Our quote today comes from Ernest Hemingway, who must have been as close to mastering the craft of writing as one can. His quote--We are all apprentices in a craft where no ever becomes a master--tells me that even he, a great and gifted writer, knew that he could do better, that there were places he might improve in the story just written.
Have you ever heard the adage that says "Ain't nobody perfect"? Maybe it was a line in a book or movie, but it popped into my head after reading Hemingway's quote.
An apprentice spends a great deal of time learning a trade, a skill, or a craft. We once visited a winery in Germany while with a tour group. The owner, his wife, and one of their sons spoke about their business. The son was about to finish high school. After that, he would be apprenticed to another winemaker. The father wanted him to learn from someone besides himself, but he fully expected the young man to return to work in the family business. The son had surely learned much from his father already, but he was eager to add more knowledge by working for another winemaker.
It's the same for writers. We are apprentices to the writing craft. We learn as we go. I am a firm believer that we never stop learning if we are serious about being a writer. We can glean a great deal by reading books by published and well-known writers. We can't sit by Stephen King's side and learn from him, but we can read his book titled On Writing. I recently learned that there is an updated version of the book. Ernest Hemingway is no longer living, and even if he was alive, we couldn't peek over his shoulder as he writes. We can, however, read his novels with the eye of an apprentice.
Keep writing and keep learning. The more you do both things, the stronger, better writer you will become.
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