How to write a novel in 100 days!
"How many people out there want to write a novel? Sinclair Lewis asked this at a writer's workshop. Then he said to all those whose hands shot up, "Ok, then why aren't you home writing one?" I guess no one is going to tell me how to string my ideas together, but it becomes more and more complicated everyday. Especially since what I want to write about is not exactly a story, but about ways in which we experience life... about the ironies of life. I want to write about the lighter side of loss, the frustrating sides of love, the struggles in forming identity... past vs present, logic vs. beliefs and superstition, values vs behaviour... guilt.... miscommunication, and the certainty of uncertainty re: everything we think we know.
So why is this post entitled "How to write a novel in 100 days?" This is an article I found on the internet outlining what to do for each of the 100 days. Already I have the 7th day wrong! It states that the story should start small... a little story that has a great meaning... and already I have a big complicated cast. It shouldn't be something that tries to accomplish everything...Today as an exercise, I think I should go home and write maps for my favorite novels and try to find the smaller thread in the big picture that really pulled at my interest when I read it.
To be truthful, I didn't read all 100 days becasue I have a new idea. I am thinking I should buy 6 of those 3-M sticky bulletin boards and put them on my walls at home. One is general... and the others are for the 4 countries involved: Taiwan, Korea, Canada, the US (mostly as a transfer point) and Barbados. Then I can get index cards and write about each of the charachters... background and characteristics for the general board... and then additional sets for each country, stating the character's purpose for being there. Of course some characters will have a role in all the countries, but some will be confined to one or two.
OK... these are my thoughts for today. Maybe I can give you a synopsis of my favorite novels tomorrow.
So why is this post entitled "How to write a novel in 100 days?" This is an article I found on the internet outlining what to do for each of the 100 days. Already I have the 7th day wrong! It states that the story should start small... a little story that has a great meaning... and already I have a big complicated cast. It shouldn't be something that tries to accomplish everything...Today as an exercise, I think I should go home and write maps for my favorite novels and try to find the smaller thread in the big picture that really pulled at my interest when I read it.
To be truthful, I didn't read all 100 days becasue I have a new idea. I am thinking I should buy 6 of those 3-M sticky bulletin boards and put them on my walls at home. One is general... and the others are for the 4 countries involved: Taiwan, Korea, Canada, the US (mostly as a transfer point) and Barbados. Then I can get index cards and write about each of the charachters... background and characteristics for the general board... and then additional sets for each country, stating the character's purpose for being there. Of course some characters will have a role in all the countries, but some will be confined to one or two.
OK... these are my thoughts for today. Maybe I can give you a synopsis of my favorite novels tomorrow.
posted by Zanmei at 11:20 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home