--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always think I know the way a novel…" description: "\"I always think I know the way a novel will go. I write maps on oversized art pads like the kind I carried around in college when I was earnest about dr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/julianna-baggott-2618_art_i-always-think-i-know-the-way-a-novel-wi_2743726.jpg" --- # I always think I know the way a novel will go. I write… ![“I always think I know the way a novel will go. I write maps on oversized art pads like the kind I carried around in college when I was earnest about drawing. I need to have some idea of the shape of the novel, where its headed, so that I can proceed with confidence. But the truth is my characters…” quote by Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/julianna-baggott-2618_art_i-always-think-i-know-the-way-a-novel-wi_2743726.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/julianna-baggott-2618_art_i-always-think-i-know-the-way-a-novel-wi_2743726.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/julianna-baggott-2618_art_i-always-think-i-know-the-way-a-novel-wi_2743726.jpg) > “I always think I know the way a novel will go. I write maps on oversized art pads like the kind I carried around in college when I was earnest about drawing. I need to have some idea of the shape of the novel, where its headed, so that I can proceed with confidence. But the truth is my characters start doing and saying things I don't expect.” [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authors plan novel structures but must stay open to unexpected character developments that shape the story. **In simple terms:** Planning helps, but characters can surprise you. Key Takeaway Balance outline with flexibility. Themes writing creativity planning character development Mood creative reflective Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - Novel drafting - screenwriting - game design - improvisational theater Key Concepts Narrative structure emergent storytelling creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you adapt when characters surprise you? - When is it okay to abandon your outline? A Different Perspective Over‑planning can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Novels usually evolve out of 'character.' Characters generate stories, and the shape of a novel is entirely imagined but should have an aesthetic coherence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/novels-usually-evolve-out-of-character-characters-generate-stories/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I like shape very much. A novel has to have shape, and life doesn't have any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/i-like-shape-very-much-a-novel-has-to-have-shape-and-life-doesn-t/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [I was very influenced by The Magic Mountain. It's a book that had a huge impact on me. I loved that as a shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/i-was-very-influenced-by-the-magic-mountain-it-s-a-book-that-had-a/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“The natural, proper, fitting shape of the novel might be that of a sack, a bag. A book holds words. Words hold things. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-natural-proper-fitting-shape-of-the-novel-might-be-that-of-a-sack/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [When I'm really involved or getting towards the end of a novel, I can write for up to ten hours a day. At those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/when-i-m-really-involved-or-getting-towards-the-end-of-a-novel-i-can/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Each time I have the urge in me to make a statement or send a message or to issue a manifesto, I don't bother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/each-time-i-have-the-urge-in-me-to-make-a-statement-or-send-a-message/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [I move between the two: I write an adult novel, and then I write a children's book. I quite enjoy that. It's a nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/i-move-between-the-two-i-write-an-adult-novel-and-then-i-write-a/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“The three rules to writing a novel; 1) Write 2) Write more 3) Keep writing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scifurz/the-three-rules-to-writing-a-novel-1-write-2-write-more-3-keep-writing/) SciFurz > [I'm a relatively disciplined writer who composes the whole book before beginning to execute and write it. Of course, you can't hold - you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-m-a-relatively-disciplined-writer-who-composes-the-whole-book/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [When I want to read a novel, I write one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/when-i-want-to-read-a-novel-i-write-one/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Writing a good query letter has very little to do with writing a good novel. But if you can't write the one, it makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/writing-a-good-query-letter-has-very-little-to-do-with-writing-a-good/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I have a novel that I can write. It's about three soldiers from Somalia. Some babies have been disappearing up on 144th Street, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-have-a-novel-that-i-can-write-it-s-about-three-soldiers-from/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [It was really a means-of-production problem. It costs so much to make films. With a novel, you can write the whole thing on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/it-was-really-a-means-of-production-problem-it-costs-so-much-to-make/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [In every novel, I write about something - a place, an experience, an emotion - with which I'm intimately familiar, but it's also crucial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/in-every-novel-i-write-about-something-a-place-an-experience-an/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [I've never been that person who thought that because I've written one novel, I should write another and another. It's only when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/i-ve-never-been-that-person-who-thought-that-because-i-ve-written-one/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) ## More by Julianna Baggott > [“To know someone, to be known. That matters more than he'd ever thought it would.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/to-know-someone-to-be-known-that-matters-more-than-he-d-ever-thought/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [“Wir sollten feiern, was wir feiern können.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/wir-sollten-feiern-was-wir-feiern-k-nnen/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [She glances back before stepping into the alley, and she catches her grandfather looking at her the way he does sometimes--as if she's already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/she-glances-back-before-stepping-into-the-alley-and-she-catches-her/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [So far, I should be calm and more specifically not like that...Anything else? Would you like to do surgery on my personality? How about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/so-far-i-should-be-calm-and-more-specifically-not-like-that-anything/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [I am deeply Catholic and always will be, but I'm no longer a member of the church. I left in 2003 because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/i-am-deeply-catholic-and-always-will-be-but-i-m-no-longer-a-member-of/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [“You're a hero here.' 'I don't want to be a hero.' 'What do you want?' 'I want to be a leader.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/you-re-a-hero-here-i-don-t-want-to-be-a-hero-what-do-you-want-i-want/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [“When I met you, I thought we were meant for each other, even though, in some ways, seemed very different and we kept fighting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/when-i-met-you-i-thought-we-were-meant-for-each-other-even-though-in/) [julianna baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Love is a luxury. It's something that people are allowed to indulge in when they're not simply trying to survive and keep other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/love-is-a-luxury-it-s-something-that-people-are-allowed-to-indulge-in/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [“My memories will be erased and then I'll be force-fed the story from the society pages?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/my-memories-will-be-erased-and-then-i-ll-be-force-fed-the-story-from/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [“How do you know me?" she says. He looks at her through his narrow eyes. "I was," he says. "You were what?" she asks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/how-do-you-know-me-she-says-he-looks-at-her-through-his-narrow-eyes-i/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [I've never thought there was anything I could hope to get by praying for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/i-ve-never-thought-there-was-anything-i-could-hope-to-get-by-praying/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Try to think of writing as a gift - more complexly put: it is the curse and the cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/try-to-think-of-writing-as-a-gift-more-complexly-put-it-is-the-curse/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Basically if you burst into my office the walls themselves will flutter as if alive - maybe that's the reason for all the wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/basically-if-you-burst-into-my-office-the-walls-themselves-will/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [But there it is: Everyone is alone, for life, and maybe that's not such a bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/but-there-it-is-everyone-is-alone-for-life-and-maybe-that-s-not-such/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Sometimes when reading aloud to my husband, I'll start crying. It completely stuns me. As if the words in my body and on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/sometimes-when-reading-aloud-to-my-husband-i-ll-start-crying-it/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) [Explore all 147 Julianna Baggott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. 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