Karen Stevens's collection of essays offers practical advice and inspiration for those embarking on the long, lonely journey of writing a novelAccording to Karen Stevens, "writing a novel is the longest and loneliest journey a writer can embark upon". Her collection of essays by established and new writers splits that journey into four stages: inspiration, research, voice and form. There is also practical advice from a literary agent and an editor who notes honestly that "chance does play a part" in getting published. Lionel Shriver is equally frank about what comes after the acceptance of your first novel: "struggle and disappointment". Although Hanif Kureishi candidly admits, in an excellent piece from 2002, that "most writers do not entirely understand what they are doing", these essays are both perceptive and inspiring. Alison MacLeod writes beautifully on the voice of a novel: "It is the unknown quantity every novel needs." Kishwar Desai admits to being driven by "the demons of insecurity" to over-research, and Jane Feaver, writing about form, advises authors to develop "an alertness to the collective materiality of words". But all agree with Wena Poon: the process of writing a novel is a "strange and wondrous journey".PublishingPaperbacksEssaysPD Smiththeguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
Ken Follett has written a prequel to his most popular novel The Pillars of the Earth, which was first published in 1989. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-16 15:39:01 UTC ]
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Lit Lists Olivia McCourry Asja BakićMarsTranslated by Jennifer Zoble Feminist Press, 2019 With imaginative and striking prose, Bosnian author Asja Bakić’s debut story collection, Mars, tells a tale of a series of different universes. Each realist tale... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2019-10-16 13:12:17 UTC ]
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Publisher HarperCollins says Back is first and only account ‘directly from’ US golferFresh from a startling career comeback after years of battling injuries, sex addiction and tabloids, Tiger Woods has announced a new memoir titled Back in which he promises to tell his “definitive story”.The... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-10-15 15:31:34 UTC ]
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A new history about the writing and publication of the Big Book shines a light on the work of Bill W. and the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster UK is to publish Hope in Hell: Confronting the Climate Emergency by environmental campaigner Jonathon Porritt. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-13 15:46:07 UTC ]
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Indie rocker Liz Phair's "Horror Stories" is an explosive, unconventional memoir with a jumble of memories that play out like life. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-10-12 14:00:45 UTC ]
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The author's new novel imagines the “lost” diary of Mary Pinchot Meyer, JFK’s murdered paramour. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Bestselling author Pérez-Reverte discusses his new novel, adapting his work for television, and why you should read his books, not his author interviews. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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An auction of various things from the estate of Anthony Bourdain, the late writer, chef, and TV host, is happening now through October 30, and it includes a number of Bourdain’s early writings. The current bid for the original manuscript of A Chef’s Christmas, his 2002 holiday audiobook, is... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-10 18:10:41 UTC ]
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The combative broadcaster’s memoir mixes engaging snapshots of his early career with some score-settling and a robust defence of his interviewing styleJohn Humphrys is the first to admit he doesn’t deal well with authority. He inherited it from his father, who refused to use the service entrance... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-10-10 06:30:10 UTC ]
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In this post, Tanja Panjevic shares how to write a compelling memoir and stay sane in the process. In this post, she describes nine tips, including clarifying your scope, how to correct course as you go, and more. The post How to Write a Compelling Memoir (and Stay Sane in the Process) by Tanja... Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2019-10-09 22:34:20 UTC ]
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Canongate is publishing a meditation on the natural world based on one man’s relationship with a tree, The Oak Papers by James Canton. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-08 08:58:23 UTC ]
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After reading and loving Crystal Hana Kim’s debut novel, If You Leave Me, it was a great joy to team up with her for a joint paperback celebration. This conversation took place at the lovely Books Are Magic in early September. We talked about what it feels like to be a year out from publication, […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-07 08:49:33 UTC ]
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Here are 10 Edgar Allan Poe quotes for writers and about writing from the author of several short stories and poems, including "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and "The Raven." In these quotes, Poe covers poetry, dreams, madness, and more. The post 10 Edgar Allan Poe... Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2019-10-07 05:00:10 UTC ]
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Headline Review has pre-empted world rights to the debut novel from Ruth Druart, with 11 international rights deals following for the "remarkable read". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-04 05:26:17 UTC ]
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The £10,000 Desmond Elliott Prize will be run by the National Centre for Writing (NCW) in Norwich with a new programme of support for a second novel and a sustainable career in writing. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-26 14:23:55 UTC ]
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The novel following Jojo Moyes’ hit trilogy Me Before You saw the author living deep in rural Kentucky to research a group of women librarians on horseback in the 1930s. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-26 08:47:00 UTC ]
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Finding a literary agent is one thing, but the hard part is gaining representation. In this post, we share how to hook a literary agent to represent writing and get published by looking at the query letter, synopsis, book proposal, and sample pages. The post How to Hook a Literary Agent to... Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2019-09-25 23:48:10 UTC ]
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The climate activists release their first print publication this week. But does a crisis-hit planet make for winning journalism?In a move that feels more than slightly ironic, the climate activists Extinction Rebellion have decided to go into a media on the brink of extinction, having released... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-09-25 16:31:16 UTC ]
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The very name of Amazon's “All-new Kindle Oasis” would seem to herald a radical overhaul. Thankfully, the changes to Amazon’s top-shelf e-reader are far less dramatic. Beyond the introduction of a new color-adjustable front light that can warm or cool the screen’s illumination, the All-new... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2019-09-25 10:30:00 UTC ]
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