Of course it would cost something, but he was an expert in cutting corners; and when there were no more corners left he would make circles rounder.
Bernard MalamudTo any writer: Teach yourself to work in uncertainty. Many writers are anxious when they begin, or try something new. Even Matisse painted some of his Fauvist pictures in anxiety. Maybe that helped him to simplify. Character, discipline, negative capability count. Write, complete, revise. If it doesn't work, begin something else.
Bernard Malamud