“Fail” isn’t a word people use lightly. It carries with it a sense of shame and embarrassment. But sometimes failure is exactly what you need to learn from.
Here, we’re going to use the word “failure” in a very positive way. We’re going to shine the light on the areas where you need to grow, learn and improve. Where you might have messed up and misunderstood something. Or worse, weren’t properly equipped to deal with the situation. Sometimes the very things that scare you the most are the very things that teach you the most.
Let’s look at some major writing failures and what we can learn from them.
The Harry Potter Series
If you’re not familiar with the Harry Potter series, now might be a good time to check it out. Written by J.K. Rowling, the series centers around Harry Potter, a teenage wizard born on the first of January, 1981. He lives with his aunt and uncle, who are both wizards, in Little Wullenworth. After a tragic turn of events involving his parents and a mysterious attacker, Harry comes into possession of a diary that begins to take him on a journey that will change his life forever. The books in the series are:
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (published in 2001)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2011)
What you need to know about this series is that it was written in multiple parts. The seventh and final book was published in 2011, but parts of it were written as far back as 1998. So if you’re trying to follow along, you’re going to have to go back and read the earlier books. Not an easy task for sure, but one that you’re going to have to commit to if you want to know what happens in the end. Unfortunately, some people haven’t been able to handle this series right. They quit early on, before getting to the good part. They didn’t want to know what happened next. This might be a good place to start if you’re looking for a new book to read. But I warn you: this is one series that you don’t want to miss. It’s that good.
The Notebook
The Notebook is one of the most iconic films of all time. It was adapted from the 1956 novella, “The Catcher in the Rye”, by J.D. Salinger. If you’ve never heard of The Catcher in the Rye, you’ve probably already seen the iconic image of Holden Caulfield holding a piece of paper with the phrase “I am a catcher in the Rye!” printed on it. It’s been quoted by some as the “spiritual predecessor to John Grisham’s The Client.” The Notebook, starring Nicholas Cage and Gena Rowlands, is a coming of age story about a young man named Jack, who is beset by questions about life, love, freedom, and identity. The films is considered one of the great American love stories. It was also one of the first films to tackle the issue of same-sex relationships, and it did so with a sensitivity that was quite groundbreaking for its time. The movie is considered one of the great romantic stories of all time.
This film, along with The Catcher in the Rye, served as inspiration for the 2008 novel, The Road. Written by Jonathan Safran Foerry, it tells the story of Abel, a young man who feels stuck in a dead-end existence. While wandering, he meets a man named Child, who encourages him to pick up the pieces and begin a new life. Abel begins his journey with a group of other homeless people, searching for redemption and a place to call home. The story is considered a modern day parable and has received universal critical acclaim, winning numerous awards, including the 2009 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Debut Novel.
The Stand
Stephen King wrote the first draft of The Stand in 1978, then continued to work on it for the next three years. It was finally published in 1980. The novel is considered one of King’s best, and is a sprawling work of apocalyptic fiction that also happens to be one of the longest novels ever written. It was originally conceived as a trilogy, but King decided to expand it to a tetralogy. The Stand tells the story of a pandemic that sweeps the world after a deadly virus breaks out in New York. The dead rise from their graves—bringing with them various phobias, including an irrational hatred of sand, dirt, and animals. The plot thickens, literally, when an obscure religious sect led by Paul Malloy discovers that a cure for the pandemic is housed somewhere in the former Great Plains region of the United States. They travel there to find it, teaming up with a local sheriff named Andy Belden as they journey across a blighted landscape. Along the way, they’re opposed by one of the most iconic villains in fiction, Randall Flagg, an evil spirit who rises from the earth every hundred years to infect the world with his deadly germs. The Stand earned King the 1981 Edgar Award for Best First Novel.
The Princess Diaries
Cinderella is one of the most popular fairy tales of all time. It was first published, in serialized form, in a monthly magazine called “Ladies’ Home Journal” in August of 1966. Since then, the book, the films, and the make-up have inspired generations of fans. The Princess Diaries is the first installment in the “Diaries” series. It follows the story of fifteen-year-old Mia, who is living in Paris with her parents. During a trip to Germany to see her sister, Princess Anna, she catches the eye of an eligible bachelor, Eric, who is visiting Germany as part of a grand tour. Their romance is cut short when Mia’s mother finds out about their relationship and forbids it. However, this doesn’t stop Mia and Eric from enjoying a passionate night together. And it doesn’t stop them from meeting with Princess Anna, who helps arrange their engagement.
This series was a bit of a departure for author Lauren Myracle. It’s the first of her novels to be set in Paris, and it was originally intended to be a trilogy. However, it took Myracle ten years to complete the last book, and she had to leave her job as a financial journalist to do it. She eventually won the 2008 Rona Jaffe Foundation Award for Achievement in Literature, which is given to a woman who makes a significant and lasting contribution to American literature. (Lauren Myracle)
Suicide Squad
When you think of superhero stories, you probably think of stories where the good guys band together to fight crime. Well, what if we told you that the most famous superheroes might be the ones who commit the crimes? While serving time in jail, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), the leader of a team of villains known as the Suicide Squad, convinces the other inmates that they can free the world of crime by helping to take down the supervillains who have locked them up. Led by Jared Leto’s The Joker, the Squad embarks on a mission to save the city from a reign of chaos. The members of this villainous team are:
- Jared Leto (The Joker)
- Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn)
- Kerry Washington (Dr. Harleen Quen)
- Jada Pinkett Smith (Mrs. Harleen Quen)
- Adrianne Curry (Tina Fisher)
- Rosie Perez (Lena Luthor)
Harley Quinn, as previously stated, is the leader of the Suicide Squad. She’s also one of the most popular characters from the movie. It would be unfair to not discuss her character in more detail since she’s one of the most recognizable faces from the film. Margot Robbie earned herself a place in the Guinness World Records for playing the role of Harley Quinn in a film. She also became the first actress to play multiple characters in the same movie. (Lauren Myracle)