Writing a Novel: Bring Your Ideas To Life The Faber Academy Way

by Richard Skinner

Writing A Novel is not a set of rules and regulations. It is an atlas, a guide to finding your own way over the treacherous passes of your first novel.

Pulling together his years of experience as a novelist and a teacher, Richard Skinner covers the basics of writing great fiction – narrators, characters, settings – with charm and rigour. But more than that, he argues that the journey towards a final manuscript is as important as the finished article itself.

His approach works: many of Richard's students have gone on to secure publishing deals and many more have left his courses with work to be proud of. With its balance of warmth and wisdom, Writing a Novel will give any aspiring writer the confidence to face the blank page – and to fill it.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Crafts, Reference

240 pages, Paperback

Published August 21, 2018

Reviews

[Janina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars. Great course work. Good structure of themes, a lot of literary and film mentions. Would recommend for beginners as a broad overview and foundation. Loved the parts about improvisation, commercial vs 'literary' fiction, fictional biography and memoir/autobiography. All together great, but could have been shortened sometimes. Personally, too much time spend on the 'examples' of explained concepts in the sections about the thriller se7en and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - I felt both like 'I got it! Moving on!' and 'spoilers! lol' while reading those. The last section with the blank pages for 'The Thirty Steps' felt unnecessary; as an amateur writer I would write in a seperate notebook and not in this random writing book so I have it all in one place and the sections with three lines each seemed too small for average writing, too.

[Rebecca Bowyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing a Novel is the distillation of nearly ten years of Richard Skinner’s experience of teaching the Faber Academy program of the same name. It answers questions from ‘Where will I get my ideas from?’ through to ‘Should I write in first or third point of view?’.

Drawing on advice given by every writer from Aristotle to Bob Dylan – plus all the novelists in between – Skinner provides a clear framework in which you can start to weave your words.

If haven’t actually started writing your first novel, this may not be the book for you.

Unless you’re the kind of person who wants to know everything possible about the mechanics of the novel before you begin. Planners. This book is definitely for writers who are planners.

If, like me, you’re a pantser (someone who starts writing a novel having no idea what will actually happen during the story and just muddles their way through) Writing a Novel may quite possibly cause you to hyperventilate, freeze and give up before you even start.

For fellow pantsers, I recommend you buy a copy after you’ve written your first 10,000 words or so and are crying underneath your desk because you’re just not sure whether you should be writing in first or third person; or because you’ve just read an article about omniscient narrators and can’t figure out whether your story beats are in the right act or something about pacing and conflicting antitagonistic whaaaaaaat?

This book will be a huge help for organic writers (I believe that’s the new fancy term for ‘pantsers’) at that point – both for getting you back on track and helping you procrastinate during your existential crisis over whether you should really be a writer or whether you should just stay in your day job that pays the bills (top tip: you should do both).

Read my full review and favourite quotes over at Seeing the Lighter Side.

[Kath · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't find this very helpful. I hoped that it would be very good as I had heard that it was the basis of the Faber Academy course. I found that rather than helping with process this book defines creative writing terms and explains them. While this is interesting, it does not help in actually writing a book. On the plus side I took a few interesting points from it and read it quickly. However, how you use the 'Thirty Steps' planner at the back of the book is anyone's guess. Personally I would recommend a different creative writing book that actually gets you writing with exercises to practice over a book like this. I would also add that this book shows its age, particularly with recommendations to print your work out over and over to edit. Think about the trees!

[Logan Noble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Skinner has done a rare thing: he’s written a book about writing that feels relevant and accessible. He finds advice from many different mediums, illustrating the creative challenges of the would-be novelist.

I would have liked to see a few more in text examples of the ideas laid out here. While I enjoyed the illustrations from films, I was hoping for a more literary focus.

[Steve Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

[Mark Lowes · Rating 5 out of 5]

As helpful as it is engaging.

Loved it. Richard gives interesting examples throughout, and attempts to cover most aspects of novel writing.

This will help tremendously.

[Mill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note to self: the chapter on foreshadowing, surprise, and suspense is particularly helpful.

[Rachel Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this author's practical and sensitive advice. A real potted guide to the process, and a really entertaining read.

[Martha Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invigorating and encouraging in equal measure! My copy is now battered with notes but I feel a lot better equipped going forwards.

[Kelvin Bras · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another one of those self help books that doesnt really offer anything in the ways of new insight. Nicely written though.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m more than equipped to paint the story within. Mr. Skinner does a great job connecting you with yourself so that you can pour that which is in you. The shackles continue to fall so now we write!

[L.C. Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book with structure, foundation and good ideas for someone who needs a good outline to start their novel/write.

[Reen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well articulated summary of the elements and process of composition together with how to best communicate the final draft to the reader.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly what I needed! This book gives excellent insight into the structural elements needed to make up a good, well-written story. It's a book I'm sure I'll return to again and again.

[Lucia Valachova · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is nice and informative but it could benefit from more interactive exercises

[Connor Hansford · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best one of these I've read!

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful little literary gem. Briefly touches on most of the areas you will need to consider while writing, such as viewpoints, plotting, characterization. Introduces examples from a range of genres and features thought provoking author quotes. A pleasant read for anyone interested in becoming a better writer. This is not 'Writing for Dummies' as it assumes some intellectual background on the part of the reader.

[Azrael_Vance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and in depth, providing advice that is generally applicable to all genres yet surprisingly useful and not at all vague at the same time.
He gave examples of real life works which really helped me to see some things that he was trying to illustrate.

[Amanda Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourite thing about his book is the quotes from other writers, which are insightful and inspiring. For better or for worse my review will compare this book to others!

For the absolute beginner I find this book a little heavy, technical and depressing. If you are just getting started, go for Monkeys With Typewriters by Scarlett Thomas. That'll make you feel you can do it and get you started,though chances are it'll be a while and a lot more advice and editing before you finally do! If you've past the beginning stage and are wondering how to get your first draft finished with confidence (or how to get your editing right), I'd go for the ever famous Story by Robert McGee and Roz Morris' easy-to-read and well written series for writers, Nail Your Novel. Of course they all will say some similar things but I found Skinner's book less accessible than the others I mentioned. That said, I've made a page of notes already from this book and I'm sure to make a second. There were observations made and advice given which even if encountered previously, had not sunk in before! I also advise the benefit of the e-edition if there is one! You'll want to highlight and share the brilliant quotes from other writers!

I appreciate that Skinner writes about story and novels as having intrinsic value and reminds us that money is nice but the commercial isn't everything. Jane Smiley's lengthy but delightful Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel does exactly that and more. It's a beautiful non-fiction narrative which will assure you that novels and novelists are of value to society, so don't ever think your writing is mere self-indulgence (as your relatives and friends may think disparagingly!)

In closing, Skinner writes, 'Writing is a discipline with no end in sight, and writers never really retire. We write books in order to make sense of our lives and to show the reader some aspect of their own lives that had hitherto remained undisclosed. Books are mirrors, whether we write them or read them ... Support your book when it is down, revel in its success when it is up, but remember: success and failure are both imposters. The work is all; it is we who walk away.'

[RGG de Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I am using it to feed my own writing, of course, like many other people who have read this book before me. I'll be keeping it in my library.

[Genro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on writing i read so far. Offers a new way to address fiction writing undertaking, intuitive and refreshing.

[Kalle Persson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is well written and I enjoyed reading it.

Richard Skinner provides you with a lot of tips that are good to keep in mind when writing. Some parts, mainly the one about plot vs story, I thought were slow and not as intriguing as the others.

My favourite bit was the afterword!