Working on My Novel

by Cory Arcangel

What does it feel like to try and create something new? How is it possible to find a space for the demands of writing a novel in a world of instant communication?

Working on My Novel is about the act of creation and the gap between the different ways we express ourselves today. Exploring the extremes of making art, from satisfaction and even euphoria to those days or nights when nothing will come, it's the story of what it means to be a creative person, and why we keep on trying.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Writing, Technology

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[MJ Nicholls]

#amwriting

#worthlessdrivel

#eatingnachoswhilewritingworthlessdrivel

#writerofworthlessdriveldealwithit

#omgcharacterstakingover

#eatingnachoswhilecharacterstakingoverthisworthlessdrivel

#listeningtotaylorswiftwhilefinishingmyyanovel

#yeahiwriteworthlessdrivelwhilelisteningtotaylorswiftdealwithit

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book of tweets from people who have included the phrase “working on my novel” in their tweet interspersed with sketches of kettles. I’m not joking - this actually got published by Penguin of all companies!

The tweets “reveal” that people prefer to tell you that they’re writing their novels rather than actually writing them (shock!). They also inform you of the TV shows/movies they’re watching, the foods/drinks they’re consuming, the other activities they’re doing instead of writing, and a few say they’ve written a bunch of words today and that they’re happy. It’s that mundane. In fact, reading it makes you feel like you’re the butt of a joke. And why include bad sketches of kettles - to underline how “arty” this project is?

All I can say is that Cory Arcangel must be really well connected to get this rubbish into print by a major publisher. If you want to read this book for free, go on Twitter at any time, check out the hashtag #amwriting and have your fill of all the nonsense you can stand that self-absorbed dummies spout about their writing.

Cory Arcangel’s Working on My Novel is a novelty publication with nothing to offer but it’s own vacuity.

[Jennie Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was interested to read this book for two reasons. Firstly because I really enjoy experimental and conceptual writing. Secondly, many of my friends are writers. Social media often greets me with a sea of updates about their progress, so the idea of tweets from people writing their novels really tickled me.

The tweets are sad, funny, full of hope, little hints of a bigger story. There are excuses about why someone isn't writing right now (of course none of them are actually writing a novel they are too busy tweeting!), tiny plot teasers, or secrets withheld so that nobody steals the idea and beats the budding author to a publishing deal.

There is a kind of cummulative optimism, with everyone believing they are creeping closer to their big break, combined with the melancholy of knowing that for most, or all of the tweeters, their dream of publication is never going to come true.

It's a really attractive little book and would make a lovely present for a writer.

[Nathan]

It's just a bit of fun. I won't bother leaving stars because in no way would it be fair to compare this to another book that is 2/3/4 stars.

It is what it is. Get over it.

[Will Drickey]

no other work of art has ever made me quite so disappointed in and contemptuous of so so many different people

[Plum Bum]

a niche cyber landscape from the year 2012

[Always Pink · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is probably a first: It's the first ever story in tweets. As such it may earn a place in literary history. In all other respects I'm afraid it may not. To sort a compilation of tweets by all sorts of authors (published and unpubished ones) in such a way that they connect and give some sense of development is not exactly writing... And a development from a solid writer's block to whole nights of enthousiast writing as it is given here, does not amount to a plot. - What this book does deliver though is a long list of twitter accounts of lesser known writers and aspiring novelists as a sort of attachement. Perhaps a good marketing tool for them. I probably sound like a spoil sport, so maybe I'm just too old for this kind of gimmick?

[Rendell · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a collection of tweets about people working on their journal. And some tea pot doodles. I am more amazed at how the author managed to pull a book deal with this. Kudos.

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is literally a book of tweets from people who are saying they're writing a novel?
And they're not even funny, interesting or clever tweets? A few were so cringey I got second hand embarrassment.

(I didn't buy this. I found it in the back of my wardrobe. I have no idea how I even have it??? There was a book depository bookmark that fell out of it, so they might have given me a free book with an order but... ? That doesn't sound like something they would do, right? I feel like it might have just been given out on the street or something and I was like "ooh, free book" lol

[Ahmad Moshrif · Rating 4 out of 5]

انتهيت من الكتاب تقريباً في عشرة دقائق، الفكرة والمفهوم خلفه عميق جداً رغم محتواه القصير ... فالكاتب يهدف من خلال هذا الكتاب استعراض تغريدات أشخاص يدّعون أنهم يعملون علي رواياتهم [(وهم من الواضح أنهم يغردون ولا يعملون على رواياتهم) في الزمن الذي يتطلب فيه انتاج عمل فني التركيز الكامل بعديداً عن صفحات التواصل الاجتماعي.

