"What's the challenge in writing a novel that few people will read? I'm more than happy writing what I do, and have no plans to change that"
About this Quote
The subtext is defensive and strategic. Sparks has spent decades as a shorthand for mass-market sentimentality, a label that can function like a sneer in certain circles. By framing “few people will read” as a perverse artistic obstacle, he calls out how elitism often disguises itself as taste. It’s also a neat piece of self-protection: if the gatekeepers won’t grant him cultural capital, he’ll declare he never wanted it. The line “more than happy” is doing a lot of work, insisting on contentment while acknowledging the pressure to evolve, darken, experiment, or “grow up” into literary fiction.
Context matters: in an era where authors are expected to build personal brands, chase awards, and perform seriousness online, Sparks plants a flag in the unglamorous virtue of knowing your lane. It’s not anti-art; it’s pro-audience. He’s arguing that being widely read isn’t a guilty pleasure but a legitimate achievement, and that changing for approval is the real creative compromise.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Sparks, Nicholas. (2026, February 16). What's the challenge in writing a novel that few people will read? I'm more than happy writing what I do, and have no plans to change that. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/whats-the-challenge-in-writing-a-novel-that-few-163148/
Chicago Style
Sparks, Nicholas. "What's the challenge in writing a novel that few people will read? I'm more than happy writing what I do, and have no plans to change that." FixQuotes. February 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/whats-the-challenge-in-writing-a-novel-that-few-163148/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"What's the challenge in writing a novel that few people will read? I'm more than happy writing what I do, and have no plans to change that." FixQuotes, 16 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/whats-the-challenge-in-writing-a-novel-that-few-163148/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

