Free Your Great
American Novel
“Wow, how did
you do it?” That’s the question I hear each time I put the
production proof copy of my first novel into the hands of a
friend or relative. They think there was some sort of magic
involved, or at least a year or three locked away in a dark
monastery chained to a turbo-charged, fuel-injected Smith
Corona. Although a Corona or two may have been involved in
stimulating someone’s muse at one time or another, the production
of this novel of mine had very little in common with either of
these means.
Although this
is actually my second novel – the first to be published – and I
have written a large quantity of articles for periodicals, I do
not consider myself some kind of maven when it comes to the
mechanics and technique of writing. Nevertheless, from my
position as ‘someone who has actually done it,’ I can at least
make some pithy observations that could help that person who says
“I know I’ve got the great American novel in me somewhere” get on
the right track. My comments will address the writing of
fiction.
Thirty or
forty years ago, it was very time-consuming to produce a lengthy
piece of prose – no computers, no spell-check (which could have
been a blessing, if you’ve ever seen what spell-check can do to
make you look foolish) no printers or good copiers. Pencils,
pads and carbon paper would not have been to my liking. Armed
with our modern implements, the actual writing and editing
process is rather simple and not the major hassle it once was.
Know this though, the ability to produce reams of material
quickly does not mean any of it will be worth reading. It is all
in the presentation -- that, and a good premise with which to
work. Having that terrific idea pop into one’s head isn’t
difficult. The thorny part is generating a cohesive outline and
fleshing out your ideas so that, at day’s end, you have something
that someone aside from your Mom will want to read.
So you say
you have a great idea for a novel plot? The saga begins. You
sit down at the computer and open a new file. There’s that white
screen in your window. No matter how hard you stare at it, it
stays blank. Well, don’t sweat that great opening line just
yet. Start outlining. Where will the story take place? When?
Who? What will happen over the course of your narrative? Lay it
out so that you know where you’ll start and where you’ll
finish. I use the ‘Enter’ key to leave lots of holes. I know
you can always insert some space later, but having holes all over
the place right up front gives me the opportunity to see how much
work will need to be done!
Once you have
completed an outline, the really difficult part is done.
Really? Yes. You see, before you even thought of producing this
novel you have already done much of your research. How? Read
on. The secret is to look, listen and live. You have
already done all three; tap into this wealth.
Look:
Observe locations continuously, night and day. If you can
accurately describe a place, it will lend a realism to your
writing. It sounds like it exists to your readers because it
actually does! Right now, describe your favorite armchair. How
detailed can you be? I’m sure you could write a paragraph about
it. Use this kind of intimate detail effectively in your novel.
It allows the reader to become personally involved with the
surroundings you describe.
Listen:
There was a young woman I dated for a while who followed me
around with a tape recorder. Too freaky – at first it creeped me
out. Her motivation was this: she was interested in writing
fiction and would often tape bits of conversation. Her plan was
to incorporate as much genuine dialogue into her work as she
could to generate an authentic flavor. People simply do not
speak Oxford English unless they are somebody I don’t know.
Please note though, many editors will expect your characters to
speak proper English. I have gone back and forth with them on
this point. How many street kids have you overheard saying,
“Good afternoon Herbert, are you enjoying good health?” No, it’s
more apt to be “Yo dude, you okay? answered by “Yeah, man, but I
ain’t got no money.” By all means, your writing of descriptive
bits and plot-propelling narrative must be grammatically perfect
– just not the phrases spoken by the common person. Probably
the hardest task I had in writing dialogue in my novel revolved
around a seemingly insurmountable foil to my need for
authenticity. My moral convictions had already dictated that I
would use none of the harsher vulgarities. My characters were
all rock musicians, cops, bikers and drug dealers. It was tough,
but no one notices the lack of expletives. None of the
characters yell ‘Fudge!’ or ‘Sugar!’ either. There are those who
have read my novel, Low End, and were surprised at the
lack of vulgar language – and that is after reading the
book! Hey, if your moral convictions don’t mirror mine, that’s
okay. Use realistic dialogue, but be sure you’ve actually heard
a genuine living human being utter the words you are writing.
Live:
Nothing is less absorbing than reading something that hasn’t been
lived. It just doesn’t ring true. Okay, so you’re writing a
science fiction novel. The best science fiction tales don’t
revolve around the technology; they focus on human issues,
emotions and frailties. Alien worlds, space stations, and
fantastic creatures and races serve as backdrops, act as forces
upon the human issues, and as catalysts of conflict. Remember
the original Star Trek TV series? It wasn’t the Star ship
Enterprise that was the story, it was the friendship between Jim
Kirk and Spock, despite racial differences; it was how the
characters reacted to adversity and together marched out
victorious. Someone once said the series could have been set in
the Wild West with Captain Kirk set as a Sheriff and it would
have been just as good.
Use events
from your life. Even if you have never been arrested by the
police after the commission of a murder, do you remember your
emotions the first time a cop pulled you over and gave you a
ticket? Amplify on and write from those stored emotions and have
your murderer experience them. Never describe an emotion with
which you do not have at least some familiarity. I’ll
never try to describe the trauma and excitement of childbirth –
that I’ll either avoid including in my writings or have my wife
write!
Incorporate
normal scenes from your life into the lives of your characters.
If you ride the subway every day, and your story will support
such an undertaking, have your character ride the subway and be
descriptive about it! Remember I wrote previously that although
I had written a good number of pieces for periodicals, I consider
myself no maven on writing? Well, the reason why I was given the
opportunity to be published in these magazines and journals was
not because I command a huge vocabulary or generate flawlessly
structured sentences, it was because I had something to say about
subjects with which I had developed a deep intimacy and
knowledge. These were technical pieces dealing with aspects of
my profession. I had lived what I wrote. This concept works
equally well for fiction. My highest recommendation is that you
write about things you intimately know.
One last
tidbit of information. Much the same as with any artistically
creative act, don’t make your goal to be writing a best-seller
and retiring on the royalties. Write that great book because
your passion is to tell a good story. This is the crucial
ingredient that separates outstandingly great art from the merely
well-constructed works-for-hire.
Look, listen,
and live. The great idea will come. Write for the love of
writing, then concern yourself with the business of
publishing. Good advice for being a artistically creative person
in a business setting can be found in the Gospel of Matthew,
chapter 10, verse 16.
