Why They Fail the First Time

Last week, Deep Lurker asked: If they [the characters] failed the first time, then why didn’t they fail the second time?

Why does anyone fail to get things right the very first time they try something? Because they tried the wrong thing, the wrong way, at the wrong time, with the wrong tools or the wrong skills or the wrong person – all at once, or one at a time. Why do they succeed on the second try (or third, or fourth)?

Because they have learned from their mistakes.

This is difficult for...