--- title: "12 Novel Work Quotes by 12 authors" description: "Browse 12 Novel Work quotes by 12 authors. Discover the best Novel Work sayings and thoughts." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d4/andrea-hirata-5305_always_i-am-a-working-person-i-always-work-stud_1286710.jpg" --- > [I am a working person. I always work, study or do research for my novel. I even work on Sunday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-hirata/i-am-a-working-person-i-always-work-study-or-do-research-for-my-novel/) [Andrea Hirata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-hirata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d4/andrea-hirata-5305_always_i-am-a-working-person-i-always-work-stud_1286710.jpg) > [“A novel is a made-up work about made-up people in a made-up place, all of which is very real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-c-foster/a-novel-is-a-made-up-work-about-made-up-people-in-a-made-up-place-all/) [Thomas C. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-c-foster/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/thomas-c-foster-20469_books_a-novel-is-a-made-up-work-about-made-up_1940943.jpg) > [When I'm working on a novel, I work 70-hour weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/when-i-m-working-on-a-novel-i-work-70-hour-weeks/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/dean-koontz-118_books_when-i-m-working-on-a-novel-i-work-70-ho_3069304.jpg) > [I had never thought about writing a novel. But I had two young kids, and I realized that if I could write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-andrews/i-had-never-thought-about-writing-a-novel-but-i-had-two-young-kids/) [Mary Kay Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-andrews/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/mary-kay-andrews-8891_books_i-had-never-thought-about-writing-a-nove_1794004.jpg) > [A novel is a work of poetry. In order to write it, one must have tranquility of spirit and of impression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/a-novel-is-a-work-of-poetry-in-order-to-write-it-one-must-have/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_books_a-novel-is-a-work-of-poetry-in-order-to_1343293.png) > [I regard this novel as a work without redeeming social value, unless it can be recycled as a cardboard box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/i-regard-this-novel-as-a-work-without-redeeming-social-value-unless/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/ellen-goodman-6219_books_i-regard-this-novel-as-a-work-without-re_1592016.png) > [I cannot write a novel because I cannot work in continuity. My works are more abstract, may be, I will try short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-cannot-write-a-novel-because-i-cannot-work-in-continuity-my-works/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dia-mirza-5647_abstract_i-cannot-write-a-novel-because-i-cannot_3174171.jpg) > [“This novel is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to peoples either living or deceased is purely coincidental. Names, places, and characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/addison-moore/this-novel-is-a-work-of-fiction-any-resemblance-to-peoples-either/) [Addison Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/addison-moore/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/addison-moore-4306_books_this-novel-is-a-work-of-fiction-any-rese_2247447.jpg) > [A novel must work as a story because no one's going to get to the other themes if you don't entertain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/a-novel-must-work-as-a-story-because-no-one-s-going-to-get-to-the/) [Robert Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cormier/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/robert-cormier-6436_book_a-novel-must-work-as-a-story-because-no_1645714.png) > [By mid-morning, I take a break from my novel and work on my Sunday Style column, which is about pop culture and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-foster-blake/by-mid-morning-i-take-a-break-from-my-novel-and-work-on-my-sunday/) [Zoe Foster Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-foster-blake/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/zoe-foster-blake-15299_beginning_by-mid-morning-i-take-a-break-from-my-no_1632311.jpg) > [I'm trying to keep it fresh for me. I'm just trying to not bore myself. And if I can do a detective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-m-trying-to-keep-it-fresh-for-me-i-m-just-trying-to-not-bore-myself/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/colson-whitehead-1042_books_i-m-trying-to-keep-it-fresh-for-me-i-m-j_1885531.jpg) > [“I think there really is no other way to write a long, serious novel. You work, shelve it for a while, work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/i-think-there-really-is-no-other-way-to-write-a-long-serious-novel/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/john-gardner-3092_books_i-think-there-really-is-no-other-way-to_1935032.jpg) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-work/#itemlist", "name": "Novel Work Quotes", "numberOfItems": 12, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am a working person. I always work, study or do research for my novel. 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But I had two young kids, and I realized that if I could write a novel, I could work at home.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Kay Andrews" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-andrews/i-had-never-thought-about-writing-a-novel-but-i-had-two-young-kids/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/mary-kay-andrews-8891_books_i-had-never-thought-about-writing-a-nove_1794004.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/mary-kay-andrews-8891_books_i-had-never-thought-about-writing-a-nove_1794004.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/mary-kay-andrews-8891_books_i-had-never-thought-about-writing-a-nove_1794004.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had never thought about writing a novel. 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My works are more abstract, may be, I will try short story writing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dia Mirza" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-cannot-write-a-novel-because-i-cannot-work-in-continuity-my-works/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dia-mirza-5647_abstract_i-cannot-write-a-novel-because-i-cannot_3174171.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dia-mirza-5647_abstract_i-cannot-write-a-novel-because-i-cannot_3174171.