Project Management

I have been busy over the last couple of weeks setting up my dissertation. This includes a schedule (on a rather snazzy spreadsheet) which sets out the key milestones for the next five months. It's a good thing I did this as I thought it was a long period of time before I calculated how many words I need to write per week.
I have also amended my novel plan following feedback from a workshop and my first tutorial. I have two protagonists (one contemporary and one in the past) and the feedback I received was that the contemporary character was a 'frame' for the other rather than a key character in her own right. At first I didn't get it but that many people can't be wrong. Then I realised that although the contemporary character was alive and kicking in my mind, the reader did not get time to know her at the start of the novel before the inciting incident and therefore would not understand the impact on her. I was caught out by the belief that the novel should start 'in media res'. I have now added a couple of scenes to the opening which add a further thread to the plot, making the whole thing stonger (I think!).
I have also worked on character profiles - not everyone likes this much planning but it helps me to go between these and the plot before I start. Character profiles, by the way, are not about appearance or what they do for a living, rather they are about the character's key qualities and desires.
Finally, I have researched other novels that are similar in form, genre and subject matter and ordered them (I seriously need more bookshelves) as these will feature in the writer's journal that accompanies the novel.
And yes, I will now start writing...

Wonderful Feeling

I have that wonderful feeling of finishing a piece of coursework. The formatting and referencing is done (why does it always take longer than I think?) and I just have to print it off. I now have the outline of my second novel and just want to write it; I can see the characters, know how my protagonist feels and I'm ready to give them life. There is, however, the small matter of my first novel i.e. my dissertation.
I have my first dissertation tutorial on Tuesday and have five months to produce 40,000 words of the best writing I can. I'm feeling inspired this week as a former graduate of the course, Christy Lefteri, has just published her first novel.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watermelon-Fish-Bible-Christy-Lefteri/dp/1849161275
A precedent has been set and I have no excuses.

Validation

I had my last lecture this week. We went through our novel outlines as a group with our tutors. I have to say that I was rather nervous as I have been researching it for so long and not shared it with anyone. It was very well received and I know what I need to work on. Writing a synopsis is very difficult but I did it in the first person which lent it vitality. All I have to do now is write the novel. I've been assigned a tutor to work with over the Summer and I will update my blog as I go.

The Third Degree

In my post on 3 January, I mentioned that the novel outline I was working on for my coursework was for a novel that I now knew would be written. I can now reveal that the reason is that it formed part of the MPhil/PhD proposal that I started pulling together before Christmas. I have just had the exciting news that I have an unconditional offer. I am really looking forward to cutting my teeth on the present novel and then focussing on one project for two to three years. All I need now is for work to agree to my application for two years unpaid leave.

Young and Old

This week I attended two interesting lectures. The first with David Flusfeder, reading from his latest book - A Film by Spencer Ludwig. It tells the story of a man going on an unplanned road trip with his father. After so many lectures focusing on the craft of writing (and of course that is what the degree is about), it was good to listen to a writer reading his work and having an open and honest discussion about both the novel and his writing life. This was followed by an event with David Lodge and Jim Crace. The university is currently running a research project whereby reading groups comprised of older members read and discuss eight specific novels related to ageing and then discuss their responses. Jim and David were articulate and engaging speakers, as one would expect, and the Q&A session was very lively. It was a shame, however, that both questions relating to women and ageing were quickly passed over.

The First Sentence

I am embarking on the most creative part of the MA - an original novel outline and 40,000 words of a different novel. I had a rather intimidating experience yesterday when Fay Weldon told us to start the first paragraph of our novel and then left the room. Half an hour later she returned and we each had to read out our scribblings. I had not expected this. Fay then discussed each one. No pressure there then. It was a very valuable session. I knew that I had to start in the middle of the action but I was not setting up the entire novel in the first 250 words. That is what I now aim to do. There are a few elements to include: the 'cosmic sentence', the middle of the action, setting up the problem to be solved, dialogue etc. It sounds impossible but I think a balance can be achieved. Mmmmm...

Back Again

I haven't been in the land of the living for a while and am glad to be starting a new year. I have finally finished my coursework and am pleased with it although I know in a few years time I will probably look back on it and cringe. I can already see an improvement on my coursework from the same time last year so hopefully I will keep getting better. I am now heading into the final term which looks at planning the novel. I already started to look at this in the summer but need to revisit it, particularly as I now know this is a book that will be written (hopefully more on this in future posts). My dissertation (40,000 word extract of another novel) is due in September. If the time taken to write my 2,000 word creative piece is anything to go by I had better to get started now. To an extent I envy writers who can get a first draft down quickly. I try to let it flow but just can't stop the self editor within me. I almost go into a trance so I can really see and feel what I want to express and then agonise over the exact words, scared that if I move on too quickly I will not be able to get back to that place. It can be tiring and frustrating but I wouldn't swap it for anything.