--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a big, bombastic novelist and…" description: "\"I'm a big, bombastic novelist and thrill-ride guy. I'm never going to win the National Book Award.\" — Seth Grahame-Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/seth-grahame-smith-2321_award_i-m-a-big-bombastic-novelist-and-thrill_278069.png" --- # I'm a big, bombastic novelist and thrill-ride guy. I'm… ![“I'm a big, bombastic novelist and thrill-ride guy. I'm never going to win the National Book Award.” quote by Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/seth-grahame-smith-2321_award_i-m-a-big-bombastic-novelist-and-thrill_278069.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/seth-grahame-smith-2321_award_i-m-a-big-bombastic-novelist-and-thrill_278069.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/seth-grahame-smith-2321_award_i-m-a-big-bombastic-novelist-and-thrill_278069.png) > “I'm a big, bombastic novelist and thrill-ride guy. I'm never going to win the National Book Award.” [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He boasts a bold, flamboyant writing style but doubts winning top literary honors. **In simple terms:** Bold writer doubts award success. Key Takeaway Embrace confidence, but stay realistic. Themes confidence humor self‑deprecation Mood playful defiant Type personal marketing When to use this quote - marketing pitch - personal branding - award campaigns Key Concepts literary ambition public persona Questions to Reflect On - Do you think style outweighs literary merit? - How can humor aid self‑promotion? A Different Perspective Overconfidence may alienate serious readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Award](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/award/) [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Big Bombastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-bombastic-2703455/) [Bombastic Novelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombastic-novelist-2703452/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [National](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national/) [National Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-book-2703454/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Novelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelist/) [Novelist Thrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelist-thrill-2703453/) [Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win/) ## Related quotes > [One of the great upsides to a national book tour is the chance to break out of television's cocoon and interact directly with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/one-of-the-great-upsides-to-a-national-book-tour-is-the-chance-to/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [I hate to tell you this, but I did not know what the National Book Award was when I got the call.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/i-hate-to-tell-you-this-but-i-did-not-know-what-the-national-book/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [The National Book Festival is a great way for families and friends to share the creative works of some of America's most-loved authors, ..…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/the-national-book-festival-is-a-great-way-for-families-and-friends-to/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [There's a big difference between the National Book Awards and the Academy Awards. At the Academy Awards you can feel the greed and envy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/there-s-a-big-difference-between-the-national-book-awards-and-the/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [Please, no matter how we advance technologically , please don't abandon the book. There is nothing in our material world more beautiful than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/please-no-matter-how-we-advance-technologically-please-don-t-abandon/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [If a novelist has created vivid characters, interesting relationships, settings the reader can easily imagine, and intriguing stories, a screenwriter has loads to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/if-a-novelist-has-created-vivid-characters-interesting-relationships/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [I'm a novelist. Fortunately I don't have to rule the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-m-a-novelist-fortunately-i-don-t-have-to-rule-the-world/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [As an historical novelist - there are few jobs more retrospective. I dumped science at an early age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/as-an-historical-novelist-there-are-few-jobs-more-retrospective-i/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [“Amanda herself couldn't understand why her writing was so different from her own personality. Her pen seemed to take on a life of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/amanda-herself-couldn-t-understand-why-her-writing-was-so-different/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [The novelist's intuition for the sacred differs from the translator's interrogation of the sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/the-novelist-s-intuition-for-the-sacred-differs-from-the-translator-s/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [A novelist should not be too intelligent either, although... he may be permitted to be an intellectual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/a-novelist-should-not-be-too-intelligent-either-although-he-may-be/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [“I have from the first felt sure that the writer, when he sits down to commence his novel, should do so, not because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/i-have-from-the-first-felt-sure-that-the-writer-when-he-sits-down-to/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [“I love you so much. Our love is eternal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santonu-kumar-dhar/i-love-you-so-much-our-love-is-eternal/) [Santonu Kumar Dhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santonu-kumar-dhar/) > [“The novelist is like a scout commissioned to go and see what is happening in the depth of the soul. He comes back and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/the-novelist-is-like-a-scout-commissioned-to-go-and-see-what-is/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [“She'll be an excellent novelist: a monster of self-absorption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lan-samantha-chang/she-ll-be-an-excellent-novelist-a-monster-of-self-absorption/) [Lan Samantha Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lan-samantha-chang/) ## More by Seth Grahame-Smith > [I think zombies have always been an easy metaphor for hard times. Because they're this big, faceless, brainless group of evil things that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/i-think-zombies-have-always-been-an-easy-metaphor-for-hard-times/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [put the car in "d" set the compass to "n" and get the "f"out of there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/put-the-car-in-d-set-the-compass-to-n-and-get-the-f-out-of-there/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [“I think common-looking people are the best in the world. That's why the Lord makes so many of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/i-think-common-looking-people-are-the-best-in-the-world-that-s-why/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [If you write really good material, the rest just falls into place. There's really no trick to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/if-you-write-really-good-material-the-rest-just-falls-into-place/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [No ninjas! