Kayle Nochomovitz Book Reports

[KayleNochomovitz]

John Gardner - The Art of Fiction

 

I read parts of this book in a fiction workshop in college, so it was somewhat familiar. It was good to be reminded of the importance of maintaining the “fictional dream.” Gardner’s discussion of writing within the context of other art forms was inspiring, as is his emphasis on the importance of writing exercises. I also found his discussion of fiction as “concrete philosophy” (Homer), or as a particular form of thought, really interesting; it made me think about theme and it’s relationship to events in a work of fiction differently.

 

Gardener’s section on Plotting was enlightening. It taught me that plotting and character must evolve simultaneously in the development of a piece of fiction. It helped me to think about how I needed my minor characters to function in the story - i.e. how they would relate to the protagonist’s main conflict. Gardener therefore helped define these supporting characters in a way that made sense within the overall context of the story. Gardner’s discussion of rhythm was also helpful and forced me to think more carefully about specific sentences. I especially enjoyed his example of a “long sentence.” This sent me back to my own writing searching for opportunities to vary my sentence structure and consider the effect of my phrasing more.

 

I don’t believe that anything Gardener writes contradicts anything in the course. If anything, his discussion of the elements of the novel place contemporary novel writing in a broad context which allows novelists to view their task more lucidly.

 

Writing the Breakout Novel - Donald Maas

 

Donald Maas’ book was a reality check for me. His discussion of development of a premise was extremely helpful in terms of seeing my premise in the larger context of other novels on the market now and in the past. I also really appreciated how he made the choice of a premise both an intellectual choice (market research, what has been done before?) but also an extremely personal one.

 

I found his discussion of how to make a character sympathetic very clear. It helped me to make some changes to my protagonist’s character that I think benefit the book as a whole. Maas also taught me some important lessons about setting and how it’s possible to create settings that relate to the emotional context of the story as well as a particular scene, something I continue to strive towards.

 

Maas’ discussion of raising the stakes for the protagonist was also enlightening; it helped me to clarify my thinking about what is most important to my protagonist and also how I might raise her personal stakes further. His notion of public stakes has also made me begin to reexamine whether my novel could include public stakes, i.e. ways in which Hannah’s struggle may impact not just her and those close to her, but a broad spectrum of people.

 

 

 

Write Away - Elizabeth George

 

I loved this book, especially the way George takes us into her own writing process. It made me realize all the ways in which I was being lazy, where I need to expend more effort, and where I need to focus my effort differently. She also helped me calm down and be more systematic in my approach to novel writing.

 

Her discussion of how to “continually open” a story was eye-opening for me. The idea of creating scenes which lay down dramatic questions but do not answer them and making partial disclosures to create suspense was really helpful. George helped me parcel out my exposition differently so as not to give away too much too soon. She also helped me to allow the relationships in my novel to unfold more slowly, as characters realize things, rather than all at once. In addition, this book also helped me to clarify a subplot in my novel (with Sarah, my protagonist’s best friend) by connecting this subplot more directly to theme. Gorge helped me clarify the differences between Hannah and Sarah on the question of what constitutes family.

 

One thing I noticed that seems to contradict what is being taught in this course was George’s discussion of the antagonist. She writes that conflict can come from “anywhere: It can come from within the character itself,” a statement that places less emphasis on a strong external antagonist.

 

The Writing Life - Annie Dillard

 

There were portions of this book that I could really relate to (her statement that having a beautiful workspace is not a good idea, her discussions of visual art), some portions even making me laugh out loud because of their familiarity. Overall, I felt more as if I were hearing from a friend than getting concrete advice, but I didn’t mind. In general, reading Annie Dillard made me feel less alone in the struggle to write. It helped me appreciate once again that the most difficult points in the process are where the real work lies.

 

For the first time, I realized that there is a portion of my book, one character in particular, who is speaking to me vividly in ways that I didn’t expect. Dillard helped me to listen to that character and to let him lead me, rather than trying to exert complete control over what happens in the novel. She also taught me not to be so hard on myself when I feel like things are moving slowly. To just relax and let the process happen, even if the pace is slower than I would like.

 

I don’t think that anything obviously contradicts with anything in the AS novel writing program, as Dillard is addressing the more internal, personal aspects of the writing process.