--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every time that I write a novel I am…" description: "\"Every time that I write a novel I am convinced for at least two years that it is the last one, because a novel is like a child. It takes two years afte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/umberto-eco-313_birth_every-time-that-i-write-a-novel-i-am-con_1413532.jpg" --- # Every time that I write a novel I am convinced for at… ![“Every time that I write a novel I am convinced for at least two years that it is the last one, because a novel is like a child. It takes two years after its birth. You have to take care of it. It starts walking, and then speaking.” quote by Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/umberto-eco-313_birth_every-time-that-i-write-a-novel-i-am-con_1413532.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/umberto-eco-313_birth_every-time-that-i-write-a-novel-i-am-con_1413532.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/umberto-eco-313_birth_every-time-that-i-write-a-novel-i-am-con_1413532.jpg) > “Every time that I write a novel I am convinced for at least two years that it is the last one, because a novel is like a child. It takes two years after its birth. You have to take care of it. It starts walking, and then speaking.” [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing a novel is a long, nurturing process, taking years to develop and mature like a child. **In simple terms:** Novel writing is a long, caring journey. Key Takeaway Treat your manuscript with patience and care. Themes creativity patience growth Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - draft revisions - publishing cycles - long‑term projects Key Concepts literary creation authorial responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What stages of your work feel most like caring for a child? - How do you balance nurturing with critical editing? A Different Perspective The analogy may oversimplify the collaborative nature of publishing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [... a novel survives because of its basic truthfulness, its having within it something general and universal, and a quality of imaginative perception which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/a-novel-survives-because-of-its-basic-truthfulness-its-having-within/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [I'm a big Philip Roth fan. 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