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without any ninjas! I never heard of such a thing. Your mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/no-ninjas-how-was-that-possible-five-daughters-brought-up-at-home/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [“Elisabeth and Darcy merely looked at one another in awkward silence, until the latter reached both arms around her. She was frozen. "What does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/elisabeth-and-darcy-merely-looked-at-one-another-in-awkward-silence/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [“The one thing people loved more than an outlaw was seeing him punished.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/the-one-thing-people-loved-more-than-an-outlaw-was-seeing-him-punished/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [“Minions of Satan don’t react well to the Eucharist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/minions-of-satan-don-t-react-well-to-the-eucharist/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [“She remembered the lead ammunition in her pocket and offered it to him. 'Your balls, Mr. Darcey?'He reached out and closed her hand around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/she-remembered-the-lead-ammunition-in-her-pocket-and-offered-it-to/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [“An empty theater is a promise unfulfilled.In a few hours, everything around him would be light and noise. Laughter and applause. Colorful people packed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/an-empty-theater-is-a-promise-unfulfilled-in-a-few-hours-everything/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [“For every rod of wet bamboo upon the student's back, the teacher deserves two.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/for-every-rod-of-wet-bamboo-upon-the-student-s-back-the-teacher/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [“Depart then, impious one! Depart, accursed one! Depart with all your deceits, for God has willed that man should be his temple!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/depart-then-impious-one-depart-accursed-one-depart-with-all-your/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [I want to be judged harshly because that forces me to really sit down and focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/i-want-to-be-judged-harshly-because-that-forces-me-to-really-sit-down/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [If you're Stephen King and you have a massive body of huge-selling well-respected work, you can pivot and do whatever you want. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/if-you-re-stephen-king-and-you-have-a-massive-body-of-huge-selling/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [“Without death life is meaningless. It is a story that can never be told. A song that could never be sung. For how would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/without-death-life-is-meaningless-it-is-a-story-that-can-never-be/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) [Explore all 169 Seth Grahame-Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) ## More Award quotes > [Professionally speaking, the proudest moment was when I booked the 'Human Stain.' I knew it had Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris and Gary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/professionally-speaking-the-proudest-moment-was-when-i-booked-the/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [I love my role in 'Deshamuduru' but I did not get any award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali/i-love-my-role-in-deshamuduru-but-i-did-not-get-any-award/) [Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali/) > [I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-am-both-humbled-and-honored-to-receive-the-honda-sports-award-for/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [Some of my contemporaries don't want to talk about the female problem because they feel like whenever they get a teaching position or an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/du-yun/some-of-my-contemporaries-don-t-want-to-talk-about-the-female-problem/) [Du Yun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/du-yun/) > [I'm not a great believer in awards-of course the fact that I've never won one has nothing to do with it at all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/i-m-not-a-great-believer-in-awards-of-course-the-fact-that-i-ve-never/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [Any award the NBA gives you, whether it's on the court or off the court, it's definitely an honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristan-thompson/any-award-the-nba-gives-you-whether-it-s-on-the-court-or-off-the/) [Tristan Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristan-thompson/) > [I look to a time when brotherhood needs no publicity; to a time when a brotherhood award would be as ridiculous as an award…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-mich/i-look-to-a-time-when-brotherhood-needs-no-publicity-to-a-time-when-a/) [Daniel D. Mich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-mich/) > [I am not after any award. Love and affection of the audience is the biggest award for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukesh-tiwari/i-am-not-after-any-award-love-and-affection-of-the-audience-is-the/) [Mukesh Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukesh-tiwari/) > [I don't like the energy at award shows. It's rehearsed and everybody is just focused on themselves and nobody wants to genuinely applaud for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaani-kapoor/i-don-t-like-the-energy-at-award-shows-it-s-rehearsed-and-everybody/) [Vaani Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaani-kapoor/) > [You don't want to make awards the reason you're doing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nolte/you-don-t-want-to-make-awards-the-reason-you-re-doing-things/) [Nick Nolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nolte/) > [Winning or not winning an award doesn't affect me. I just like to do my work in the best possible manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kk/winning-or-not-winning-an-award-doesn-t-affect-me-i-just-like-to-do/) [KK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kk/) > [I don't feel I have to acknowledge how I'm doing by an award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/i-don-t-feel-i-have-to-acknowledge-how-i-m-doing-by-an-award/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [I never thought I would get a National Award. For me, it was huge, and I got complacent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/i-never-thought-i-would-get-a-national-award-for-me-it-was-huge-and-i/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [You don't do a play to compete for an award. This was the argument I always had over the Oscars. 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