--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To write a novel, you begin with what you…" description: "\"“To write a novel, you begin with what you can see and then you add what came before and what came after.”\" — Thomas Harris" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/thomas-harris-1874_begin_to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you_133642.png" --- # To write a novel, you begin with what you can see and then… ![“To write a novel, you begin with what you can see and then you add what came before and what came after.” quote by Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/thomas-harris-1874_begin_to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you_133642.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/thomas-harris-1874_begin_to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you_133642.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/thomas-harris-1874_begin_to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you_133642.png) > ““To write a novel, you begin with what you can see and then you add what came before and what came after.”” [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Novel writing starts with observable details, then expands with past and future context to build narrative depth. **In simple terms:** Begin with what you see, then add before and after. Key Takeaway Structure stories with clear timeline. Themes writing structure creativity Mood inspirational practical Type advice instructional When to use this quote - authoring - teaching - workshops - publishing Key Concepts narrative development storytelling literature Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance planning and discovery? - What details anchor your story? A Different Perspective Over‑planning can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“To write a novel, you begin with what you can see and then you add what came before and what came after. ...You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you-can-see-and-then-you-add-2/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [You don't want to be ungenerous toward people who give you prizes, but it is never the social or political message that interests me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-don-t-want-to-be-ungenerous-toward-people-who-give-you-prizes-but/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I don't assume, because I can write screenplays, that I know how to write a novel. It's a very different world. There's a craft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-rosenberg/i-don-t-assume-because-i-can-write-screenplays-that-i-know-how-to/) [Melissa Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-rosenberg/) > [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/) > [We read five words on the first page of a really good novel and we begin to forget that we are reading printed words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-read-five-words-on-the-first-page-of-a-really-good-novel-and-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The DNA of the novel - which, if I begin to write nonfiction, I will write about this - is that: the title of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-zuravleff/the-dna-of-the-novel-which-if-i-begin-to-write-nonfiction-i-will/) [Mary Kay Zuravleff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-zuravleff/) > [With any novel that you begin, you can't foresee how difficult or easy it's going to be, and you can't really prepare yourself. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/with-any-novel-that-you-begin-you-can-t-foresee-how-difficult-or-easy/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [There is no other way of writing a novel than to begin at the beginning at to continue to the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-forester/there-is-no-other-way-of-writing-a-novel-than-to-begin-at-the/) [C. S. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-forester/) > [If only a group of people were more important to me than the idea of a Novel, I might begin a novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/if-only-a-group-of-people-were-more-important-to-me-than-the-idea-of/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“When does a novel begin? The question is almost as difficult to answer as the question, when does the human embryo become a person? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/when-does-a-novel-begin-the-question-is-almost-as-difficult-to-answer/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [When people write a novel, they want to have that reach and that impact. To get it with a first novel, you can either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-people-write-a-novel-they-want-to-have-that-reach-and-that/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [When I need to take a side, I write a newspaper article and I tell my government, "You should not do that, you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/when-i-need-to-take-a-side-i-write-a-newspaper-article-and-i-tell-my/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [I've heard Stephen King say that when you write a novel you end up revealing everything about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/i-ve-heard-stephen-king-say-that-when-you-write-a-novel-you-end-up/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [I'm pretty hardcore. I stick exactly to what I'm doing. So I write a novel in one period, and then I'll write stories in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-c-boyle/i-m-pretty-hardcore-i-stick-exactly-to-what-i-m-doing-so-i-write-a/) [T.C. Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-c-boyle/) > [If you get trapped in your head and out of your body during the writing process, it's very easy to make wrong turns. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soman-chainani/if-you-get-trapped-in-your-head-and-out-of-your-body-during-the/) [Soman Chainani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soman-chainani/) ## More by Thomas Harris > [“Don't think you can persuade me with appeals to my intellectual vanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/don-t-think-you-can-persuade-me-with-appeals-to-my-intellectual-vanity/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [“He liked the Leedses. He was sorry that he had been to the morgue. He thought the madman who visited them might have liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/he-liked-the-leedses-he-was-sorry-that-he-had-been-to-the-morgue-he/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [On a related subject, Signore Pazzi, I must confess to you: I'm giving serious thought to eating your wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/on-a-related-subject-signore-pazzi-i-must-confess-to-you-i-m-giving/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [ “\[T\]here is no consensus in the psychiatric community that Dr. Lecter should be termed a man. He has long been regarded by his professional… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/t-here-is-no-consensus-in-the-psychiatric-community-that-dr-lecter/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [“And then, the last words Raspail ever said: 'I wonder why my parents didn't kill me before I was old enough to fool them.