Carburetor or novel—both are a mess of small parts that need to be glued together like a poorly written footnote. If you put the wrong valve in, the engine sputters, if you misplace a character, the plot collapses. And the difference is, when a carburetor misfires you can fix it, but when a novel misfires you get a pile of dust and a critic’s sigh. The only thing that keeps a carburetor from exploding is a seasoned mechanic, not an author who thinks a plot twist is a splash of paint. The same with prose—if you don’t line every sentence up like a tight-tuned throttle, the whole thing will just grind to a halt. And let me be clear: there’s no room for “inspiring” fluff here. If you want a masterpiece, line it up properly, or don't bother at all.