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How Novelists Work
Following the success of How Poets Work comes this guide for would-be and published novelists. Ten contributors share their experiences of how to write a novel, where to begin, how to develop plot, character, structure, imagery, and - importantly - where to end.
Literary novels, thrillers, cowboy stories, post-modem confections are all discussed, together with the difficulties of getting - and staying - published. The relationship between writer and publisher looms almost as large as that between writer and reader.
In addition to advice and tips these often humorous essays also point to the diverse and idiosyncratic world of the novelist, who may write only in hotels, only in a particular room at home, only in longhand, only on a computer, only with a carefully devised plan, only with a character and no idea for a plot.
Literary novels, thrillers, cowboy stories, post-modem confections are all discussed, together with the difficulties of getting - and staying - published. The relationship between writer and publisher looms almost as large as that between writer and reader.
In addition to advice and tips these often humorous essays also point to the diverse and idiosyncratic world of the novelist, who may write only in hotels, only in a particular room at home, only in longhand, only on a computer, only with a carefully devised plan, only with a character and no idea for a plot.
180 pages, Paperback
Published June 16, 2000
9 people want to read
About the author
Maura Dooley
23 books8 followersMaura Dooley was born in Truro, grew up in Bristol.
Educated at the University of York, she gained a postgraduate certificate of Education at Bristol. She is Lecturer in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
She edited Making for Planet Alice: New Women Poets (1997) and The Honey Gatherers: A Book of Love Poems (2002) for Bloodaxe, and How Novelists Work (2000) for Seren. Life Under Water (Bloodaxe Books, 2008) is her first new collection since Sound Barrier: Poems 1982-2002 (Bloodaxe Books, 2002), which drew on collections including Explaining Magnetism (1991) and Kissing a Bone (1996), both Poetry Book Society Recommendations. Kissing a Bone was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize and Life Under Water was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize 2008.
She was a Centre Director at the Arvon Foundation and founded and directed the Literature programme at the South Bank Centre. She works in film and theatre and has recently helped develop educational films for Jim Henson Productions. Her work in the theatre includes running workshops for Performing Arts Labs, devising new plays for young people. In 2001 she was a judge for the T. S. Eliot Prize, the National Poetry Competition and the London Arts' New London Writers Awards. She has also chaired the Poetry Book Society.
Educated at the University of York, she gained a postgraduate certificate of Education at Bristol. She is Lecturer in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
She edited Making for Planet Alice: New Women Poets (1997) and The Honey Gatherers: A Book of Love Poems (2002) for Bloodaxe, and How Novelists Work (2000) for Seren. Life Under Water (Bloodaxe Books, 2008) is her first new collection since Sound Barrier: Poems 1982-2002 (Bloodaxe Books, 2002), which drew on collections including Explaining Magnetism (1991) and Kissing a Bone (1996), both Poetry Book Society Recommendations. Kissing a Bone was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize and Life Under Water was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize 2008.
She was a Centre Director at the Arvon Foundation and founded and directed the Literature programme at the South Bank Centre. She works in film and theatre and has recently helped develop educational films for Jim Henson Productions. Her work in the theatre includes running workshops for Performing Arts Labs, devising new plays for young people. In 2001 she was a judge for the T. S. Eliot Prize, the National Poetry Competition and the London Arts' New London Writers Awards. She has also chaired the Poetry Book Society.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 8, 2024
This is a short book with short essay by novelists on how they tackle novels. I didn't find anything essential in here but most of the chapters were interesting. Also a bit sickening if you have a full-time job, particularly the novelist who finds he writes best in expensive hotels all around the world!
Displaying 1 of 1 review