Josh
asked
Paul Tremblay:
Hello, Mr. Tremblay. I just finished A House Full of Ghosts and was completely floored. It is my favorite book I've read in the last 3 or 4 years. I can't wait to delve into more of your work. I was wondering what kind of writing process you go through when writing a novel and if it varies compared to your short fiction?
Paul Tremblay
Hi, Josh,
Thank you very much for the read and the kind note.
To state the obvious, novels and short stories, in their construction, are quite different. With short stories I generally take a few notes, character sketches, and then make it up from there. A short will take 2-4 weeks for a completed draft, sometimes more. With more than half of my novels I spend time outlining or writing a 10-15 page plot summary along with all sorts of notes and random thoughts on characters, before sitting down to write the first page. But every novel/story is different and I try to find what method I think feels right for the story. I didn't write a summary for A Head Full of Ghosts (I kept a little notebook; otherwise, I just dove in) but I did for The Little Sleep and Disappearance at Devil's Rock.
Thank you very much for the read and the kind note.
To state the obvious, novels and short stories, in their construction, are quite different. With short stories I generally take a few notes, character sketches, and then make it up from there. A short will take 2-4 weeks for a completed draft, sometimes more. With more than half of my novels I spend time outlining or writing a 10-15 page plot summary along with all sorts of notes and random thoughts on characters, before sitting down to write the first page. But every novel/story is different and I try to find what method I think feels right for the story. I didn't write a summary for A Head Full of Ghosts (I kept a little notebook; otherwise, I just dove in) but I did for The Little Sleep and Disappearance at Devil's Rock.
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I am currently in school for creative writing, hoping eventually to go into the publishing/editing field and of course get some writing published of my own. Did you take any english/literature/creative writing courses in college, aside from the normal required general education courses? I am just curious since you have your masters in mathematics.
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Paul Tremblay:
Hi Paul! Thank you for being one of my favorite writers. I am an aspiring writer. I have a few short stories and a few rejection letters under my belt. Recently, I’ve been finding it difficult to stay interested in my story for more than a day or two and I find myself abandoning too many projects. How do you maintain your own interest in your story long enough to finish something, and also, do you outline? Thanks!
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