--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a different purpose in writing…" description: "\"I have a different purpose in writing each novel. Some of them seem more similar than others, but the purposes are always different.\" — Jesse Ball" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c72/jesse-ball-10640_books_i-have-a-different-purpose-in-writing-ea_388711.jpg" --- # I have a different purpose in writing each novel. Some of… ![“I have a different purpose in writing each novel. Some of them seem more similar than others, but the purposes are always different.” quote by Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c72/jesse-ball-10640_books_i-have-a-different-purpose-in-writing-ea_388711.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c72/jesse-ball-10640_books_i-have-a-different-purpose-in-writing-ea_388711.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c72/jesse-ball-10640_books_i-have-a-different-purpose-in-writing-ea_388711.jpg) > “I have a different purpose in writing each novel. Some of them seem more similar than others, but the purposes are always different.” [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Each novel serves a distinct purpose, though some share similarities; the writer intentionally varies intent across works. **In simple terms:** Every book has its own goal, even if they overlap. Key Takeaway Recognize each work’s unique aim. Themes creativity purpose writing Mood reflective inquisitive Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - novel planning - creative process - reader engagement Key Concepts authorial intent literary diversity Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify a novel’s purpose? - Can overlapping themes dilute intent? A Different Perspective Purpose can blur, making categorization hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [People have used my views for purposes which are very different from mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-coase/people-have-used-my-views-for-purposes-which-are-very-different-from/) [Ronald Coase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-coase/) > [For me, every project is different, and it serves a different purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burna-boy/for-me-every-project-is-different-and-it-serves-a-different-purpose/) [Burna Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burna-boy/) > [“We want people to be like we are, but God has made us all different on purpose so we can help one another. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/we-want-people-to-be-like-we-are-but-god-has-made-us-all-different-on/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Every novelist has a different purpose-and often several purposes which might even be contradictory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/every-novelist-has-a-different-purpose-and-often-several-purposes/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [In the present civil war it is quite possible that God's purpose is something different from the purpose of either party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-the-present-civil-war-it-is-quite-possible-that-god-s-purpose-is/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The saying "the business of art is different than the purpose of art" makes sense, and what are you going to do about that?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/the-saying-the-business-of-art-is-different-than-the-purpose-of-art/) [Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/) > [Whether your purpose for writing is artistic expression, communication with friends and family, the healing of the inner life, or achieving public recognition for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-schneider/whether-your-purpose-for-writing-is-artistic-expression-communication/) [Pat Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-schneider/) > [“The purpose of my writing, whatever I write, is not what may be right or wrong; But for when I leave this body, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-kumar/the-purpose-of-my-writing-whatever-i-write-is-not-what-may-be-right/) [Gian Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-kumar/) > [“The purpose of my writing is to expose and arrest Nova Criminals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/the-purpose-of-my-writing-is-to-expose-and-arrest-nova-criminals/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [The whole purpose of writing a book is to be understood - if other people write about you, they try to guess why you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berry-gordy/the-whole-purpose-of-writing-a-book-is-to-be-understood-if-other/) [Berry Gordy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berry-gordy/) > [“You can be a member of all of the romance writers associations, take part in all of the networking available, or win the latest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-le-veque/you-can-be-a-member-of-all-of-the-romance-writers-associations-take/) [Kathryn Le Veque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-le-veque/) > [“What is the purpose of my writing about the various experiences of my life? It is not for publicity, but with the hope that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-albert-law/what-is-the-purpose-of-my-writing-about-the-various-experiences-of-my/) Ernest Albert Law > [“The purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning and inhibit clarity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/the-purpose-of-writing-is-to-inflate-weak-ideas-obscure-poor/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [What is the purpose of writing music? One is, of course, not dealing with purposes but dealing with sounds. Or the answer must take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/what-is-the-purpose-of-writing-music-one-is-of-course-not-dealing/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [Our main purpose of writing is so we don't feel alone and that others don't feel alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-land/our-main-purpose-of-writing-is-so-we-don-t-feel-alone-and-that-others/) [Stephanie Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-land/) ## More by Jesse Ball > [“-Lara is a weasel. I've always hated her. The only happy week I had as a child was when she fell from the roof…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/lara-is-a-weasel-i-ve-always-hated-her-the-only-happy-week-i-had-as-a/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [I'd say writing is easier for me now than it once was, but I do less of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/i-d-say-writing-is-easier-for-me-now-than-it-once-was-but-i-do-less/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [“Our knowledge about ourselves is our least reliable knowledge. Yet, so thoroughly do we ordinarily champion our own cause that it is acknowledged effective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/our-knowledge-about-ourselves-is-our-least-reliable-knowledge-yet-so/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [Not that believing such things has anything to do with whether they are true. You see that, don't you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/not-that-believing-such-things-has-anything-to-do-with-whether-they/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [“We are born in this cemetery, but must not despair. -Piet Soron, 1847”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/we-are-born-in-this-cemetery-but-must-not-despair-piet-soron-1847/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [Americans are genuinely and profoundly anti-intellectual. They are especially so in their pleasure-seeking, which is epically banal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/americans-are-genuinely-and-profoundly-anti-intellectual-they-are/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [Sunday was always the best of days for being the self you had intended to be, but were not, for one reason or another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/sunday-was-always-the-best-of-days-for-being-the-self-you-had/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [I don't think anything needs to happen in a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/i-don-t-think-anything-needs-to-happen-in-a-book/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [“Can you imagine? That you can say something, offhand, and it can matter, it can really matter to someone else? Can you imagine what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/can-you-imagine-that-you-can-say-something-offhand-and-it-can-matter/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [One can't say how one behaved or why, really. Such situations, they are far more complex than any either/or proposition. It is simplistic to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/one-can-t-say-how-one-behaved-or-why-really-such-situations-they-are/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [“One cultivates one's life, one's friends, one's means, one's hopes. One goes from place to place, from triumph to triumph, in search of ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/one-cultivates-one-s-life-one-s-friends-one-s-means-one-s-hopes-one/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [“The whole thing about people living on in memory is a crock of shit. The best you can do is try to remember what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/the-whole-thing-about-people-living-on-in-memory-is-a-crock-of-shit/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [That would be the death of anyone - to recognize false hopes with a certainty. One mustn't know that. If it is offered, refuse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/that-would-be-the-death-of-anyone-to-recognize-false-hopes-with-a/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [I believe in discovering the love that exists and then trying to understand it. Not to invent a love and try to make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/i-believe-in-discovering-the-love-that-exists-and-then-trying-to/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [Much of my work has been done in first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/much-of-my-work-has-been-done-in-first-person/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) [Explore all 63 Jesse Ball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have a different purpose in writing each novel. 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