Novel Writing: A Writers' and Artists' Companion

by Romesh Gunesekera, A. L. Kennedy

Overview

Packed with tips from bestselling and prize-winning authors, Novel Writing: A Writers' and Artists' Companion will give you all the practical advice you need to write and publish your novel.

PART 1 provides an introduction to the forms and history of the novel and helps you plan and research your masterpiece, develop characters and compelling narratives and your own authorial voice.

PART 2 contains guest contributions from Philip Pullman, Louise Doughty, Glenn Patterson, Jeanette Winterson, Jonathan Franzen, Stevie Davies, Doris Lessing, Tash Aw, Elif Shafak, Anne Enright, Tim Pears, Anita Desai, Tim Lott, Amit Chaudhuri, Andrea Levy, Alan Hollinghurst, Bernardo Atxaga, Hanan Al-Shaykh, Michèle Roberts, Joan Brady, Lynn Freed, Evelyn Toynton as well as a number of the 2013 list of the Best of Young British Novelists including Kamila Shamsie, Tamima Anam, Naomi Alderman, Ned Beauman, Jenni Fagan and Joanna Kavenna.

PART 3 offers practical advice on collaborative writing, overcoming writer's block, editing and rewriting and finding an agent and a publisher for your work.

Written by two multi-award winning authors, this is a comprehensive manual for established and aspiring novelists alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781780938264
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	01/29/2015
Series:	Writers' and Artists' Companions
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	311 KB

About the Author

Romesh Gunesekera's first novel Reef was shortlisted for the 1994 Booker Prize. He is the author of six novels including The Sandglass, (winner of the inaugural BBC Asia Award) and Heaven's Edge, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

A L Kennedy is a prize winning novelist and author of short stories and non-fiction and Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Warwick, UK. Her novels include Everything You Need (1999), The Blue Book (2011) and Day (2007) which won the Costa and Saltire Book of the Year.
Romesh Gunesekera is the author of many acclaimed works of fiction including Reef, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, The Sandglass, winner of the inaugural BBC Asia Award, and The Match, the ground-breaking cricket novel. His debut collection of stories, Monk?sh Moon, was a New York Times Notable Book. His last book Noontide Toll captured a vital moment in post-war Sri Lanka. His fiction has been translated into over a dozen languages and he is the recipient of many awards including a Premio Mondello in Italy. He was born in Colombo and lives in London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

www.romeshgunesekera.com
A.L. Kennedy is a multiple prize-winning author. She has written 14 books, including novels, short story collections and non-fiction and her 2007 novel Day was named Costa Book of the Year at the Costa Book Awards. She is a regular writer for The Guardian and her columns on writing are collected in her most recent book On Writing (2013).

Table of Contents

Foreword by Ali Smith
Preface by Carole Angier and Sally Cline

Part 1: On novel writing

Reflections
What is a novel? A. L. Kennedy and Romesh Gunesekera
The novel – what I wish I'd known before
I started A. L. Kennedy
Creative worrying
Message from Delphi
A solitary vocation
The joy of not writing
Writing my first novel Romesh Gunesekera
Reading first
The advice
Starting to write
The plan
Autobiography
My lessons

Elements
Beginnings and preparation A. L. Kennedy
Who are you?
Who is your reader?
Environment
Health
Routine
It's different for girls
Character and plot
Deep idea
Support networks
Setting, place and atmosphere Romesh Gunesekera
Characters A. L. Kennedy
Moral and personal issues
The chicken and the egg
Generation of elements
Point of view and perspective Romesh Gunesekera
Voice, language and dialogue A. L. Kennedy
Voice
Language and dialogue
Endings Romesh Gunesekera
Life lessons A. L. Kennedy
Senses
Media
Within any given month
The poisoned chalice A. L. Kennedy
The public
Stalking
Interviews
Other exposure and activities
Other writers
Saying no A. L. Kennedy

Part 2: Tips and tales – guest contributions

Tips from Novelists
Hanan Al-Shaykh
Bernardo Atxaga
Tash Aw
Joan Brady
Amit Chaudhuri
Davies
Anita Desai
Louise Doughty
Anne Enright
Jonathan Franzen
Lynn Freed
Alan Hollinghurst
Doris Lessing
Andrea Levy
Tim Lott
Glenn Patterson
Tim Pears
Philip Pullman
Michèle Roberts
Elif Shafak
Evelyn Toynton
Jeanette Winterson

Granta's Best of Young British Novelists 2013
Naomi Alderman
Tahmima Anam
Ned Beauman
Jenni Fagan
Adam Foulds
Xiaolu Guo
Joanna Kavenna
Benjamin Markovits
Kamila Shamsie
Evie Wyld

Part 3: Write on

Distance by Romesh Gunesekera

Silence by Romesh Gunesekera

Early issues by Romesh Gunesekera
Planning
The 'W' decisions
Research 149
Tools
Routine, time and zone
Finding your voice

Writing tips by A. L. Kennedy
Starting
Keeping on
Reaching the end
Rewriting and editing

Nuts and bolts by A. L. Kennedy
Grammar
Punctuation
Tenses
Point of view (POV)
Layout

Writing with others by Romesh Gunesekera
Courses and workshops
Workshopping
Writing exercises
Collaboration
Mentors

An agent's view by Antony Harwood

A brave new world: Digital media by Romesh Gunesekera
An alphabetical list of questions for the digital age:
Chris Meade interviewed by Romesh Gunesekera

The seven ages of the novelist by Romesh Gunesekera
Resources by Romesh Gunesekera
Books
UK courses
US courses
On-line

Workshop exercises by Romesh Gunesekera
Procrastination

Travel toolkit by A. L. Kennedy
References
Basic kit

100 milestones of the modern novel

End piece by Romesh Gunesekera

Conclusion by A. L. Kennedy

Bibliography
Index