--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a backlog of novels which I would…" description: "\"I have a backlog of novels which I would love to be working on and would be working on if I were not obliged to hold down a full time job.\" — John Scott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/john-scott-28294_books_i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would_2524844.png" --- # I have a backlog of novels which I would love to be… ![“I have a backlog of novels which I would love to be working on and would be working on if I were not obliged to hold down a full time job.” quote by John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/john-scott-28294_books_i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would_2524844.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/john-scott-28294_books_i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would_2524844.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/john-scott-28294_books_i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would_2524844.png) > “I have a backlog of novels which I would love to be working on and would be working on if I were not obliged to hold down a full time job.” [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing creative ambition with a full‑time job creates tension between passion and responsibility. **In simple terms:** Job limits writing time. Key Takeaway Schedule dedicated writing sessions. Themes creativity work‑life balance discipline Mood determined hopeful Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - Freelance writing - career planning - personal projects Key Concepts Time management artistic drive Questions to Reflect On - How can you protect creative time? - What compromises are acceptable? A Different Perspective Burnout risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Full time jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/full-time-jobs/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of people build up a backlog of songs and you can kind of go, 'Let's explore that song we did six years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/a-lot-of-people-build-up-a-backlog-of-songs-and-you-can-kind-of-go/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [I always have a backlog of like seven movies that I want to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benh-zeitlin/i-always-have-a-backlog-of-like-seven-movies-that-i-want-to-make/) [Benh Zeitlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benh-zeitlin/) > [The Supreme Court has a very light backlog. They leave a lot of splits among the circuits, a lot of uncertainty. And I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlen-specter/the-supreme-court-has-a-very-light-backlog-they-leave-a-lot-of-splits/) [Arlen Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlen-specter/) > [This backlog affects not just the ability to identify and convict the guilty, but it also affects our ability to identify the innocent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-asplen/this-backlog-affects-not-just-the-ability-to-identify-and-convict-the/) [Chris Asplen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-asplen/) > [After only two or three weeks in office, we discovered we had a backlog of 100,000 emails sent to me. We had a backlog…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/after-only-two-or-three-weeks-in-office-we-discovered-we-had-a/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [I write a good amount. I've been gathering up a backlog of stuff and maybe I'll do something with it someday, but I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macaulay-culkin/i-write-a-good-amount-i-ve-been-gathering-up-a-backlog-of-stuff-and/) [Macaulay Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macaulay-culkin/) > [Once you start something, finish it. Don't accumulate a backlog of unfinished projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-bliss/once-you-start-something-finish-it-don-t-accumulate-a-backlog-of/) [Ed Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-bliss/) > [I've managed to bring the backlog down to a mere sixty-eight years," she announced with some small sense of achievement. "I hope to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/i-ve-managed-to-bring-the-backlog-down-to-a-mere-sixty-eight-years/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [The Archives and the National Personnel Records Center should implement a plan to eliminate its significant backlog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/the-archives-and-the-national-personnel-records-center-should/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [There's no backlog of people we can fire for no reason and act as if they don't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/there-s-no-backlog-of-people-we-can-fire-for-no-reason-and-act-as-if/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [I envy other writers who claim to have a backlog of books they'd like to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/i-envy-other-writers-who-claim-to-have-a-backlog-of-books-they-d-like/) [Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/) > [Things come to me pretty regularly. There is never a shortage or a backlog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-sheik/things-come-to-me-pretty-regularly-there-is-never-a-shortage-or-a/) [Duncan Sheik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-sheik/) > [almost all novels are love stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/almost-all-novels-are-love-stories/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [“I started out hoping to remind people at some point in the novel that we should be loving and kind. But then the theme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-hickman/i-started-out-hoping-to-remind-people-at-some-point-in-the-novel-that/) [Patricia Hickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-hickman/) > [Freedom to tell any story I want, with all the imaginary tools of my trade, is why I love writing novels. I love taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-liu/freedom-to-tell-any-story-i-want-with-all-the-imaginary-tools-of-my/) [Marjorie Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-liu/) ## More by John Scott > [You look out on the driving range and it looks like snow, but it isn't, it's covered in golf balls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/you-look-out-on-the-driving-range-and-it-looks-like-snow-but-it-isn-t/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [Until you see the cross as that which is done \_by\_ you, you will never appreciate that it is done \_for\_ you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/until-you-see-the-cross-as-that-which-is-done-by-you-you-will-never/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [It's always better if you're next door. Ideas come up at the oddest times. They don't always come up in a conference call.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/it-s-always-better-if-you-re-next-door-ideas-come-up-at-the-oddest/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [When you commit a serious doping offence you are not eligible for lottery funding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/when-you-commit-a-serious-doping-offence-you-are-not-eligible-for/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [I got to see first hand what he has done to make this a reality. That has been real rewarding to watch him achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/i-got-to-see-first-hand-what-he-has-done-to-make-this-a-reality-that/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [The true experimenters are there but no-one hears about them - the critical/review system tends to concentrate on the handful of 'major' writers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/the-true-experimenters-are-there-but-no-one-hears-about-them-the/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [People of this teenager's age are on the brink of adulthood and have to be allowed a greater degree of responsibility. A consequence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/people-of-this-teenager-s-age-are-on-the-brink-of-adulthood-and-have/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [If I had the luxury of working as a full time writer, I think you would see novels appearing on a much more regular,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/if-i-had-the-luxury-of-working-as-a-full-time-writer-i-think-you/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [My work is known by too few people for me to be remembered as a writer - that is, beyond those dedicated souls (bless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/my-work-is-known-by-too-few-people-for-me-to-be-remembered-as-a/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [We've invested millions of dollars in tourism. Now they're trying to industrialize and pollute the ocean. It doesn't make any sense to me at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/we-ve-invested-millions-of-dollars-in-tourism-now-they-re-trying-to/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [It's basically a home-rule issue. I think the governing authority that appoints people as assessors certainly has reasons for doing it. ... And it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/it-s-basically-a-home-rule-issue-i-think-the-governing-authority-that/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [I don't see myself as experimenting in any conscious way, it's perhaps that certain books require different densities of language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/i-don-t-see-myself-as-experimenting-in-any-conscious-way-it-s-perhaps/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [The Architect is just one of a series of works which examine the confrontation of innocence and experience, illustrating the complex ethics of power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/the-architect-is-just-one-of-a-series-of-works-which-examine-the/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [The older I get, the more I seek to use a plain prose style, concentrating more on story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/the-older-i-get-the-more-i-seek-to-use-a-plain-prose-style/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) > [These days - with the decline of the traditional churches - I'm concerned about where we obtain some form of moral direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/these-days-with-the-decline-of-the-traditional-churches-i-m-concerned/) [John Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) [Explore all 19 John Scott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/) ## 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 backlog of novels which I would love to be working on and would be working on if I were not obliged to hold down a full time job.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Scott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would-love-to-be-working-on-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would-love-to-be-working-on-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/john-scott-28294_books_i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would_2524844.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/john-scott-28294_books_i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would_2524844.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/john-scott-28294_books_i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would_2524844.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have a backlog of novels which I would love to be working on and would be working on if I were not obliged…” — John Scott", "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 Scott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have a backlog of novels...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would-love-to-be-working-on-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scott/i-have-a-backlog-of-novels-which-i-would-love-to-be-working-on-and/#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 } } ] } ```