Comments on: How I write a novel (1) https://glendalarke.com/2006/06/how-i-write-novel-1/ Sat, 13 Mar 2021 10:37:44 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 By: Glenda Larke https://glendalarke.com/2006/06/how-i-write-novel-1/#comment-25063 Sat, 10 Jun 2006 06:40:00 +0000 #comment-25063 Bernita, I didn’t say: “we have more in common than I thought”, I said: “We are more common than I thought”. Which – come to think of it – is open to misunderstanding. Hmmm, let me reword that. “There are more disorganised writers around than I thought.” Lol!

]]> By: Bernita https://glendalarke.com/2006/06/how-i-write-novel-1/#comment-25062 Sat, 10 Jun 2006 05:00:00 +0000 #comment-25062 Besides…um… maturity, you mean, Glenda?
~cough, cough~

]]> By: Glenda Larke https://glendalarke.com/2006/06/how-i-write-novel-1/#comment-25061 Fri, 09 Jun 2006 18:19:00 +0000 #comment-25061 Yep – giving the imagination space to breathe – that’s it exactly.

]]> By: Anonymous https://glendalarke.com/2006/06/how-i-write-novel-1/#comment-25060 Fri, 09 Jun 2006 14:13:00 +0000 #comment-25060 Dunno about being unorganised. I think the imagination needs some place to breathe … if you structure the life out of something before it’s even been born the chances are it’ll be a fairly stultifying read!

I too know where I’m starting, know where I’m heading, and have a sense along the way of how to get there. But so much story and character is revealed in the writing …

I think there’s an enormous leap of faith that takes place when you start a novel. I think that’s one of the issues facing the over-planners: they are afraid of that leap, they are filled with doubts, so they procrastinate by inventing and planning and outlining and structuring — anything rather than closing their eyes and stepping off the cliff into the unknown story.

I have 2 analaogies. Writing a first draft for me is like attempting to find my way through a room crowded with obstacles while wearing a blindfold.

It’s also like standing on an enormous magic map. Every time I take a step a little of the upcoming route reveals itself to me … but I’ll never be able to reach my destination if I don’t keep on walking. It’s only by walking that the journey is revealed to me.

Thanks for sharing your methods with the rest of us — it’s soothing and reassuring!

]]> By: Glenda Larke https://glendalarke.com/2006/06/how-i-write-novel-1/#comment-25059 Fri, 09 Jun 2006 05:00:00 +0000 #comment-25059 Hi Andrew –
I’ll talk about that down the road a bit.

Bernita, you’re not another unorganised writer, are you? Maybe we are more common than I thought?

]]> By: Bernita https://glendalarke.com/2006/06/how-i-write-novel-1/#comment-25058 Thu, 08 Jun 2006 04:06:00 +0000 #comment-25058 Ah, you’ve described it exactly.

]]> By: Anonymous https://glendalarke.com/2006/06/how-i-write-novel-1/#comment-25057 Thu, 08 Jun 2006 02:49:00 +0000 #comment-25057 As always, a very interesting post!

I’d be interested in hearing about how you develop your character’s attitudes, dialogue, etc. How much do you draw on your experiences of people you know/have met in real life?

cheers,

Andrew

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