How to Write a Novel: A Practical Guide to the Art of Fiction

by Anonymous

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FOREWORD BY OLIVIA SALTER

Writing a novel is a journey that captivates the imagination and transports both the author and the reader to new worlds. It is an art form that allows us to explore the depths of human experience, to delve into the recesses of our creativity, and to create narratives that resonate with our souls. Yet for many aspiring writers, the thought of embarking on such a formidable task can seem overwhelming.

That's why I am delighted to present to you this practical guide, "How to Write a Novel: A Practical Guide to the Art of Fiction." Whether you are a novice writer just starting your literary journey or an experienced author looking to refine your craft, this book is a valuable resource that will equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the complexities of storytelling.

Within these pages, you will find expert guidance on every step of the novel-writing process, from the initial spark of inspiration to the final revision. The esteemed authors and writing professionals who have contributed to this guide bring a wealth of experience and expertise from their own successful careers. Their insights, advice, and practical exercises will empower you to unleash your creativity and develop your unique voice as a writer.

Throughout this book, you will be introduced to essential elements of storytelling, such as plot structure, character development, dialogue setting, and theme. You will learn how to craft compelling beginnings that hook your readers, sustain momentum throughout the middle, and deliver satisfying resolutions. You will discover techniques to create vivid and authentic characters that resonate with your audience. And you will gain valuable insights into the intricacies of writing effective dialogue and constructing immersive settings that transport readers to the heart of your story.

But this guide goes beyond the mechanics of writing. It delves into the artistry that lies at the core of any great novel. It explores the power of language, the importance of voice, and the interplay of emotion and theme. It encourages you to embrace the messiness of creativity, to trust your instincts, and to fearlessly explore the depths of your imagination.

Writing a novel is both a labor of love and a dance with the unknown. It requires dedication, perseverance, and the courage to face the blank page. But it is also a transformative experience—a chance to discover truths about ourselves, to give voice to our dreams, and to share our stories with the world.

So I invite you to embark on this journey with an open heart and an open mind. Let this guide be your trusted companion, offering inspiration, guidance, and encouragement when self-doubt creeps in. May it empower you to tell the stories burning within you and to forge a lifelong connection with the transformative magic of the written word.

Now let the adventure begin.

Olivia Salter

04/01/2023

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
THE OBJECT IN VIEW

An Inevitable Comparison    3
A Model Lesson in Novel-Writing    5
The Teachable and the Unteachable    9
 
CHAPTER II
A GOOD STORY TO TELL 

Where do Novelists get their Stories from?    12
Is there a Deeper Question?    14
What about the Newspapers?    17
 
CHAPTER III
HOW TO BEGIN 

Formation of the Plot    25
The Agonies and Joys of "Plot-Construction"    28
[viii]Care in the Use of Actual Events    31
The Natural History of a Plot    35
Sir Walter Besant on the Evolution of a Plot    40
Plot-Formation in Earnest    43
Characters first: Plot afterwards    45
The Natural Background    47
 
CHAPTER IV
CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERISATION

The Chief Character    50
How to Portray Character    52
Methods of Characterisation    55
The Trick of "Idiosyncrasies"    58
 
CHAPTER V
STUDIES IN LITERARY TECHNIQUE

Narrative Art    63
Movement    66
Aids to Description: The Point of View    67
[ix]Selecting the Main Features    70
Description by Suggestion    73
Facts to Remember    75
 
CHAPTER VI
STUDIES IN LITERARY TECHNIQUE—CONTINUED

Colour: Local and Otherwise    79
What about Dialect?    84
On Dialogue    86
Points in Conversation    91
"Atmosphere"    94
 
CHAPTER VII
PITFALLS

Items of General Knowledge    96
Specific Subjects    98
Topography and Geography    100
Scientific Facts    101
Grammar    103
 
[x]CHAPTER VIII
THE SECRET OF STYLE

Communicable Elements    105
Incommunicable Elements    110
 
CHAPTER IX
HOW AUTHORS WORK

Quick and Slow    116
How many Words a Day?    119
Charles Reade and Anthony Trollope    122
The Mission of Fancy    127
Fancies of another Type    129
Some of our Younger Writers: Mr Zangwill, Mr Coulson Kernahan, Mr Robert Barr, Mr H. G. Wells    132
Curious Methods    134
 
CHAPTER X
IS THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF NOVELS EXHAUSTED?

