--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: English writing tends to fall into two…" description: "\"English writing tends to fall into two categories - the big, baggy epic novel or the fairly controlled, tidy novel. For a long time, I was a fan of the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/zadie-smith-584_advantage_english-writing-tends-to-fall-into-two-c_837899.png" --- # English writing tends to fall into two categories - the… ![“English writing tends to fall into two categories - the big, baggy epic novel or the fairly controlled, tidy novel. For a long time, I was a fan of the big, baggy novel, but there's definitely an advantage to having a little bit more control.” quote by Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/zadie-smith-584_advantage_english-writing-tends-to-fall-into-two-c_837899.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/zadie-smith-584_advantage_english-writing-tends-to-fall-into-two-c_837899.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/zadie-smith-584_advantage_english-writing-tends-to-fall-into-two-c_837899.png) > “English writing tends to fall into two categories - the big, baggy epic novel or the fairly controlled, tidy novel. For a long time, I was a fan of the big, baggy novel, but there's definitely an advantage to having a little bit more control.” [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing often falls into either sprawling epics or tightly controlled narratives, each with trade‑offs. **In simple terms:** Novels can be big or tidy. Key Takeaway Choose the style that serves your story. Themes writing structure creativity Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary reflective When to use this quote - novel planning - editing - genre selection Key Concepts literature narrative theory Questions to Reflect On - Do you prefer breadth or precision? - How does control affect authenticity? A Different Perspective Over‑controlling can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Baggy Epic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baggy-epic-617031/) [Baggy Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baggy-novel-617030/) [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Categories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/categories/) [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Controlled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controlled/) [English writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-writing/) [Epic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epic/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Fans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fans/) [Little bit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-bit/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Tidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tidy/) [Tidy Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tidy-novel-617029/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Tends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-tends-544390/) ## Related quotes > [As you get drawn more and more into other activities, like political activities, very demanding, you have to find different rhythms of writing; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/as-you-get-drawn-more-and-more-into-other-activities-like-political/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [Generally, I think most of my writing tends to have some kind of magical element to it. 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