--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The novel is never really in the first…" description: "\"The novel is never really in the first draft. The novel really happens in the revisions.\" — Tama Janowitz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/tama-janowitz-19512_books_the-novel-is-never-really-in-the-first-d_3125050.png" --- # The novel is never really in the first draft. The novel… ![“The novel is never really in the first draft. The novel really happens in the revisions.” quote by Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/tama-janowitz-19512_books_the-novel-is-never-really-in-the-first-d_3125050.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/tama-janowitz-19512_books_the-novel-is-never-really-in-the-first-d_3125050.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/tama-janowitz-19512_books_the-novel-is-never-really-in-the-first-d_3125050.png) > “The novel is never really in the first draft. The novel really happens in the revisions.” [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing is a process of refinement; the true craft emerges through revision. **In simple terms:** Writing improves through editing. Key Takeaway Revise relentlessly for depth. Themes writing revision creativity Mood thoughtful encouraging Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - novel drafting - academic papers - marketing copy - scriptwriting Key Concepts iterative process authorial voice Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance perfection and completion? - When is a draft ready to be revised? A Different Perspective Revisions can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Draft Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draft-novel-1418340/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Happens Revisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens-revisions-5503497/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novel Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-really-260202/) [Revision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revision/) [Revisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revisions-309901/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I love revisions...We can't go back and revise our lives, but being allowed to go back and revise what we have written comes closest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/i-love-revisions-we-can-t-go-back-and-revise-our-lives-but-being/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [I think one of the reasons I'm so thrilled with writing is because it is an act of reading for me at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/i-think-one-of-the-reasons-i-m-so-thrilled-with-writing-is-because-it/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [But Blake's voices returned to dictate revisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-hall/but-blake-s-voices-returned-to-dictate-revisions/) [Donald Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-hall/) > [“I am hard at work on the second draft ... Second draft is really a misnomer as there are a gazillion revisions, large and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/i-am-hard-at-work-on-the-second-draft-second-draft-is-really-a/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [I've learned to really love revision over the years and worked hard to build up my craft muscle to make my revisions less and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-bracken/i-ve-learned-to-really-love-revision-over-the-years-and-worked-hard/) [Alexandra Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-bracken/) > [There are days when the result is so bad that no fewer than five revisions are required. In contrast, when I'm greatly inspired, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/there-are-days-when-the-result-is-so-bad-that-no-fewer-than-five/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [I'm obsessive. That's the word for me. I obsess - perhaps to the point where it's moderately dysfunctional. I tend to put a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-m-obsessive-that-s-the-word-for-me-i-obsess-perhaps-to-the-point/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I came to a dead stop and began major revisions. Sometimes these entailed the shredding of all existing manuscript for a fresh start -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/i-came-to-a-dead-stop-and-began-major-revisions-sometimes-these/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [Most poets' revisions are disastrous. They buckle and dent what was originally forged at a red-hot heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-longley/most-poets-revisions-are-disastrous-they-buckle-and-dent-what-was/) [Michael Longley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-longley/) > [The writer’s life is a life of revisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/the-writer-s-life-is-a-life-of-revisions/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [“That’s the magic of revisions – every cut is necessary, and every cut hurts, but something new always grows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/that-s-the-magic-of-revisions-every-cut-is-necessary-and-every-cut/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [If you start to revise before you've reached the end, you're likely to begin dawdling with the revisions and putting off the difficult task…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/if-you-start-to-revise-before-you-ve-reached-the-end-you-re-likely-to/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Because your goal is a complete rough draft of a novel, and every rough draft, by being complete, is perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/because-your-goal-is-a-complete-rough-draft-of-a-novel-and-every/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [I wrote the first draft of my first novel at Michigan, and then I wrote the first draft of 'Salvage the Bones' at Stanford.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wrote-the-first-draft-of-my-first-novel-at-michigan-and-then-i/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“When my first draft of a novel is done, I put it away, warts and all, to mellow. Some period of time later—six months,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/when-my-first-draft-of-a-novel-is-done-i-put-it-away-warts-and-all-to/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More by Tama Janowitz > [Why would I want to read something about somebody that's just a really nice, decent person who overcomes terrible trials? That's not how life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/why-would-i-want-to-read-something-about-somebody-that-s-just-a/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [“I don't like him...he makes me feel like he's going to throw me in a coffin and walk around on top of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-don-t-like-him-he-makes-me-feel-like-he-s-going-to-throw-me-in-a/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [The older a woman gets, the more invisible you become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/the-older-a-woman-gets-the-more-invisible-you-become/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [Brownstein's is a fresh and jaunty voice, with a jazz snap all his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/brownstein-s-is-a-fresh-and-jaunty-voice-with-a-jazz-snap-all-his-own/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I felt my whole life was a facsimile of a life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-felt-my-whole-life-was-a-facsimile-of-a-life/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I was like a social worker for lepers. My clients had a chunk of their body they wanted to give away; for a price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-was-like-a-social-worker-for-lepers-my-clients-had-a-chunk-of-their/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [If you want to write about a person who isn't nice, people say, "This is a bad book. It's about somebody I couldn't stand."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/if-you-want-to-write-about-a-person-who-isn-t-nice-people-say-this-is/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I think in a lot of ways, writing, when you're really in there, is like being an actress because you're in somebody else's head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-think-in-a-lot-of-ways-writing-when-you-re-really-in-there-is-like/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I think it's true about people now being closer to their parents, since the '60s, really. The parents are no longer from a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-think-it-s-true-about-people-now-being-closer-to-their-parents/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I'm writing what I want to write. But it's almost an act of rebellion on my part. Because as a person, I've always wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-m-writing-what-i-want-to-write-but-it-s-almost-an-act-of-rebellion/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [Long after the bomb falls and you and your good deeds are gone, cockroaches will still be here, prowling the streets like armored cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/long-after-the-bomb-falls-and-you-and-your-good-deeds-are-gone/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [“I had a hunger for things I knew realistically I didn't actually care for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-had-a-hunger-for-things-i-knew-realistically-i-didn-t-actually-care/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [Whether I'm critically well received, whether or not I sell books - of course it becomes progressively harder to get them published - nevertheless,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whether-or-not-i-sell-books-of/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [Most of my life is just spent lying in bed. I mean, it's enough pressure to write the words. Do I need to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/most-of-my-life-is-just-spent-lying-in-bed-i-mean-it-s-enough/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I think it's more difficult writing what it's like to be a child. You can pretend you know what it's like, but you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-think-it-s-more-difficult-writing-what-it-s-like-to-be-a-child-you/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) [Explore all 32 Tama Janowitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 novel is never really in the first draft. 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