The Question Stated    138
"Change" not "Exhaustion"    142
Why we talk about Exhaustion    145
 
[xi]CHAPTER XI
THE NOVEL v. THE SHORT STORY

Practise the Short Story    154
Short Story Writers on their Art    159
 
CHAPTER XII
SUCCESS: AND SOME OF ITS MINOR CONDITIONS 

The Truth about Success    164
Minor Conditions of Success    169
 
APPENDIX I
The Philosophy of Composition. By Edgar Allan Poe    175
 
APPENDIX II
Books Worth Reading    201
 
APPENDIX III
Magazine Article on Writing Fiction    205

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The Novel v. The Short Story by Anonymous (1901)

Practise the Short Story

The beginner in fiction often asks: Is it not best to prepare for novel-writing by writing short stories? The question is much to the point, and merits a careful answer.

First of all, what is the difference between a novel and a short story? The difference lies in the point of view. The short story generally deals with one event in one particular life; the novel deals with many events in several lives, where both characters and action are dominated by one progressive purpose. To put it another way: the short story is like a miniature in painting, whilst the novel demands a much larger canvas. A suggestive paragraph from a review sets forth clearly the difference referred to: "The smaller your object of artistry, the nicer should be your touch, the more careful your attention to minutiæ. That, surely, would seem an axiom. You don't paint a miniature in the broad strokes that answer for a drop curtain, nor does the weaver of a pocket-handkerchief give to that fabric the texture of a carpet. But the usual writer of fiction, when it occurs to him to utilise one of his second best ideas in the manufacture of a short story, will commonly bring to his undertaking exactly the same slap-dash methods which he has found to serve in the construction of his novels. . . . Where he should have brought a finer method, he has brought a coarser; where he should have worked goldsmithwise, with tiny chisel, finishing exquisitely, he has worked blacksmithwise, with sledge hammer and anvil; where, because the thing is little, every detail counts, he has been slovenly in detail."

It has been said that the novel deals with life from the inside, and short stories with life from the outside; but this is not so. Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace" opens out to us a state of soul just as much as "Tess" does, even though it may be but a glimpse as compared with the prolonged exhibition of Mr Hardy's "pure woman."

Returning to the question previously referred to, one may well hesitate to advise a novice to commence writing short stories which demand such infinite care in conception and execution. The tendency of young writers is to verbosity—longwindedness in dialogues, in descriptions, and in delineations of character,—whereas the chief excellence of the story is the extent and depth of its suggestions as compared with its brevity in words. Should not a man perfect himself in the less minute and less delicate methods of the novel before he attempts the finer art of the short story?

There is a sound of good logic about all this, but it is not conclusive. Some men have a natural predilection for the larger canvas and some for the smaller, so that the final decision cannot be forced upon anyone on purely abstract grounds; we must first know a writer's native capacity before advising him what to do. If you feel that literary art on a minute scale is your forte, then follow it enthusiastically, and work hard; if otherwise, act accordingly.

But, after all, there are certain abstract considerations which lead me to say that the short story should be practised before the novel. Take the very material fact of size. Have those who object to this recommendation ever thought of what practising novel-writing means? How long does it take to make a couple of experiments of 80,000 words each? A good deal, no doubt, depends on the man himself, but a quick writer would not do much to satisfy others at the rate of 160,000 words in twelve months. No, time is too precious for practising works of such length as these, and since the general principles of fiction apply to both novel and short story alike, the student cannot do better than practise his art in the briefer form. Moreover, if he is wise, he will seek the advice of experts, and (a further base consideration) it will be cheaper to have 4000 words criticised than a MS. containing 80,000.

Further, the foundation principles of the art of fiction cannot be learned more effectively, even for the purpose of writing novels, than in practising short stories. All the points brought forward in the preceding pages relating to plot, dialogue, proportion, climax, and so forth, are elements of the latter as well as of the former. If, as has been said, "windiness" is the chief fault of the beginner, where can he learn to correct that error more quickly? The art of knowing what to leave out is important to a novelist; it is more important to the short story writer; hence, if it be studied on the smaller canvas, it will be of excellent service when attempting the larger. "The attention to detail, the obliteration of the unessential, the concentration in expression, which the form of the short story demands, tends to a beneficent influence on the style of fiction. No one doubts that many of the great novelists of the past are somewhat tedious and prolix. The style of Richardson, Scott, Dumas, Balzac, and Dickens, when they are not at their strongest and highest, is often slipshod and slovenly; and such carelessly-worded passages as are everywhere in their works will scarcely be found in the novels of the future. The writers of short stories have made clear that the highest literary art knows neither synonyms, episodes, nor parentheses."

Extracted from How to Write a Novel: A Practical Guide to the Art of Fiction

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