“Style and structure are the essence of a book; great ideas are hogwash.” – Vladimir Nabokov
It’s a bold statement. A little cruel, even—especially if you’re someone who believes they have a great idea for a novel.
But Nabokov wasn’t dismissing the value of imagination. He was reminding us of something essential: your idea is not a book.
An idea is a seed. A moment of clarity. Maybe even brilliance. But without structure, without style, it’s nothing more than potential. Unshaped. Unshared.
Every writer has had ideas they thought were amazing, but have you tried putting them on the page? Not just what happens—but how you tell what happens. The rhythm of your prose. The shape of your scenes. The way you unfold character, build tension, weave a world.
That’s the real work.
That’s where an idea becomes a story.
Ideas are common. Execution is rare. Even a “bad” idea, like combining Pokemon with a Roman Legion, can make for an entertaining and well regarded story.
And style—your voice, your lens on the world—is what makes a familiar idea feel fresh. Structure—how you deliver the experience—is what makes readers stay up late turning pages.
So yes, start with a great idea if you have one.
But make it sing. Make it work.
That’s writing.