--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The concept of writing a novel and not…" description: "\"The concept of writing a novel and not knowing where it's going - I don't know how to do that. Novels are plot- and character-driven, so if I don't kno..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/john-irving-337_books_the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-k_1014049.png" --- # The concept of writing a novel and not knowing where it's… ![“The concept of writing a novel and not knowing where it's going - I don't know how to do that. Novels are plot- and character-driven, so if I don't know what becomes of people, how can I know where it should begin?” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/john-irving-337_books_the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-k_1014049.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/john-irving-337_books_the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-k_1014049.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/john-irving-337_books_the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-k_1014049.png) > “The concept of writing a novel and not knowing where it's going - I don't know how to do that. Novels are plot- and character-driven, so if I don't know what becomes of people, how can I know where it should begin?” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote expresses uncertainty about starting a novel without a clear plot or character direction, highlighting the challenge of beginning a story when its future is unclear. **In simple terms:** Uncertainty about starting a story without a clear plan. Key Takeaway Embrace discovery; outline loosely and let characters guide you. Themes creativity writing uncertainty process exploration Mood anxious curious Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - first draft attempts - brainstorming sessions - creative retreats Key Concepts narrative structure character development emergent storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How can you use character questions to shape plot? - What methods help generate initial story ideas? A Different Perspective A lack of initial direction can lead to aimless drafts and wasted effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [My first attraction to writing novels was the plot, that almost extinct animal. Those novels I read which made me want to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/my-first-attraction-to-writing-novels-was-the-plot-that-almost/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [No one will ever know how many novels, poems, analyses, confessions, sufferings and joys have been piled up on this continent called Love, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/no-one-will-ever-know-how-many-novels-poems-analyses-confessions/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [“After finishing a good book, it was sometimes days before she could shake off that other reality; the one she'd dipped into, leaving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-sutherland/after-finishing-a-good-book-it-was-sometimes-days-before-she-could/) Ann Sutherland > [I don't see how anybody starts a novel without knowing how it's going to end. I usually make detailed outlines: how many chapters it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/i-don-t-see-how-anybody-starts-a-novel-without-knowing-how-it-s-going/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [“Every good story needs a good ending. Don't write the beginning of a novel without knowing the end of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-d-y-howle/every-good-story-needs-a-good-ending-don-t-write-the-beginning-of-a/) A.D.Y. Howle > [At the time I begin writing a novel, the last thing I want to do is follow a plot outline. To know too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/at-the-time-i-begin-writing-a-novel-the-last-thing-i-want-to-do-is/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Plot is tremendously important to me: I can't stand books where nothing happens, and I can't imagine ever writing a novel without at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-beauman/plot-is-tremendously-important-to-me-i-can-t-stand-books-where/) [Ned Beauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-beauman/) > [I never know when I finish the novel I am writing which will be the next novel out of the station.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-never-know-when-i-finish-the-novel-i-am-writing-which-will-be-the/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I have a process that I seem to always, to some degree, as a writer, adhere to, but I certainly have never imposed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-have-a-process-that-i-seem-to-always-to-some-degree-as-a-writer/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [When writing a novel, I'm not smart enough to know how to foreshadow something if I don't know what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/when-writing-a-novel-i-m-not-smart-enough-to-know-how-to-foreshadow/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Writing a novel is actually searching for victims. As I write I keep looking for casualties. The stories uncover the casualties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/writing-a-novel-is-actually-searching-for-victims-as-i-write-i-keep-2/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [As much as most of the actors were kind of curious to know what their character meant in relation to the script and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-mitchell/as-much-as-most-of-the-actors-were-kind-of-curious-to-know-what-their/) [Radha Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-mitchell/) > [If you're writing a novel, you're in a room for three or four years. There's not much coming in from the outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordecai-richler/if-you-re-writing-a-novel-you-re-in-a-room-for-three-or-four-years/) [Mordecai Richler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordecai-richler/) > [When you're writing a novel, you spend four years sitting in your basement and a year waiting for the book to come out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/when-you-re-writing-a-novel-you-spend-four-years-sitting-in-your/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. —W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wax/there-are-three-rules-for-writing-a-novel-unfortunately-no-one-knows/) [Wendy Wax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wax/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## 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": "The concept of writing a novel and not knowing where it's going - I don't know how to do that. Novels are plot- and character-driven, so if I don't know what becomes of people, how can I know where it should begin?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Irving" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-knowing-where-it-s-going-i-don/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-knowing-where-it-s-going-i-don/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/john-irving-337_books_the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-k_1014049.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/john-irving-337_books_the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-k_1014049.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/john-irving-337_books_the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-k_1014049.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The concept of writing a novel and not knowing where it's going - I don't know how to do that. Novels are…” — John Irving", "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": "John Irving", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The concept of writing a novel...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-knowing-where-it-s-going-i-don/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-concept-of-writing-a-novel-and-not-knowing-where-it-s-going-i-don/#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 } } ] } ```