--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started writing my second novel, I…" description: "\"When I started writing my second novel, I decided that one of the characters would have a passion for dollhouses, which allowed me to do hours of guilt..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/j-courtney-sullivan-7330_books_when-i-started-writing-my-second-novel-i_343878.png" --- # When I started writing my second novel, I decided that one… ![“When I started writing my second novel, I decided that one of the characters would have a passion for dollhouses, which allowed me to do hours of guilt-free 'research' online and at the Manhattan Dollhouse boutique inside F. A. O. Schwarz.” quote by J. Courtney Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/j-courtney-sullivan-7330_books_when-i-started-writing-my-second-novel-i_343878.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/j-courtney-sullivan-7330_books_when-i-started-writing-my-second-novel-i_343878.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/j-courtney-sullivan-7330_books_when-i-started-writing-my-second-novel-i_343878.png) > “When I started writing my second novel, I decided that one of the characters would have a passion for dollhouses, which allowed me to do hours of guilt-free 'research' online and at the Manhattan Dollhouse boutique inside F. A. O. Schwarz.” [J. Courtney Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-courtney-sullivan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author uses a character's hobby as a pretext for extensive, enjoyable research into dollhouses, blending personal interest with creative work. **In simple terms:** Using a character's passion to explore a topic enjoy. Key Takeaway Leverage personal interests to enrich storytelling. Themes creativity research play writing Mood enthusiastic curious Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - novel planning - worldbuilding - creative research - personal hobby integration Key Concepts character development immersive detail passion projects Questions to Reflect On - How can personal hobbies enhance narrative without dominating it? - What balance keeps research enjoyable yet purposeful? A Different Perspective May risk overemphasis on niche detail that distracts from plot. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Dollhouses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollhouses/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Building a dollhouse is a lot like writing a novel because you are God of the Universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-mccorkle/building-a-dollhouse-is-a-lot-like-writing-a-novel-because-you-are/) [Jill McCorkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-mccorkle/) > [The mole can't live in your dollhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-carlile/the-mole-can-t-live-in-your-dollhouse/) [Brandi Carlile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-carlile/) > [ When I was creative director \[at Estée Lauder\], I was always being asked about my beauty must-haves. From there I had this fun idea… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerin-lauder/when-i-was-creative-director-at-est-e-lauder-i-was-always-being-asked/) [Aerin Lauder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerin-lauder/) > [Families were never what you wanted them to be. We all wanted what we couldn't have: the perfect child, the doting husband, the mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/families-were-never-what-you-wanted-them-to-be-we-all-wanted-what-we/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I've had a lot of people come up to me after shows and tell me that "Dollhouse" really helped them with whatever they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-martinez/i-ve-had-a-lot-of-people-come-up-to-me-after-shows-and-tell-me-that/) [Melanie Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-martinez/) > ["Dollhouse" was really insane. We shot it at this top house studio in Brookyln. It was really cool. I designed a mini dollhouse that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-martinez/dollhouse-was-really-insane-we-shot-it-at-this-top-house-studio-in/) [Melanie Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-martinez/) > ["Dollhouse" was definitely inspired by the whole Edward Scissorhands vibe where all of the houses are perfect, but inside each home there are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-martinez/dollhouse-was-definitely-inspired-by-the-whole-edward-scissorhands/) [Melanie Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-martinez/) > [Basically it's the idea of celebrities being in the spotlight and just because you think that they should be perfect, that they're still human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-martinez/basically-it-s-the-idea-of-celebrities-being-in-the-spotlight-and/) [Melanie Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-martinez/) > [I like to photograph miniature constructed scenes - I'll buy a very sad cake decoration like a plastic computer for a dreary office birthday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthea-harvey/i-like-to-photograph-miniature-constructed-scenes-i-ll-buy-a-very-sad/) [Matthea Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthea-harvey/) > [I think because "Dollhouse" was the first story that I put out. 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Courtney Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-courtney-sullivan/) > [“awake. James would force himself to close his eyes. For the next few hours, he’d lie there, thrashing around, trying to get comfortable. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-courtney-sullivan/awake-james-would-force-himself-to-close-his-eyes-for-the-next-few/) [J. Courtney Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-courtney-sullivan/) > [“You all seem to think you should marry someone when you feel this intense emotion, which you call love. And then you expect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-courtney-sullivan/you-all-seem-to-think-you-should-marry-someone-when-you-feel-this/) [J. Courtney Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-courtney-sullivan/) > [I love making lists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-courtney-sullivan/i-love-making-lists/) [J. 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People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. 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