Best Description Of Writing a Novel I’ve Ever Read

You’re writing a novel. You’ve got a 101 things to consider: plot, character, action, timeline, theme, and on and on.

It’s complicated, but you can only write one word, and one scene at a time. It can seem overwhelming, especially when you’re writing the first draft. All you can do is comfort yourself that novels are all about structure, and that you will shape the chaos into a good book, in later drafts.

I’ve always felt that novels are shaped, rather than written.

Therefore, I love this description of writing a novel. Stephen King’s First Editor Michael Garrett’s Interview | ePublish a Book:

“There are many parallels to film making. Creating a movie requires a producer, director, writer, actors, set designers, cinematographers, etc. Writing an effective novel requires all of those same skills as well, but must be applied by one author alone. An effective novel must be “directed” just like a movie. I see many clients who are good “writers,” but not necessarily good “directors.””

Read the entire interview; it’s excellent.