What are some books that will teach me how to write a novel?
>>8166500
One cannot learn to write a novel.
One is inspired.
>>8166500
Why do you need a book? You just think of a story and write it down lol
The Portable MFA
The Making of a Story
>>8166563
>muh unique artistry
>>8166500
You don't need a book, you just need a general idea of fundamentals from reading lots of books. Focus on character, don't write if you don't have a reason to write a story.
Ideas are fucking shit, it's whats inside the story that matters more, and that all depends on how much time you spend on your craft and how many drafts you go through.
Also you are going to be shit because you will be writing purple as fuck for your first 5 years.
>>8166500
>>8166563
more than inspired, i'd say compelled. however, certain books can indeed help you with aspects of writing a novel. i'd say stay away from the How To books as a general rule and study novel structures on your own. the structure will typically stem from the story you're inspired/compelled to tell.
i also recommend Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. it's a good start and gives you a general idea about the process. the book also gives you a heads up on what to avoid as a beginner, what typically works, what doesn't, etc. disregard your opinion of King's fiction, this is the book he should be remembered for.
Reading books like that is a bit like doing a MFA. You get nuts and bolts but you don't actually learn how to understand novels.
Here's what you do: get your favourite book, read it, reread it, and on your second reread make notes about how the author uses the elements of the book to create a novel.
Do this with a few different books.
As you do it you'll understand more and more. You'll see patterns. You'll see common techniques. You'll get an understanding for how other people do it.
Understand novels in the same way carpenters do tables. The same way doctors do bodies.
Then start to write yourself, using those principles. Don't think you learn how to write and you're set for life. You write one book, and then what have you learned? You've learned how to write that book. Then write a second book. Continue onwards. Never think you know anything. You know nothing. Until you do. Then you will know how to write a novel. This won't help you at all when you're learning how to write n+1 novel, because you don't know how to write that novel yet. You learn as you go.
There is no easy way to learning to write.
Get to work or learn how to write screnplays or some shit.
>>8166594
>it's a good start and gives you a general idea about the process.
You should also say that the process King describes is different than what works for others - King doesn't really plan, he "uncovers" the story as he writes it, which is what describes that process in his book. Personally I believe his books suffer from that approach - his endings are always hamfisted because he has written himself into an unplanned corner and can't be bothered changing the story before.
Immediate Fiction.
https://www.amazon.com/Immediate-Fiction-Complete-Writing-Course/dp/0312302762
Post yo temp email if you want the .PDF
>>8166614
oh absolutely. novel writing is really a whatever works game. i figure King's way is a good a place as any to start because it puts less stress on the beginning writer technique-wise - plotting, character dev, etc. - and just gets him/her to write when an idea for a long form narrative inspires/compels him/her to do so. the finer nuts and botls can be learned along the way.
as for King's novels, imust admit the last one i read was The Green Mile is chapbook form and haven't read much of him after but half of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon before giving up on it. oh wait, i read Joyland. indeed, it suffers from what you mentioned.
>>8166627
[email protected]
please and thank you
Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass. It's readily available at the usual download sites.
>>8166666
nice
>>8166666
checked
>>8166666
Satanic quints
>>8166575
The Making of a Story
who was epub?
>>8166500
Read Hugo and Dumas if you want to know how to make intricate plots that all come together.
>>8166910
I've read The Count of Montecristo.
Recommend me more Dumas.
>>8166651
sent desu
i found the best way to learn how to write a novel is to try writing a few. you'll make some horrible, horrible mistakes at first, but that's the best way.
>>8168228
This. Fuck all these faggy writing manuals.
>>8166579
>ideas are fucking shit
kek
I thought I knew literature and writing until I actually sat down and decided to FINISH the shit that I began writing. Lemme tell you, you can read all the books you want and have all the literary culture in the world, you'll still be shit at writing and your "books" will suck.
If you wanna learn, try and actually write a book and finish it. Beginning to end, finish that book as you would for publishing.
Then you'll reality what writing is and isn't. Only then you'll find a voice and create your own techniques and develop your own style.
I had an absinthe-induced hallucinatory episode years ago and bargained away my soul in exchange for writing talent to a devil who was hovering around in a basement corner. My first novel is 99% complete and it's rather good so I would recommend this to any aspirant writers.
>>8168418
eugh