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dia-mirza-5647_abstract_i-cannot-write-a-novel-because-i-cannot_3174171.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I cannot write a novel because I cannot work in continuity. 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It is illegal to reproduce this novel without written expressed consent from the author herself.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Addison Moore" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/addison-moore/this-novel-is-a-work-of-fiction-any-resemblance-to-peoples-either/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/addison-moore-4306_books_this-novel-is-a-work-of-fiction-any-rese_2247447.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/addison-moore-4306_books_this-novel-is-a-work-of-fiction-any-rese_2247447.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/addison-moore-4306_books_this-novel-is-a-work-of-fiction-any-rese_2247447.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This novel is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to peoples either living or deceased is purely…” — Addison Moore", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A novel must work as a story because no one's going to get to the other themes if you don't entertain the reader. But I like to have another layer of meaning, although you can read the book on one level and not bother with that other layer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Cormier" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/a-novel-must-work-as-a-story-because-no-one-s-going-to-get-to-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/robert-cormier-6436_book_a-novel-must-work-as-a-story-because-no_1645714.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/robert-cormier-6436_book_a-novel-must-work-as-a-story-because-no_1645714.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/robert-cormier-6436_book_a-novel-must-work-as-a-story-because-no_1645714.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A novel must work as a story because no one's going to get to the other themes if you don't entertain the…” — Robert Cormier", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "By mid-morning, I take a break from my novel and work on my Sunday Style column, which is about pop culture and what I find on the web. I usually start writing it at the beginning of the week and give it a couple of days to marinate before I return to it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zoe Foster Blake" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-foster-blake/by-mid-morning-i-take-a-break-from-my-novel-and-work-on-my-sunday/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/zoe-foster-blake-15299_beginning_by-mid-morning-i-take-a-break-from-my-no_1632311.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/zoe-foster-blake-15299_beginning_by-mid-morning-i-take-a-break-from-my-no_1632311.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/zoe-foster-blake-15299_beginning_by-mid-morning-i-take-a-break-from-my-no_1632311.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“By mid-morning, I take a break from my novel and work on my Sunday Style column, which is about pop culture…” — Zoe Foster Blake", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm trying to keep it fresh for me. I'm just trying to not bore myself. And if I can do a detective novel, and if I can do a horror novel, then why do it again? To keep the work challenging I have to keep moving.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Colson Whitehead" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-m-trying-to-keep-it-fresh-for-me-i-m-just-trying-to-not-bore-myself/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/colson-whitehead-1042_books_i-m-trying-to-keep-it-fresh-for-me-i-m-j_1885531.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/colson-whitehead-1042_books_i-m-trying-to-keep-it-fresh-for-me-i-m-j_1885531.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/colson-whitehead-1042_books_i-m-trying-to-keep-it-fresh-for-me-i-m-j_1885531.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm trying to keep it fresh for me. I'm just trying to not bore myself. And if I can do a detective novel…” — Colson Whitehead", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 12, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I think there really is no other way to write a long, serious novel. You work, shelve it for a while, work, shelve it again, work some more, month after month, year after year, and then one day you read the whole piece through and, so far as you can see, there are no mistakes. (The minute it's published and you read the printed book you see a thousand.) This tortuous process is not necessary, I suspect, for the writing of a popular novel in which the characters are not meant to have depth and complexity, where character A is consistently stingy and character B is consistently openhearted and nobody is a mass of contradictions, as are real human beings. But for a true novel there is generally no substitute for slow, slow baking. We've all heard the stories of Tolstoy's pains over Anna Karenina, Jane Austen's over Emma, or even Dostoevsky's over Crime and Punishment, a novel he grieved at having to publish prematurely,though he had worked at it much longer than most popular-fiction writers work at their novels.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Gardner" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/i-think-there-really-is-no-other-way-to-write-a-long-serious-novel/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/john-gardner-3092_books_i-think-there-really-is-no-other-way-to_1935032.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/john-gardner-3092_books_i-think-there-really-is-no-other-way-to_1935032.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/john-gardner-3092_books_i-think-there-really-is-no-other-way-to_1935032.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think there really is no other way to write a long, serious novel. You work, shelve it for a while, work…” — John Gardner", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-work/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-work/", "name": "Novel Work Quotes", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-work/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d4/andrea-hirata-5305_always_i-am-a-working-person-i-always-work-stud_1286710.jpg" }, "description": "Browse 12 Novel Work quotes by 12 authors. 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