--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Something about that whole process of…" description: "\"Something about that whole process of building the structure of that game turned into a real kind of lightbulb moment for me as a writer.\" — Naomi Novik" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/naomi-novik-6809_building_something-about-that-whole-process-of-bu_3054078.jpg" --- # Something about that whole process of building the… ![“Something about that whole process of building the structure of that game turned into a real kind of lightbulb moment for me as a writer.” quote by Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/naomi-novik-6809_building_something-about-that-whole-process-of-bu_3054078.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/naomi-novik-6809_building_something-about-that-whole-process-of-bu_3054078.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/naomi-novik-6809_building_something-about-that-whole-process-of-bu_3054078.jpg) > “Something about that whole process of building the structure of that game turned into a real kind of lightbulb moment for me as a writer.” [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer’s breakthrough occurs when the mechanics of a story’s world ignite a vivid, illuminating insight. **In simple terms:** Understanding structure sparks creative epiphanies. Key Takeaway Study the craft to spark ideas. Themes creativity writing insight Mood inspirational analytical Type creative process When to use this quote - novel planning - game design - screenwriting Key Concepts world‑building epiphany process Questions to Reflect On - How do you cultivate moments of clarity? - What structures help you think? A Different Perspective Not all writers experience a single “lightbulb” moment; insight can be gradual. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [What's interesting to me is that in terms of people who I feel are getting what my game is about - and here I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-blow/what-s-interesting-to-me-is-that-in-terms-of-people-who-i-feel-are/) [Jonathan Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-blow/) > [There was a lightbulb moment as soon as I walked in the kitchen and started working. I love the physical action. I love the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/there-was-a-lightbulb-moment-as-soon-as-i-walked-in-the-kitchen-and/) [J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/) > [My first starring role was in 'Rumpelstiltskin' and the lightbulb moment for me came when I had to stamp my foot at the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-lawson/my-first-starring-role-was-in-rumpelstiltskin-and-the-lightbulb/) [Denis Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-lawson/) > [The moment a writer begins to pay more attention to how to write than what to write, he begins to drift away from realities.His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-moment-a-writer-begins-to-pay-more-attention-to-how-to-write-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I still always think the greatest moment for me, as a writer, is when I press that button and send the first draft of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abi-morgan/i-still-always-think-the-greatest-moment-for-me-as-a-writer-is-when-i/) [Abi Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abi-morgan/) > [“I heard a famous author say once that the hardest part of writing a book was making yourself sit down at the typewriter. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-heard-a-famous-author-say-once-that-the-hardest-part-of-writing-a/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [You had been a paper boy to me all these years - two dimensions as a character on the page and two different, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/you-had-been-a-paper-boy-to-me-all-these-years-two-dimensions-as-a/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [There's such a feeling of satisfaction when something you imagined turned into something real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prabal-gurung/there-s-such-a-feeling-of-satisfaction-when-something-you-imagined/) [Prabal Gurung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prabal-gurung/) > [“I might have been made of metal once, but not anymore. Like Pinocchio, I'd turned into a real girl. So far it sucked. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-standiford/i-might-have-been-made-of-metal-once-but-not-anymore-like-pinocchio-i/) [Natalie Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-standiford/) > [By the time I was 15, my mother had turned me into a real clotheshorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-swanson/by-the-time-i-was-15-my-mother-had-turned-me-into-a-real-clotheshorse/) [Gloria Swanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-swanson/) > [I've made up stuff that's turned out to be real, that's the spooky part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/i-ve-made-up-stuff-that-s-turned-out-to-be-real-that-s-the-spooky-part/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [As it happened, all three of us turned out to be real writers--a coincidence almost too large to be termed mere coincidence in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/as-it-happened-all-three-of-us-turned-out-to-be-real-writers-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## More by Naomi Novik > [“The crew were all of them inclined to cough and sneeze, the boys particularly, and Keynes said, "We ought put them all in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/the-crew-were-all-of-them-inclined-to-cough-and-sneeze-the-boys/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“For his part, Temeraire had been following this exchange with cocked head and increasing confusion; now he said, "I do not understand in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/for-his-part-temeraire-had-been-following-this-exchange-with-cocked/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“Elsie eyed him puzzledly, and then offered, "Would you like to see my plate?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/elsie-eyed-him-puzzledly-and-then-offered-would-you-like-to-see-my/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [Temeraire-- Never fear; I am going; the Son of Heaven will not tolerate delays, and Barham gives me leave. Allegiance will carry us! Pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/temeraire-never-fear-i-am-going-the-son-of-heaven-will-not-tolerate/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“One man can go where a group cannot, and manage on very little, particularly a rough adventurer such as he. More the point, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/one-man-can-go-where-a-group-cannot-and-manage-on-very-little/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“It was all right when I did it,” I said, “but when you did it, it was wrong. As though—you were following a trail,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/it-was-all-right-when-i-did-it-i-said-but-when-you-did-it-it-was/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [Next you will cry about taxation without representation, and throw a basket of tea into the harbor. You are indeed a very Jacobin at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/next-you-will-cry-about-taxation-without-representation-and-throw-a/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“Her beautiful face was blank as an unwritten book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/her-beautiful-face-was-blank-as-an-unwritten-book/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“But I realized now that without quite thinking it through, I'd half-imagined myself a place here in the tower. My little room upstairs, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/but-i-realized-now-that-without-quite-thinking-it-through-i-d-half/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“No; they nearly drowned you, and not even on purpose but only through carelessness. I am not letting them have you back,” Temeraire said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/no-they-nearly-drowned-you-and-not-even-on-purpose-but-only-through/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“I do not know that the Chinese system is any worse; there is a limit to the evil one despot alone can do, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/i-do-not-know-that-the-chinese-system-is-any-worse-there-is-a-limit/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“Those men want to take Laurence from me, and put him in prison, and execute him, and I will not let them, ever, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/those-men-want-to-take-laurence-from-me-and-put-him-in-prison-and/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [I should rather have you than a heap of gold, even if it were very comfortable to sleep on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/i-should-rather-have-you-than-a-heap-of-gold-even-if-it-were-very/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“I think we must only a few of us go," Laurence said, low. "I will take a few volunteers - " "Oh, the devil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/i-think-we-must-only-a-few-of-us-go-laurence-said-low-i-will-take-a/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [“I know i'm making her sound like something out of a story. But it was the other way around. When my mother told me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/i-know-i-m-making-her-sound-like-something-out-of-a-story-but-it-was/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) [Explore all 97 Naomi Novik quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) ## More Building quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/) > [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Something about that whole process of building the structure of that game turned into a real kind of lightbulb moment for me as a writer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Naomi Novik" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/something-about-that-whole-process-of-building-the-structure-of-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Building" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/something-about-that-whole-process-of-building-the-structure-of-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/naomi-novik-6809_building_something-about-that-whole-process-of-bu_3054078.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/naomi-novik-6809_building_something-about-that-whole-process-of-bu_3054078.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/naomi-novik-6809_building_something-about-that-whole-process-of-bu_3054078.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Something about that whole process of building the structure of that game turned into a real kind of…” — Naomi Novik", "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": "Naomi Novik", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Something about that whole process of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/something-about-that-whole-process-of-building-the-structure-of-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/something-about-that-whole-process-of-building-the-structure-of-that/#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 } } ] } ```