Who said “When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A…”?

Verified

Ernest Hemingway. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceDeath in the Afternoon (1932)

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“When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.”
— Ernest Hemingway
VerifiedDeath in the Afternoon (1932) · evidenceFiction

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Death in the Afternoon (1932).

APA

Hemingway, E. (n.d.). When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17904-when-writing-a-novel-a-writer-should-create/

MLA

Hemingway, Ernest. “When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17904-when-writing-a-novel-a-writer-should-create/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Hemingway, Ernest. “When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17904-when-writing-a-novel-a-writer-should-create/.

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Verified"Bishop Blougram’s Apology", line 395; cited by Graham Greene as the epigraph he would choose for his novels. · evidenceDetails & citeFiction

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