--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: (Novelists, when their characters drive…" description: "\"“(Novelists, when their characters drive cars, never feel compelled to describe precisely what the physical actions are of hands, feet, eyes, knees, el..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/donald-e-westlake-4285_driving_novelists-when-their-characters-drive-ca_1618719.jpg" --- # (Novelists, when their characters drive cars, never feel… ![“(Novelists, when their characters drive cars, never feel compelled to describe precisely what the physical actions are of hands, feet, eyes, knees, elbows. Yet many of these same novelists, when their characters copulate, get into such detailed physical description you’d think they were writing an…” quote by Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/donald-e-westlake-4285_driving_novelists-when-their-characters-drive-ca_1618719.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/donald-e-westlake-4285_driving_novelists-when-their-characters-drive-ca_1618719.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/donald-e-westlake-4285_driving_novelists-when-their-characters-drive-ca_1618719.jpg) > ““(Novelists, when their characters drive cars, never feel compelled to describe precisely what the physical actions are of hands, feet, eyes, knees, elbows. Yet many of these same novelists, when their characters copulate, get into such detailed physical description you’d think they were writing an exercise book. We all know the interrelation between the right ankle and the accelerator when driving a car, and we needn’t be told.”” [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers often describe sexual acts in excessive detail while neglecting mundane physical actions like driving, revealing a bias toward sensationalism over everyday realism. **In simple terms:** Authors over‑detail sex, under‑detail routine tasks. Key Takeaway Balance detail with relevance. Themes writing detail realism bias sexuality Mood reflective critical Type observational analytical When to use this quote - novel writing - scene setting - character development Key Concepts Narrative focus sensationalism mundane detail Questions to Reflect On - How does detail affect immersion? - When should routine actions be described? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on sex can alienate readers seeking authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Driving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving/) [Driving A Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving-a-car/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) ## Related quotes > [That is the dream of all novelists-that one of their characters will become 'somebody.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/that-is-the-dream-of-all-novelists-that-one-of-their-characters-will/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [In essence I'm really a very traditional writer. I subscribe to the notion that, ultimately, characters do drive everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-erickson/in-essence-i-m-really-a-very-traditional-writer-i-subscribe-to-the/) [Steve Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-erickson/) > [“When we cling to a thought or follow its track, we are performing a mental karma, and that, in turn, is the seed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-swami/when-we-cling-to-a-thought-or-follow-its-track-we-are-performing-a/) [Om Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-swami/) > [I think that physical actions are always hard to describe, to translate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-goldstein/i-think-that-physical-actions-are-always-hard-to-describe-to-translate/) [Ann Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-goldstein/) > [“While the characters drive the epic story of Robotech, it’s the robotic mecha that capture the imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-yune/while-the-characters-drive-the-epic-story-of-robotech-it-s-the/) Tommy Yune > [Everybody has weird dreams, but a usual weird dream is, okay, so your mom's driving a car and she's a dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-hagar/everybody-has-weird-dreams-but-a-usual-weird-dream-is-okay-so-your/) [Sammy Hagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-hagar/) > [Work-based learning is a game changer. It's like test driving a career, and I have seen it in action with our registered apprenticeship programs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-reynolds/work-based-learning-is-a-game-changer-it-s-like-test-driving-a-career/) [Kim Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-reynolds/) > [Writing is like driving a car. Writing the beats of a screenplay? It's like driving a rover on Mars. You have to be absolutely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamedou-ould-slahi/writing-is-like-driving-a-car-writing-the-beats-of-a-screenplay-it-s/) [Mohamedou Ould Slahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamedou-ould-slahi/) > [In fact, life is our greatest teacher. Whatever we are doing can be instructive, whether we are at the office, or talking to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/in-fact-life-is-our-greatest-teacher-whatever-we-are-doing-can-be/) [Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/) > [Now one does not think during creative work: any more than one thinks when driving a car. One has a background of years —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/now-one-does-not-think-during-creative-work-any-more-than-one-thinks/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [If you are a writer you locate yourself behind a wall of silence and no matter what you are doing, driving a car or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/if-you-are-a-writer-you-locate-yourself-behind-a-wall-of-silence-and/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Snowboarding is like driving a car. When things are all right, you're on it. But when things go wrong, it goes really, really bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-pablo-montoya/snowboarding-is-like-driving-a-car-when-things-are-all-right-you-re/) [Juan Pablo Montoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-pablo-montoya/) > [Having a large amount of leverage is like driving a car with a dagger on the steering wheel pointed at your heart. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/having-a-large-amount-of-leverage-is-like-driving-a-car-with-a-dagger/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Life is like driving a car. You have to look left or right before you turn to your path, however you just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-ntuli/life-is-like-driving-a-car-you-have-to-look-left-or-right-before-you/) [Simphiwe Ntuli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-ntuli/) > [If you want to make a substantial reduction in your carbon footprint, doing it on your own is virtually impossible, especially if you're driving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-arnold/if-you-want-to-make-a-substantial-reduction-in-your-carbon-footprint/) [Tom Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-arnold/) ## More by Donald E. Westlake > [Science fiction is a weird category, because it's the only area of fiction I can think of where the story is not of primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/science-fiction-is-a-weird-category-because-it-s-the-only-area-of/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [The other thing that I got back then - the Parker novels have never had much of anything to do with race. There have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/the-other-thing-that-i-got-back-then-the-parker-novels-have-never-had/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [I was writing everything. I grew up in Albany, New York, and I was never any farther west than Syracuse, and I wrote Westerns.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/i-was-writing-everything-i-grew-up-in-albany-new-york-and-i-was-never/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [New York doesn't exactly have neighborhoods, the way most cities do. What it has is closer to distinct and separate villages, some of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/new-york-doesn-t-exactly-have-neighborhoods-the-way-most-cities-do/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [“In the cab going downtown, Doug believed he now understood the sensations felt by a person slowly sinking into the grasp of an octopus.