Novels About Writing

[sarillia]

Every once in a while I get in a mood where I like to read fiction centered around writers. I find it interesting and motivating. But I need to broaden my selection. There are three books that I keep going back to when I get in this mood.

Misery by Stephen King. Most people think of the "crazy fan" angle before really considering the writer protagonist, but besides the suspense and horror, the thing that keeps bringing me back is the fun of reading about his writing process.

Hygiene and the Assassin by Amelie Nothomb. This one belongs to a group of books I go back to when I'm in a different mood too: when I want to read something that provokes strong feelings. I can't stand the writer in this book. But I find his opinions fascinating. It's got a lot of interesting things that make me think, like "If I knew what I was thinking, I suppose I would never have become a writer".

London Fields by Martin Amis. I go to this one less often but I still enjoy reading about how the main character (though I'm not sure I would call him the protagonist) turns the lives of the people he meets into his next novel.

Does anyone else like reading books like this? Do you have any suggestions for others?

Comments

[inevitableentresol]

I usually avoid books about writers/writing the same way that I avoid songs about the process of songwriting. I find they become too self-referential.

One book I do enjoy though is The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry. A main character is a poet and the narrator is a writer, I think.

At Swim Two Birds by Flann O'Brien is another favourite. It has a book within a book within a book, which I love.

[sarillia]

I don't mind self-referential but I tend to avoid writing characters who are writers because I know a lot of people feel the same way you do.

Actually there are a lot of things people don't like that I do. I love experimental stuff that people dismiss as "pretentious". It's another thing I avoid writing too much of even though it seems so fun.

[inevitableentresol]

I also like a lot of things other people hate. Jumps in time and flashbacks is a love of mine, either for reading or writing. That way the story can be structured emotionally rather than chronologically. But I know that's something that makes a lot of other people stop reading fast.

Other things I love are first person narration. And epistolary novels. And a-book-within-a-book. All a bit 'pretentious' but lots of fun.

Actually, it's just occurred to me that I like that last device so much because it's a good workaround for writing about writing. A lot of science fiction writers I admire use it to great effect. It's also a good way of dropping in lumps of exposition and/or humour in an unexpected way.

When I was a teenager, I read a lot of Stephen King's books, and although I just said I don't like reading about writers, Misery was my favourite of his by far. I've heard Dark Tower is also a good one. I must give it a try.

[sarillia]

Yep, I love all that too. I keep coming up with ideas for epistolary novels and stories within stories and then I focus on writing different ideas because I've heard so many complaints against them.

I keep wanting to write a story that's written out of order too, but I need a story that lends itself to that sort of structure. I played with chronology a bit in the past by telling two parallel stories, alternating one chapter in the present with one chapter in the past. That was fun.

Come to think of it, I've also been avoiding first person narration these days even though I think it's really fun to write (and I happen to think I'm good at writing in the voice of the narrator) but I've heard so many people complain about first person. I guess I'm just trying to stay away from things that are widely avoided until I manage to get some published stories under my belt and I'll have some past successes to point to.

[inevitableentresol]

I love epistolary novels so much. The Hippopotamus and Liaisons Dangereuses are two of my favourites, but I love fanfic using that idea too.

These days, there's so many interesting ways that people communicate, not just by letters/email but using texts, facebook updates, even post-it notes left around the house. Excerpts from imaginary books/articles can also be added, and all of which build a story, even if they're not the entire thing.

Bridget Jones' Diary was an epistolary novel. It's not fashionable to admit it, but I loved that book.

Ugh, so many people complain about first person narration, but when it's done well there's nothing like it for getting inside the character's head. There are a lot of pitfalls, sure. The tiniest bit of lack of empathy with the narrator and it's much more jarring than if it were in the third person.

That's the main problem for me. The common criticism I've seen from others is that a lot of beginner writers use first person, because it's like writing their own diary. I haven't come across this at all in practice myself.

If you do get successful, you might be known for the first thing you're successful at. Ha, did you ever worry about that? One more thing to worry about, just what we all need.

I had some short stories published a while ago and it was a bleh experience. It turned me off getting published for a while. I should really put on my big girl's pants and persevere. But I was edited so badly it was an embarassment - though they meant well. Luckily no one ever read it.

For novels, it's probably different. If I picked up a book in a bookshop and saw the whole thing was in second person (we all have our own blind spots) I'd consider twice. With a short story, I'd push through.

And just for interest, here are some successful books off the top of my head I've enjoyed, all in the first person:

Feersum Endjinn
The Hunger Games
Jane Eyre
Lolita
Memoirs of a Geisha
Life of Pi
The Eyre Affair
The Secret History
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle
American Psycho
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

list of hundreds more here, including many of the biggest recent bestsellers

People may bad mouth it, but first person sells.

[lunabee34]

Possession by A.S. Byatt

This is probably my favorite book. It cuts back and forth between scholars who are researching Victorian authors and the lives of the Victorian authors themselves. It's all about the joys of scholarship and writing. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Drood by Dan Simmons
Actually just about everything by Dan Simmons. Illium and Olympos for sure.

[sarillia]

Possession is on my list and I was really excited when I picked it up at the last used book sale I went to (that's how I get most of my books these days) but I haven't gotten to it yet.

I haven't heard of the others but I'll look into them. I can guess what Drood is about and I like the idea of it.

[lunabee34]

Drood is lovely. It's from the POV of Wilkie Collins, and it literalizes The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Dickens.

Ilium and Olympos are about ancient Greece, The Tempest, the distant future, and being able to transport yourself into fiction. Among other things. This series vies with Possession for my favorite books of all time.

Also by Simmons, the Hyperion series deals with the Romantic poets, specifically Keats.

THIS MAN WRITES ENGLISH MAJOR LITERATURE PORN OMG.

(not really porn *g*)

[sarillia]

Ooh, I love Wilkie Collins! I guessed it was centered around The Mystery of Edwin Drood but I didn't know that part.

[inevitableentresol]

I've heard of Possession and your summary sounds fascinating. I must give it a read.

[lunabee34]

Let me know what you think of it if you do. I'd love to talk with someone else who's read it. :)

[inevitableentresol]

Okay, I will. Buying it and adding it to my to-read pile. I'll send you a message when I finish it.

I'm reading The Tale of Genji, the Arthur Walley translation at the moment. It's quite long and I'm only 1/4 of the way through, but if you or anyone else has read it I'd love to discuss that too. It's really good btw. Very beautiful language but with racy content. Basically a tale of complicated sexual exploits in tenth century Japan.

[lunabee34]

I have never read the whole of Tale of Genji. I've taught short excerpts of it before in World Lit, though, and I find it fascinating. What are your thoughts so far?