"Seventy percent of what I write, I throw out. I can write very easily, but writing original things is the hard bit"
About this Quote
The split he draws between “writing very easily” and “writing original things” is doing a lot of cultural work. “Easy” here is muscle memory: chord progressions that resolve, melodies that sit comfortably in the ear, lyrics that scan. Originality is harder because it’s not just novelty; it’s distinctiveness that still functions inside the form. For a musician associated with sleek, accessible songwriting, that tension is the whole game: how to sound like yourself without repeating yourself, how to stay legible to an audience while dodging the ruts your own success digs.
There’s also subtext about permission. By normalizing waste, Rutherford gives younger creators a usable truth: the drafts aren’t failures; they’re the compost. In an era of constant output and algorithmic reward for “content,” the quote defends a slower, more private phase of making - the hidden 70% that protects the 30% from becoming generic.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Rutherford, Mike. (2026, January 17). Seventy percent of what I write, I throw out. I can write very easily, but writing original things is the hard bit. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/seventy-percent-of-what-i-write-i-throw-out-i-can-69338/
Chicago Style
Rutherford, Mike. "Seventy percent of what I write, I throw out. I can write very easily, but writing original things is the hard bit." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/seventy-percent-of-what-i-write-i-throw-out-i-can-69338/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Seventy percent of what I write, I throw out. I can write very easily, but writing original things is the hard bit." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/seventy-percent-of-what-i-write-i-throw-out-i-can-69338/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
