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Sunday 18 May 2014

No Quick Fix - The Inherent Complexity of a Novel

Recently I have noticed that there has been a tsunami of 'How to' writing guides published, and that these are selling extremely well. In fact it is probably more profitable, and perhaps easier, to write a book about writing a novel than it is to write a successful novel.

In fact that must be so - because so many people are turning to these books for help.
The titles are designed to make it sound easy:  Fix your Plot in Five Seconds Flat! Be a Billionaire Bestseller in 30 Days! Secrets of Fail-safe Story Structures!

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These books are designed to make it sound easy because that's what every novelist wants - an easy way to do this thing called writing a novel.
But the reality is that good novels are complex, intricate, difficult things, and just like life, a formula is not necessarily what creates a great novel, particularly for historical novelists who have to juggle the reality of real historical events alongside any story structure. It is a slightly more thorny task  to suddenly 'create' a worthy antagonist if the real history does not provide one. We cannot turn real characters into easily categorized roles in our novels, so have to work hard to fit our stories easily into conventional models, turning instead to internal motivations to create opposing forces.

It is not true, however, to say that good story structure has to be thrown out of the window, and that none of these books on writing have anything to offer. On the contrary, I'm a big fan of books on writing. But reading the book is often not the same as editing something with multiple timelines, events that must take place on certain days, or characters who are known to be a certain way because of genuine evidence. Such a journey is more like negotiating a maze of corridors with light somewhere at the end of the tunnel, but not necessarily where you thought the exit was.

I would argue that good novels are complex, that they weave a number of interlocking themes, ideas and plots. When working on a novel the urge to get it finished by an easy solution can be overwhelming, but rather than looking for a 'quick fix' it is often better to sit with the complexities, let them simmer and brew, making your novel that much richer and subtler in the process. Anyone will find it easy to apply story structure to a novel after it is finished - to point out the mid-point, the hook etc etc. But the simple structures may have been a lot less easy to spot whilst the novel was in progress, and too often in desperation to see our novels finished, we want to fix them too early, before they have had a chance to breathe.

In order to sell books, it is argued, we must be more productive, to build our readership more quickly. This can induce a panic (and a vague sense of being bullied) to produce more and more books, but does not necessarily mean that the books are better. A readership is not built on bad books. I would argue that like wine, a good novel needs to be matured. A book like Shantaram or The Far Pavilions both at nearly 1000 pages long, (yes, 1000 pages!) surely cannot be produced quickly. The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett, a historical novel about the time of the building of cathedrals in England, took about 10 years to write, but has stayed popular with readers ever since.


For those of you who still would like a quick fix (I can't convince you, can I?) then I heartily recommend 'How not to write a novel' by Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark, which not only avoids telling you what to do, but shows you what NOT to do through a series of hilarious but cleverly-constructed 'bad writing' examples. When you are feeling like you need a quick fix, pick this up instead and sift through your novel for similar cringeworthy examples. Total gold.



12 comments:

  1. Excellent post, Deborah - I will share! As I'm finishing my 'second' historical fiction, this really resonated: "When working on a novel the urge to get it finished by an easy solution can be overwhelming, but rather than looking for a 'quick fix' it is often better to sit with the complexities, let them simmer and brew, making your novel that much richer and subtler in the process." Thank you!

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  2. I sense my growing panic on the horizon (or at least unease) as well meaning writer friends keep reminding me to hurry, hurry and write the second book of my duology. When I hear the whip snap over my head I irrationally want to hide! I really loved this post Deborah, and each of your points was quite accurate. Thanks for some clear thinking.

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  3. I enjoyed this so much. I have noticed the proliferation of "how to write" books, by authors i've never heard of, and I've wondered more than once, "Can they actually write the novel or the mystery they are telling people how to write?" My own process is slow, alas, but I want to be satisfied with the work I finally put out there. It's never been a process I could rush, just to have a book out there.

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  4. Hi Diane, Judith and Elizabeth - so glad to hear that this resonated with you too. Readers are prepared to wait for something they know will be good. It just builds the anticipation. I have favourite writers, and if I've enjoyed a book I'll still purchase it, even if I have to wait years. But I guess I'd be disappointed if the book didn't live up to my expectations or felt rushed.

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  5. I love this. Constructing plot and resolving conflict appropriately, with tension and surprise twists, takes time. I know intuitively where my characters are supposed to go, what they're supposed to do, but understanding *why*, and all of the layers and depth to that, takes faithful patience. Fortunately, I have a large garden to weed while it all percolates. Eventually the answer reveals itself, and my patience is rewarded.

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  6. Hi Liz, the large garden sounds the ideal place to 'mull' whilst you wait for your intuition to point you in the right direction. If you run out of weeds, you can come and borrow mine!

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  7. My WIP has steeped for a long time while I study writing and a million other things. It has been so good- a year into it, a great idea forms... and then later again, even though the first draft was long done. It has really enriched the book. Which is, ahem, still not done.

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  8. Debra, it sounds like your book has benefited from all the thought that went into it over time. And you have been really busy with promoting historical fiction and the genre, which I'm sure will pay dividends once your WIP is finished. Thanks for taking the time away from your WIP to comment!

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  9. Excellent post, and for me, very timely and reassuring. And I think I need a copy of "How Not to Write a Novel." It sounds delightful.

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  10. Thanks Tinney, and if nothing else 'How Not to Write a Novel' will make you laugh. When I read my copy it was nice to think of other writers all reading their copies and guiltily recognising themselves in it just as I did!

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  11. I'm a little scared to read it, but VERY tempted as well. Thanks!

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  12. Hi folksingr, not just another, I'm sure! Don't be, because the examples are truly excruciating.

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