True grit

Abstract

Each chapter of the novel The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker is prefaced with a piece of advice that the eponymous college professor gives to the protagonist and narrator, Marcus Goldman. Quebert is an established writer who shares his wisdom about the craft of writing with the novice author he has long treated as his protégé. One of these pieces of advice is that the most important lesson Marcus could learn from him is knowing how to fail, or ‘fall’ as he puts it. He goes on to say: ‘The day writing gives meaning to your life, you will be a true writer. Until that happens, whatever you do, don’t be afraid of falling.’ Long after finishing the novel, that statement continued to resonate with me, partly because of my ongoing research on teacher creativity. This article explores how perseverance and stamina, or ‘grit’, is crucial to teachers’ identity as confident writers, especially if they want to engage in creative writing.