How Do You Write a Novel?
Last week, for World Book Day, I visited a fantastic shiny new high school in Hackney called Our Lady’s Convent High School. I got asked a lot of questions including that tricky old chestnut – How do you write a novel?
On the day, I’m not sure how clear and well organised my answer was so I’ll try again here.
I’ve written a few novels now so I OUGHT to be able to answer this question easily – but the truth is that I’m still not totally sure.
I know there’s a lot of head-scratching. I know there’s a lot of staring at my computer screen. I know there’s a lot of writing and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting…. And I know there are some days where I sit and sulk on the stairs and some nights where I never actually go to bed. But I also know that when I’ve finished and hold the finished book in my hand, I CAN’T QUITE BELIEVE THAT I WROTE IT.
Me. Me!?
HOW?
Which means that it’s also quite hard for me to take any credit for what I’ve written.
It’s a mysterious and baffling business; it really is.
One thing I can tell you is that I always start with a load of scribbles and doodles. The scribbles in the photo are the very starting point for the book called ‘Downside Up’ which will be out in July. I did these on the train from Norwich to London while I was on my way to meet my editor. Talk about flying by the seat of my pants! But then again, pant-flying seems to work quite well with me – it terrifies me into action. Mind you, a LOT about this book has changed along the way. Not only the title but many of the characters and pretty much the whole plot – but this was still my starting point. And then my ideas just developed – sort of randomly and with a lot of digressions – from there.
Doesn’t really sound like much of a plan, does it?
*Looks a bit shifty*
Well, it’s worked for me so far but… anyone know a better way to do it?
“And I know there are some days where I sit and sulk on the stairs” – oh those days! Awful, awful, awful – but then it takes off again! My sister reminds me of this every time I get caught on the stairs like that. Next time I really should believe her!
Without wishing to banish you to the stairs, it’s always such a relief to hear that it’s not just me!
x
I love the way you work! Just wish we were more alike …
I write a watertight plan. Then I start writing. Sometimes the plan leaks and has to be renovated. When it’s looking drier, I write some more. After I’ve finished, I go back and hoover everywhere, including the corners. (I usually miss at least one or two cobwebs and muddy pawprints, but that’s life and you have to leave something for the editor to point at, aghast.) Then the book is done and I smile, make myself a large sandwich, and start making my next plan.
Victoria (who is every bit as scary in real life as the above would suggest)
Yep. We need to meet in the middle somewhere!
Hey Hayley
It IS hard writing some times. Those days when you wanna give up are the days that (I think) us writers hate the most. I’ve come up wiv a thing to keep me writing when I want to give up:
‘Why do you love this story?’ Then list (or think) of the stuff that you like about it.
Good thinking.
Hi Hayley,
I like the way you set things out! (Organized chaos rules!)
Then I read how Victoria does it and I feel like going to the stairs and pouting – a lot! I can’t plot out a book to save my life! Writing a synopsis for my publisher is bad enough – but plot a story? Nope – can’t do it. I know another writer who has each chapter plotted down to the number of pages! Me – it’s back to the stairs again…. Since I don’t know how I manage to write my books – like you, I wouldn’t know where to start to tell someone else how to do it.
Confusion and I are close friends!
Great post,
Kate…/
I love this post! I work in a similar way, I think, but my notes don’t look so gorgeous and beautifully illustrated.
Hello, I’m a bit chaotic too – I start with a sense of a character wandering around in my head and follow them for a while until I get a sense of what the story is about. But once I begin writing the characters definitely take the lead, they shout out what needs to happen and I guess I kind of go along with it. The only problem is that the chaos stays in my head – I wish I did the whole doodling on a pad thing but it never works. I’m quite envious of your beautiful scribbles! Love x
Thank you Kate, Luisa and Kate. Ha! SO IT’S NOT JUST ME. I FLIPPING KNEW IT! My former agent (now residing in Australia… there’s no dark back story… at least, she SAYS she’s in Oz) used to say, ‘Try planning it out, H; it’s just a different way of working.’
COULDN’T DO IT TO SAVE MY LIFE.
I can plan essays; I wrote a Quick Read for the Basic Skills Agency once and planned each chapter of that but I just can’t do it for a novel. That’s why the stuff I write has some really random bits. Because I’m random.
I have a friend who periodically says, “I’m so bad at this,” and I have to tell him “No you’re not! It’s your story and /only you/ can tell it – and it’s a good story!”. At which point he says, ‘OK I believe you! I’ll keep going… ” and I put the phone down and say the exact same things to myself…
I am a complete ‘panster’ both of my novels have come from NaNoWriMo (nothing published yet though) but both times I only had a vague idea of what I was going to write, no notes or anything. I just sat and let whatever came out flow. I did start making the odd note part way through, but I mostly just typed away. :/ Seems to work for me though