How to Write a Novel
Bird by bird, buddy, bird by bird
Spring is not far away. I can tell by the birds. They’re returning to my cold city. They sing outside my window as the sun rises, if you can call that singing. It sounds more like a thousand gossip sessions going on simultaneously. And I’ve started my third novel, still wondering how that works.
The title of this piece is just a little misleading, because after writing two long stories, I’m still in the dark about where they come from. And I’m still insecure enough about their quality that I have not sought an agent, though I think they are salable. I’m not a purist, I’d love to sell them, but I feel like I’m still figuring this thing out.
What is a novel? It’s a long story that keeps the reader turning the page. It’s not my story, those are called memoirs. And if you make it confessional, that will use up all your personal material. So, unless your personal story is incredible (memoir), don’t tell us that. Make something up, knowing your own experience will infiltrate every word.
Don’t try and tell anyone what you are working on. Don’t even try and tell yourself, because you have no idea. This is a beautiful thing because you are venturing into the unknown, a place very few people get to or want to go to. The planet is measurable, the human psyche is not. You’re going into…