عمل بسيط ... لكنني وجدته لطيف جداً

[Chant · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Just working on my novel :)”

[Niamh Lusson · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars

[Jeremiah]

working on my novel

[Winona Pham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why?

[Gaystructive Criticism · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just WTF is this?

[Iulia · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Working on my novel tonight and wondering if I somehow missed the summer..?"
The Scriptwriter - 2:37 PM - 12 Jun 12

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's not a lot to say here that wasn't said better by the reviews that came out a few months ago. Working On My Novel is a book compiled from tweets that featured the words "working on my novel" that were compiled by a twitter account Corey Arcangel created to automatically gather and compile such tweets. The book itself is more of an art project than a book- it's largely negative space with one tweet per page and the occasional line drawing of a tea kettle (Arcangel's major artistic contribution). As a book, there's not a whole lot there, but as an art project it's provocative- like if you were to say, print out Wikipedia on paper. As you read through, you can't help but look for patterns, picture who the authors of the tweets are, or attempt to classify the individual tweeting authors- these tweets are from people who seem like they'll actually write a book, these people are just procrastinating, these people are very lonely, these people are probably 16 years old... In a way, it's an artifact of our current age: someday people might wonder what this early age of social media looked like, and in a very specific narrow window, "Matthew" tweeting "I should be studying for finals but instead I'm working on my novel. Because yolo" does sort of say it all, doesn't it?

[James Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characterizing yourself as a writer or artist, even when you are, is bad-bad - don't do it. No one is desirous of your novel, or chapbook, or painting show. If they are, they'll ask you about it. No need to broadcast. Once your novel is done, you're allowed to tell people you're a writer, but even then, you will not need to say it - just hand them your book. "Creative" isn't a better type of person to be, it just is. It's value-neutral. If you're not creative in the sense that you would be working on writing, or drawing, or designing puzzles even if you were lost on a desert island, then you're probably producing, and talking about producing, content for ulterior social motives that are not worth the charade. Do something you're good at and enjoy doing - people will appreciate you for it. No one needs your novel you're working on and being a "writer" is not a thing to be. Actually writing is not, in and of itself, a marketable identity, or an identity period, for you to use to garner acclaim, friends, or self-worth.

This book is hilarious, smart, deeply sad.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Working on my Novel is modern art in book form. It's only of those pieces of art that many readers are going to say that they could have done themselves. In this case, it's very true. The book is a collection of tweets that mention "working on my novel". Taken together, they seem to make a comment on the distractions of modern society, and people's need to be seen as they work (or more commonly don't work) on their personal projects. While that sort of exploration is perfectly legitimate, the book doesn't add anything to the tweets. Well, aside from rather nice pencil drawings of kettles. It's too superficial to be really enjoyable, though reading so much superficiality at once made me feel quite irritated with the tweeters, so the book managed to provoke an emotional response. Alas, at least the book design was quite nice.

[GONZA · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a collection of many different people's twitter, who in the last 2-3 years were writing a novel. Sometimes funny, but I would not spend the money to buy the book.

Questa é una raccolta di molti twitter di diverse persone, che negli ultimi 2/3 anni stavano scrivendo un romanzo. A tratti divertente, ma non spenderei i soldi per comprare il libro.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND PENGUIN BOOKS (UK) FOR THE PREVIEW!

[Gary Daly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can see why the book store sold this wrapped tight by plastic because If you flicked through a copy one would not spend either time or cash for this mosquito. Published by Penguin and they should be ashamed of themselves. Regardless of the critics (academics?) highlighting the terms 'artistic' and 'contemporary'', 'explosive', breaking creative boundaries, this simply means rushing to the toilet with a bout of diarrhoea by poison literature.

[Cathay Wong · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am just surprised it could actually get down as a book. to me it is more of an experimental project. again, this is quite the issue this book has been talking about, "what shoud a novel (book) be like?"

[Sarah Collie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in this book (try and find me, White Crayon) ! Such a cool concept, really shows how many different writers there are and how they represent themselves on social media :) just wish he would've typo-checked some of the tweets (aka mine) ;)

[Hrishi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another bookstore read(ie. Read it from the bookstore itself and put it back to the shelf, no need to buy it. It'll take around 10-15 minutes to complete the book ) . The book is a collection of tweets which contain the phrase "Working on my Novel".

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that you wonder why was it ever published. If he did it, so can I. But the idea and the fact that it was published, makes it a worthwhile read

[Vonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read. But, of course, that is all it is. Not really "genius"...

[Richard Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read, but a really good one, seeing how everyone crowd sourced a story...

[Simon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Complete and utter waste of time and money. Search Twitter for a few tweets including the words 'working on my novel', get some poor sketches of a kettle (why?). Put one per page so it looks like a thicker book than it is.

Sell it, and make money for minimal effort. Penguin should be ashamed to print this!