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/and-then-the-last-words-raspail-ever-said-i-wonder-why-my-parents/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [One can only see what one observes, and one observes only things which are already in the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/one-can-only-see-what-one-observes-and-one-observes-only-things-which/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [“She found Starling in the warm laundry room, dozing against the slow rump-rump of a washing machine in the smell of bleach and soap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/she-found-starling-in-the-warm-laundry-room-dozing-against-the-slow/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [He moves smoothly and slowly, carrying his concentration like a brimming cup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/he-moves-smoothly-and-slowly-carrying-his-concentration-like-a/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [God's creatures who cried themselves to sleep stirred to cry again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/god-s-creatures-who-cried-themselves-to-sleep-stirred-to-cry-again/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [“The emperor counsels simplicity. First principles. Of each particular thing, ask: What is it in itself, in its own constitution? What is its causal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/the-emperor-counsels-simplicity-first-principles-of-each-particular/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [What do you look at while you’re making up your mind? Ours is not a reflective culture, we do no raise our eyes up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/what-do-you-look-at-while-you-re-making-up-your-mind-ours-is-not-a/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [“I have no plans to call on you, Clarice, the world being more interesting with you in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/i-have-no-plans-to-call-on-you-clarice-the-world-being-more/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [“Every person is worth your time, Hannibal. If at first appearance a person seems dull, then look harder, look into him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/every-person-is-worth-your-time-hannibal-if-at-first-appearance-a/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [What he has in addition is pure empathy and projection,” Dr. Bloom said. “He can assume your point of view, or mine – and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/what-he-has-in-addition-is-pure-empathy-and-projection-dr-bloom-said/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [I would not have had that happen to you. Discourtesy is unspeakably ugly to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/i-would-not-have-had-that-happen-to-you-discourtesy-is-unspeakably/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) [Explore all 197 Thomas Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) ## More Begin quotes > [If you wanted to put the world to rights, who should you begin with: yourself or others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-you-wanted-to-put-the-world-to-rights-who-should-you-begin-with/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“Let the motherfucking games begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-mchugh/let-the-motherfucking-games-begin/) [Gail McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-mchugh/) > [“Begin as you mean to go on, and go on as you began, and let the Lord be all in all to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/begin-as-you-mean-to-go-on-and-go-on-as-you-began-and-let-the-lord-be/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [The world will only begin to have faith in you when you do too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/the-world-will-only-begin-to-have-faith-in-you-when-you-do-too/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [The idea with a collection is sort of to begin with a kind of bang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/the-idea-with-a-collection-is-sort-of-to-begin-with-a-kind-of-bang/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [“Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you high. People who are gentle, humble and able always have a great ending no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/humble-yourself-before-the-lord-and-he-will-lift-you-high-people-who/) [israelmore ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Just begin and the mind grows heated; continue, and the task will be completed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/just-begin-and-the-mind-grows-heated-continue-and-the-task-will-be/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Quitters don’t gain what they have started working on; waiters don’t start what they could have gained. What is common there is failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/quitters-don-t-gain-what-they-have-started-working-on-waiters-don-t/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-akin/i-don-t-know-the-future-i-didn-t-come-here-to-tell-you-how-this-is/) [Todd Akin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-akin/) > [The public should begin to understand that there's nothing that comes out of this campaign, or this Obama White House, that they can believe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/the-public-should-begin-to-understand-that-there-s-nothing-that-comes/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [“A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/a-mother-is-always-the-beginning-she-is-how-things-begin/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [I look forward to the day that a lot of the folks that you all talk about and cover on this network will begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-look-forward-to-the-day-that-a-lot-of-the-folks-that-you-all-talk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“...I'd be interested in any tips you have for somebody starting out.” “Uh-huh,” I said, looking out the window. I decided, as we drove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/i-d-be-interested-in-any-tips-you-have-for-somebody-starting-out-uh/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [I'm Irish and always will be, but America has taught me so much. Maybe it's here in the U.S. that we find a healing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fionnula-flanagan/i-m-irish-and-always-will-be-but-america-has-taught-me-so-much-maybe/) [Fionnula Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fionnula-flanagan/) > [Begin where you are. Read every word, every phrase, every paragraph of the mind, as it operates through thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/begin-where-you-are-read-every-word-every-phrase-every-paragraph-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) Browse all 1,199 Begin quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To write a novel, you begin with what you can see and then you add what came before and what came after.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Harris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you-can-see-and-then-you-add/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Begin" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you-can-see-and-then-you-add/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/thomas-harris-1874_begin_to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you_133642.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/thomas-harris-1874_begin_to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you_133642.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/thomas-harris-1874_begin_to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you_133642.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To write a novel, you begin with what you can see and then you add what came before and what came after.” — Thomas Harris", "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": "Thomas Harris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To write a novel, you begin...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you-can-see-and-then-you-add/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/to-write-a-novel-you-begin-with-what-you-can-see-and-then-you-add/#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 } } ] } ```