--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think I was also afraid of the novel. I…" description: "\"I think I was also afraid of the novel. I write line by line, proceeding at snail's pace, rewriting as I go and paring the excess away. This is against..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/debra-dean-17204_advice_i-think-i-was-also-afraid-of-the-novel-i_2705754.jpg" --- # I think I was also afraid of the novel. I write line by… ![“I think I was also afraid of the novel. I write line by line, proceeding at snail's pace, rewriting as I go and paring the excess away. This is against all the best advice for writing long form prose, and I have tried over the years to break myself of the habit, but I can't bear to leave anything…” quote by Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/debra-dean-17204_advice_i-think-i-was-also-afraid-of-the-novel-i_2705754.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/debra-dean-17204_advice_i-think-i-was-also-afraid-of-the-novel-i_2705754.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/debra-dean-17204_advice_i-think-i-was-also-afraid-of-the-novel-i_2705754.jpg) > “I think I was also afraid of the novel. I write line by line, proceeding at snail's pace, rewriting as I go and paring the excess away. This is against all the best advice for writing long form prose, and I have tried over the years to break myself of the habit, but I can't bear to leave anything ungainly on the page and half the fun for me is that tinkering. So the length of a novel was a daunting prospect.” [Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She fears the length of a novel, writes slowly, revises constantly, and enjoys meticulous editing despite advice to write faster. **In simple terms:** She writes slowly, revises heavily, and fears long projects. Key Takeaway Accept your pace; focus on quality over speed. Themes writing anxiety editing obsession creative process Mood determined introspective Type creative process When to use this quote - novel drafting - creative workshops - self‑editing Key Concepts Perfectionism process‑oriented writing Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance thorough editing with progress? - What strategies could reduce fear of length? A Different Perspective Slow pace may delay completion and cause self‑doubt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Best advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-advice/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Excess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excess/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prose/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tinkering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tinkering/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I still find the idea of a research-heavy or historical novel daunting. 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