--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A novel is something that stands at the…" description: "\"“A novel is something that stands at the end of a lengthy process called writing. It is not a preexisting Platonic form embedded within the writer... I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/victoria-nelson-85095_books_a-novel-is-something-that-stands-at-the_1234037.jpg" --- # A novel is something that stands at the end of a lengthy… ![“A novel is something that stands at the end of a lengthy process called writing. It is not a preexisting Platonic form embedded within the writer... I do not have a Boston marathon inside me waiting to get out. The marathon is a peak experience I am rightly entitled to only as the culmination of…” quote by Victoria Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/victoria-nelson-85095_books_a-novel-is-something-that-stands-at-the_1234037.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/victoria-nelson-85095_books_a-novel-is-something-that-stands-at-the_1234037.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/victoria-nelson-85095_books_a-novel-is-something-that-stands-at-the_1234037.jpg) > ““A novel is something that stands at the end of a lengthy process called writing. It is not a preexisting Platonic form embedded within the writer... I do not have a Boston marathon inside me waiting to get out. The marathon is a peak experience I am rightly entitled to only as the culmination of years of regular training and love of running.”” Victoria Nelson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A novel emerges from sustained effort, not a pre‑existing ideal. **In simple terms:** Writing is a marathon, not a sprint. Key Takeaway Commit to long‑term practice. Themes writing discipline craft Mood thoughtful encouraging Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - novelists - students - aspiring writers - editors - teachers Key Concepts creative process skill development Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure progress in long projects? - What rituals sustain your writing habit? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Boston marathon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boston-marathon/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I'm always nice when I do drugs. 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Two days after the Boston marathon bombings, there was a drone… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/us-government-policies-are-continuing-to-do-exactly-the-same-thing/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This wasn’t just an attack against the Boston Marathon... It was an attack against the American public and our democratic use of the streets.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amby-burfoot/this-wasn-t-just-an-attack-against-the-boston-marathon-it-was-an/) [Amby Burfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amby-burfoot/) > [Watching the spontaneous acts of kindness, compassion, and generosity, courage, and bravery in the aftermath of the Boston marathon bombings was so deeply moving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/watching-the-spontaneous-acts-of-kindness-compassion-and-generosity/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [For three years, I lived in a miniscule apartment on Beacon Street, less than a mile from the Boston Marathon explosions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/for-three-years-i-lived-in-a-miniscule-apartment-on-beacon-street/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [There was no way to lock down, or tighten up, or Fail-Safe into Security Theater a race that covers 26.2 miles, a race that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-pierce/there-was-no-way-to-lock-down-or-tighten-up-or-fail-safe-into/) [Charlie Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-pierce/) > [Those 2 Terrorist who bomb the Boston Marathon, kill innocent people, damage ordinary people like me and you, just because of there hate for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/those-2-terrorist-who-bomb-the-boston-marathon-kill-innocent-people/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“I'm the only person I know who has slept through a fire drill. Apparently, I pulled the alarm. Yeah, I sleepwalk. Sometimes I sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-m-the-only-person-i-know-who-has-slept-through-a-fire-drill/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [There is a unique energy surrounding the Boston Marathon that you can't help but feel. It includes every runner and every person along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-hastings/there-is-a-unique-energy-surrounding-the-boston-marathon-that-you-can/) Amy Hastings > [Until we fully understand what turned two brothers who allegedly perpetrated the Boston Marathon bombings into murderers, it is hard to make any policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/until-we-fully-understand-what-turned-two-brothers-who-allegedly/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [We can never completely prevent another tragedy like the Boston Marathon attacks from happening. But every American should ask themselves if their community is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/we-can-never-completely-prevent-another-tragedy-like-the-boston/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) ## More by Victoria Nelson > [“As a rule, young children don't complain of wanting to fingerpaint but finding themselves mysteriously unable to do so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-nelson/as-a-rule-young-children-don-t-complain-of-wanting-to-fingerpaint-but/) Victoria Nelson > [“Many people find it difficult to head straight for their fun; something in them refuses to play. The barrier is not lack of willpower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-nelson/many-people-find-it-difficult-to-head-straight-for-their-fun/) Victoria Nelson Explore all 3 Victoria Nelson quotes ## 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 > [“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. 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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 > [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": "“A novel is something that stands at the end of a lengthy process called writing. It is not a preexisting Platonic form embedded within the writer... I do not have a Boston marathon inside me waiting to get out. 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