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/in-the-cab-going-downtown-doug-believed-he-now-understood-the/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [What did Jesus Christ say to the Teamsters? 'Do nothing till I get back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/what-did-jesus-christ-say-to-the-teamsters-do-nothing-till-i-get-back/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [“Since he’d been born rich into a family that had been a long time rich, he’d never known the need to suppress his feelings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/since-he-d-been-born-rich-into-a-family-that-had-been-a-long-time/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [“Well, you might not think it to look at me,” Dortmunder told him, “but I got a family crest.” “Have you?” “Yeah. And it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/well-you-might-not-think-it-to-look-at-me-dortmunder-told-him-but-i/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [“telling the jokes—was the setups. Why were that priest, that rabbi, and that minister walking down that street? Where were they headed? How had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/telling-the-jokes-was-the-setups-why-were-that-priest-that-rabbi-and/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [“Dortmunder followed Kelp as he carried the tray down along the bar past the regulars, where the third was now saying, “The idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/dortmunder-followed-kelp-as-he-carried-the-tray-down-along-the-bar/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [Nothing about it interested me. Or about anything else, except making up stories. If literacy weren't so nearly universal, God knows what I'd be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/nothing-about-it-interested-me-or-about-anything-else-except-making/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [When Stark isn't off sulking somewhere, or whatever he's doing when he won't return my calls, I alternate between the two. That usually works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/when-stark-isn-t-off-sulking-somewhere-or-whatever-he-s-doing-when-he/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [“There are no Territories to light out for, not in this century. It was no longer easy to become the new you. New or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/there-are-no-territories-to-light-out-for-not-in-this-century-it-was/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [“wish you would.” “Right. When I had the emerald again, I was in a cell. I guess they were afraid the rest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/wish-you-would-right-when-i-had-the-emerald-again-i-was-in-a-cell-i/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [Seem to be telling this, but really telling that. Three-dimensional writing, like three-dimensional chess. Nabokov was the other master of that. You could learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/seem-to-be-telling-this-but-really-telling-that-three-dimensional/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) [Explore all 113 Donald E. Westlake quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) ## More Driving quotes > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I don't own a yacht or a flashy car. I've always had safe cars because I do so much driving. I don't think I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/i-don-t-own-a-yacht-or-a-flashy-car-i-ve-always-had-safe-cars-because/) [Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/) > [There are a lot of impractical things about owning a Porsche. But they're all offset by the driving experience. It really is unique. Lamborghinis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/there-are-a-lot-of-impractical-things-about-owning-a-porsche-but-they/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I only started driving lessons because of comedy - before that, there's be no need. There was a bus from where I lived to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-millican/i-only-started-driving-lessons-because-of-comedy-before-that-there-s/) [Sarah Millican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-millican/) > [“police cars, but since he was driving”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-cole/police-cars-but-since-he-was-driving/) [Bobby Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-cole/) > [“A car is one of the most interesting inventions, but driving is one of the most boring activities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-car-is-one-of-the-most-interesting-inventions-but-driving-is-one-of/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I love driving my car on any highway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virat-kohli/i-love-driving-my-car-on-any-highway/) [Virat Kohli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virat-kohli/) > [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [I'm really looking forward to a time when generations after us look back and say how ridiculous it was that humans were driving cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/i-m-really-looking-forward-to-a-time-when-generations-after-us-look/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/americans-will-put-up-with-anything-provided-it-doesn-t-block-traffic/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [With our dramas, we have a lot of shows that feature very well-to-do, well-educated people who are driving very nice cars and living in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-dungey/with-our-dramas-we-have-a-lot-of-shows-that-feature-very-well-to-do/) [Channing Dungey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-dungey/) > [By measuring the proportion of children living with the same parents from birth and whether their parents report a good quality relationship we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-duncan-smith/by-measuring-the-proportion-of-children-living-with-the-same-parents/) [Iain Duncan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-duncan-smith/) > [I didn't pass my driving test till I was 38!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/i-didn-t-pass-my-driving-test-till-i-was-38/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [Yeah, I'm the Brit who isn't Lewis Hamilton that woke up and realised he was good. I got that tag because I was young,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenson-button/yeah-i-m-the-brit-who-isn-t-lewis-hamilton-that-woke-up-and-realised/) [Jenson Button](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenson-button/) [Browse all 2,780 Driving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“(Novelists, when their characters drive cars, never feel compelled to describe precisely what the physical actions are of hands, feet, eyes, knees, elbows. Yet many of these same novelists, when their characters copulate, get into such detailed physical description you’d think they were writing an exercise book. We all know the interrelation between the right ankle and the accelerator when driving a car, and we needn’t be told.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald E. Westlake" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/novelists-when-their-characters-drive-cars-never-feel-compelled-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Driving" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/novelists-when-their-characters-drive-cars-never-feel-compelled-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/donald-e-westlake-4285_driving_novelists-when-their-characters-drive-ca_1618719.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/donald-e-westlake-4285_driving_novelists-when-their-characters-drive-ca_1618719.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/donald-e-westlake-4285_driving_novelists-when-their-characters-drive-ca_1618719.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“(Novelists, when their characters drive cars, never feel compelled to describe precisely what the physical…” — Donald E. Westlake", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Donald E. Westlake", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“(Novelists, when their characters drive cars,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/novelists-when-their-characters-drive-cars-never-feel-compelled-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/novelists-when-their-characters-drive-cars-never-feel-compelled-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```