A Novel Approach (To Me)

I found this great cartoon on the web. Sound familiar?

(PS: Thanks to the artist who created it. I couldn’t find the name to give proper credit or ask permission to use it)

I feel more and more like I’m in a relationship with my novel lately…and that my novel is a cranky, jealous spouse. It would be easy to lose focus and stop writing it. Most people do.  They start, and when it gets hard they walk away.

My conversations with my novel go something like this:

“You aren’t spending enough time with me lately,” says my novel.

“But we’re together almost every day? I don’t understand what you mean?” I say. I look at the floor sheepishly.

“But you aren’t spending enough QUALITY time with me?” my novel whines. “You come home, you’re tired, you hardly spend more than an hour with me? Where’s the romance in that?”

“That’s not fair. I work long hours, I’m busy, I need to spend time with my kids too you know.”

“You seem to be able to make time for the short stories. Yes, you’ve had plenty of time for them lately,” my novel says.

Ouch. That one stings. “Don’t be jealous.  They’re just friends.  You’re the one I love,” I say

“You don’t act like it,” my novel says.

Hmmm…fair point. It’s time to push through the distractions and get this project done.  I’ve been writing it part-time for just under a year.  Sure, the “fun” of writing it has worn off and it’s become work.  But it’s good, hard, rewarding work and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Here are a few tips from Mr. Orwell that I found on the web.  Enjoy!

One of my favorite web finds recently is Sarah Selecky’s website.  Canadian’s who follow the Giller Prize will already know that her collection of short stories “This Cake is for The Party” was shortlisted in 2011.  I read the collection and loved it.

What I didn’t realize is that Sarah, like many other authors, is also a teacher.  Her courses are specific to the short story format, if that is what interests you.  They are reasonably priced vs. others that I’ve seen offered.  Some are in class courses, but she does offer some of them by correspondence. She also provides great free content on her website.  Sign up for her newsletter and you’ll receive an e-book called the Ten Biggest Mistakes Short Story Writers Make.  She should know what makes a story work.  She’s been a juror for the Journey Prize and for the Toronto Star Short Fiction contest.  She’s read thousands of short stories and knows what makes one stand out from the rest. You’ll also get advance notification of upcoming courses via her newsletter.  Her courses are small and often sell out, so this is an advantage.

I love her philosophy…write what you want to read.  Who can argue with that?

WRITING FICTION by Janet Burroway

The 8th edition of this book by Janet Burroway is a handbook that should be on every aspiring writer’s shelf.  It’s often used in creative writing courses and takes you from intial thought to the final draft.  It’s an easy to follow guide to writing fiction.  One caution: it’s a university text so, although it’s very easy to use and follow, it’s expensive to purchase.  It’s well worth every penny spent on it.

WRITING IN GENERAL AND THE SHORT STORY IN PARTICULAR by Rust Hills

This is a practical guide to writing short stories that explains all the essential techniques of fiction.  It is understandable and useful to both the aspiring and the seasoned writer alike.  Rust Hills packs a lot of great information in a very small book.

READING LIKE A WRITER by Francine Prose

Understanding the tricks of the masters can help you understand how their work has endured. This book inspires you to pay attention to words–the raw material out of which all literature is crafted.  There is a philosophy in the writing world that every great writer is first a great reader. This book teaches you how to slow down and read like a writer.

THE FIRST FIVE PAGES by Noah Lukeman

The difference with this book is that it isn’t written by a writer, teacher or academic.  It’s written by a very successful Literary Agent who shares his advice on how to stay out of the rejection pile. He argues that your first five pages determine whether the Agent asks to read more, or rejects it outright. There is no attempt in this book to try to teach you how to write. Instead, he teaches you how to identify BAD writing and eliminate it from your manuscript.  His advice is centred on common mistakes that, if you address them, can remove excuses for Agents and Editors to send your manuscript back to you in its SASE.

ON WRITING by Stephen King

This book is not really about the mechanics of how to write or how to stay out of the rejection pile once you’ve completed your novel. It’s a memoir from arguably one of the most successful writers today–and it’s a tough-love lesson for aspiring novelists.  He talks about the writing life and about the craft.  He uses real examples to illustrate his thoughts on style, plot and character. He leaves you with some very distinct lessons on what it means to be a writer. It’s a terrific book and a necessary read for aspiring authors.

Here’s another fun thing I found on the web. Who can argue with Elmore?  I love #10.  Enjoy!