Herman Melville’s name comes up a lot when people debate who the greatest American writer was. He wrote novels, shorter fiction, and poetry, but Melville is best known for his epic novel, Moby Dick. Many commentators consider it one of the greatest novels of all time. So when Melville offers advice on what to write your book about, it’s a good idea to listen.

“To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.”

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