Writing a Novel

**ام بسمه** · 14-09-2008, 05:10 PM

SALAAAAAAAAAAAAM

There are certain elements which every novel has and these are

* plot

* setting

* characterisation

* theme

* style and presentation

Most of you will be familiar with all of these, but it doesn't hurt to revise

Plot

This is what happens in the novel, it's the author's arrangement of the story

Key points to note

- there can be a logical development of events with a careful linking of scenes or

- there can be a series of apparently unrelated scenes which are not shown to be connected until the end of the novel - there should be a beginning, a middle and an end

- the plot should be plausible, but there can still be room for the element of surprise

- there should be conflict, either within the central characters or between characters, or between characters and their environment

- the climax of the story is the highest point of interest; the moment when the conflict is most intense; the time when the consequences of a character's actions become inevitable; when all the main points of the plot merge

- the denouement is when all the little mysteries in the plot are revealed and all the loose ends are tidied up

- the pace of the novel slows with the denouement

Subplot

This is a sequence (or sequences) of events that parallels the main plot; it can closely resemble the main plot or it can diverge in significant ways in order to highlight the main plot.

Setting

The setting of a novel encompasses a number of different, but linked, elements:

* time - day or night; summer or winter; the historical period (an actual date)

* place - inside or outside; country or city; specific town and country; real or fictional

* social - the minor characters who take little part in advancing the plot, but whose presence contributes to the realism of the novel

* mood and atmosphere - eerie; dangerous; menacing; tense; threatening; relaxing; nostalgic; happy; light-hearted etc.

Characterisation

Characters in a novel are the vehicles by which the author conveys to us his / her view of the world.

Key points to note:

- we learn about individual characters from their own words and actions; from what other characters say about them and the way others act towards them

- characters help to advance the plot

- believable characters must grow and change in response to their experiences in the novel.

Theme

This is the central idea which runs through the novel; the author's purpose in writing.

Key points:

- it is the point of view from which the author is writing and there may be a moral to the story - such as the need for social reform in many of Dickens' novels

- the theme gives the story focus, unity, impact and a 'point'

- the theme becomes clear by looking at what happens to the major characters. If the main character survives while others don't, it shows us that his (or her) behaviour is being rewarded by the author

Symbols

These are often used to help clarify a theme and can be anything from a single object (a key, a necklace, a stone); a place (the beach, an airport, a house); a repeated type of object (a dark car, a woman in sunglasses, an eagle flying overhead); a shape (diamonds, circles, crucifixes); a gesture (wiping glasses, lighting a pipe, a hand in a pocket); a colour; a sound; a piece of music, poetry; to a fragrance (the smell of new-mown grass, cigar smoke).

- symbols are used to give intangible ideas and emotions a visibility and solidity that makes the reader notice them

- symbols can help to give unity to the plot - a recurring symbol is used to link different events and characters

Irony

This is the revelation of the unexpected consequences of actions and words

- irony can add interest, humour and impact to the novel

- it can give depth to characters, tighten the plot, help to define the characters and contribute to our understanding of the author's theme

Style

This is the way the story is written

There are four main ways a story can be presented (and countless combinations of these):

the central character tells the story in his / her own words

a non-central character tells the story

the author refers to all characters in the third person, but reveals only what can be seen, heard or thought by a central character

the author refers to each character in the third person and describes what most or all of the characters see, hear and think; the author can also describe events which do not concern any of the characters

The author can adopt

- a subjective point of view, which means he / she judges and interprets the characters for the reader

- or an objective view, in which the author presents events and allows the reader to make judgements

- an author can use 'flash-backs' to fill in background

Language

The language used by the author also reveals the theme and purpose of the novel:

- the complexity of sentence and paragraph structure; the use of humour, satire and irony; imagery and other poetic devices and word choice all contribute to our appreciation of the characters and events which involve them

- the reader can be left totally unconcerned about the fate of characters or can shed tears when some tragic end overtakes them.

When writing about the novel, you will always be directed to discuss a particular aspect of the author's work

* Work out just what the question is asking you to do

* Write a properly structured essay in response to the question

AND - always read the question carefully to make sure that an essay is the required response - if not, organise your information to suit the requirements of the question, following the same steps for planning

ALWAYS quote from the novel to illustrate and support your main points. You're not expected to memorise large sections of the novel, but it's easy to remember short quotations in a novel