Can anyone write a novel?
One of my last talks before Covid struck was to a local book club. It was a similar talk to several I have done in the past, as I talked about my writing ‘career’, including the differences between writing in the 1960s and writing today, and then giving some examples of where my ideas come from.
At the end of previous talks, I’ve had various questions, ranging from ‘How much research do you have to do?’ to ‘How much do you earn? (to which I usually reply, ‘Probably not even as much as J.K. Rowling would earn for one page of her Harry Potter novels!’)
This time I had a different question. Someone said, “They say there is a novel in everyone. Do you think anyone can write one?’
I had to think on my feet! In the end I said something like, “First I think you have to want to write and then you have to make the time to do it, rather than just write when you happen to have some spare time or feel like writing. It can take a lot of time and hard work – not just the actual writing, but also the research you need to do, even for a contemporary novel. You might also have to learn about plotting, using dialogue, and developing your characters, and you need to have a good grasp of grammar, punctuation and spelling.”
That’s a summary of my ‘off the cuff’ answer, which I’m aware (a) might have over-emphasised the time and hard work elements but (b) at the same time, only covered part of what is involved in writing a novel.
While we were having a cup of tea and cake afterwards, someone else said to me, “I couldn’t write a novel. I don’t have the imagination to create a story.”
On my way home, I thought about this and realised this person was right. The need/desire to write (which means you make the time to do it) needs to be combined with the imagination to create characters and their story. You can learn all the other things (and indeed, we all learn as we go along).
What do you think? Can anyone write a novel? And how would you have answered that question?
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Only those whose desire is so strong to have the story on paper. Writing is a career for those who will relentlessly pursue seeing their words out there. It's an obsession.
ReplyDeleteGood answer, Janet!
DeleteOne of my writing teachers when I started writing novels used to say that writing novels took a serious commitment, and if it wasn't priority 1 or 2 on your list, it would never work. She also said a writer should write every day, just to keep the writing skills honed. As for imagination, not everyone has it. I never had that problem, as I have plenty to spare. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it needs to be a priority, Vijaya, which is why I stressed that you need to make time, and not write when you have some spare time! I do write every day, even if sometimes I only manage 50 or 100 words!
DeleteMaybe not everyone can write a novel, but Everyone Can write their own story. Autobiography can be fascinating too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteEveryone can write a novel. Not everyone can write a good novel. Thanks for the food for thought, Paula!
ReplyDelete