How writing a novel is like, well, a novel . . .

I came across this great quote by John Dufresne in the January issue of Writer's Digest

Now it dawns on you that writing a novel is itself very much a plot. Novels are about characters who want something. And you want something, too - to understand the lives of your own characters, which means resolving the trouble in your protagonist's life, which means completing the novel - and you want it intensely. If you don't finish, your life will be significantly diminished. And so you pursue your goal and battle every obstacle . . .You sit day after day. You struggle and at last you finish your novel. Plot's resolved.

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