone today, so I'm going to go for it. Today on Freakonomics Radio, an episode full of failures.

But, hey, I've got the microphone today, so I'm going to go for it. Today on Freakonomics Radio, an episode full of failures.

Which side are you on? Part three of our special series, How to Succeed at Failing, begins right now.

Which side are you on? Part three of our special series, How to Succeed at Failing, begins right now.

Which side are you on? Part three of our special series, How to Succeed at Failing, begins right now.

This is Freakonomics Radio, the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything with your host, Stephen Dubner.

This is Freakonomics Radio, the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything with your host, Stephen Dubner.

This is Freakonomics Radio, the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything with your host, Stephen Dubner.

Let's begin our stories about failure in a domain where failure lurks around every corner. Invention. I'd like you to meet our first victim.

Let's begin our stories about failure in a domain where failure lurks around every corner. Invention. I'd like you to meet our first victim.

Let's begin our stories about failure in a domain where failure lurks around every corner. Invention. I'd like you to meet our first victim.