“process” in Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

·     Follett: Eye of the Needle was my 11th novel. The first 10 had been received by readers with breathtaking indifference. My agent had sent many perceptive and irritating letters about the shortcomings of my previous books. (LMW: in 2007, Follett could never have published so many lackluster novels)   ·     I had read the nonfiction books (Bodyguard of Lies) about deception during WWII. (I now believe that idle curiosity is indispensable to a novelist.) I was intrigued by the deception plan for the D-Day invasion.    ·     He wrote a 4 line premise for the book: Storm Island, German spy learns of deception, He has a rendezvous with a U-boat to get back to Germany, shipwrecked on an island, he is killed by the inhabitants.    ·     I researched in the library, not the actual locations.    ·     I wrote an outline, dividing the story into 6 parts, each with 6 chapters, the first 5 alternating between the spy, the spycatchers, and Lucy Rose, with the 6th chapter in each part showing the Germans.    ·     Most of the first draft was written in 3 weeks. “It felt like running downhill.”    ·     I had my first draft read by someone old enough to remember the war, and he corrected many anachronisms.    ·     My agent Al Zuckerman, on reading the manuscript, said it was going to be an international bestseller and that I would have tax problems.

“process” in The Writer’s Chapbook edited by George Plimpton

·     John Hersey … When the writing is really working, it’s like dreaming, a total involvement in the pictures and sounds that the passage evokes. I’m unaware of my real surroundings.  ·     John Steinbeck … write as freely and rapidly as possible. never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is done. Rewrite in process is usually an excuse for not going on, and it interferes with the flow and rhythm that can only come from a kind of unconscious association with the material.

“process” in The Spooky Art by Norman Mailer

·     writing routine … 5 hour/day, 4 days/week. 7 pgs/day, 28 pgs/wk. 1st draft – 7 months. 2nd draft – 4 months  ·    Mailer read from Anna Karenina most mornings before he began his own writing.  ·     you never know where your words are coming from. even in ordinary conversation, we don’t know that.  ·    when writing, the writer often feels God-like  ·     write to the limit of your honesty  ·   don’t listen to what anyone else says – do your book  ·     it’s disturbing to read a novelist with a good style while you’re in the middle of putting your own work together  ·    It’s as difficult to become a professional writer as a professional athlete. It often depends on the ability to keep faith in yourself. One must be willing to take risks and try again. It takes an enormous amount of ongoing working practice to be good at it.  ·     don’t relax into flabby styles of thought. What you write must be a reflection of your own consciousness.  ·     it’s a good idea to “rotate your crops.” If you’ve written a novel that’s factual and realistic and big, then it might be a good idea that your next novel be as fanciful as possible

“process” in Write Away by Elizabeth George

·     learning something new in writing the novel is a source of energy for the writer  ·        the original idea prompts questions which expand the simple idea into a more complicated story idea  ·      next is research; identify what needs to be learned in order to tell the story  ·     research the specific locations where the story will take place  ·    details about where the characters live adds verisimilitude  ·      specific details: kinds of shops, kinds of houses, types of trees and plants, sounds, smells  ·    take camera and tape recorder on research hikes. Photograph constantly and speak notes onto tape. Transcribe notes every night.  ·     Talk to people, tape record everything  ·     next: create characters – generic list – names! The name of the character is the first chance to position the reader’s attitude toward that character. ·     Say the character’s name aloud – the  reader will.  ·     Write freely about each character, touching every area of their development and lives; develop a voice for each character; 3-4 page document on each character. What drives that character?  ·    Re-read these character analyses when writing.  ·        the deeper the character analyses, the more plot elements jump out  ·    consider how characters’ lives interlock, what the subplots might be  ·    doing the character analysis first allows the writing to be about art and not about craft.  ·      Having created all of the characters, I know their worlds and can create exact settings (not generic) for each   ·   render the setting with as much authenticity as the characters and events  ·   create settings – plan physical layout – each building, connections ·   develop a place I can own on paper, so the reader can experience the setting  ·     step outline – quickly list all the events in the story that can be generated from the primary event and that have causal relationships between them  ·      place these events in the best dramatic order – an order that allows the story to keep opening up and not shutting down  ·   make sure I maintain dramatic questions and do not play my hand too soon  ·    running plot outline – a present tense account of what’s going to happen in a scene, including point of view, stream of consciousness, how can I bring it to life  ·    bullet points for each scene  ·  I see the scene playing out in my mind – do this for every scene in the step outline  ·     rough draft – having done all the advance work, I can now involve myself in the sheer artistry of writing  ·    there are surprises and changes – new ways to steer the story, new elements, new dramatic questions, new ideas  ·   move back and forth – step outline, running plot outline, actual writing – write 5 pages per day  ·   read the hard copy of the rough draft; make no changes in the text; make notes about weaknesses, repetitions, places where story is not clear, where character does not emerge well  ·     I write myself an editorial letter, a guide to the 2nd draft  ·        write 2nd draft on the hard copy (not computer, can’t see it all at once on computer); about 50 pages per day  ·    revise manuscript; give to cold reader for an honest evaluation; with two sets of questions, one to have before reading and one to see after reading.  ·   Take comments, 3rd draft, send to editor  ·    Writing is a job like any other  ·   195. mentions Richard Marek  ·        196. examine every facet of character’s lives, needs, personalities, behavior prior to writing a single word of the novel  ·     write a minimum of 5 pages per day  ·   write every day (even on vacation) – stay situated in the novel – my novels are large, long and complicated  ·   Clear your life of the things that keep you from writing