The Art of the Novel

How do you write a novel?

Practising novelists and teachers of creative writing reveal their working methods and offer practical advice. Subjects covered range from magic realism to characterisation, surrealism to historical fiction, via perspective, plot twists and avoiding being boring, among many others.

This book is for

creative writing students

writers and readers of novels

teachers of creative writing

With contributions from Leone Ross, Tom Bromley, Jenn Ashworth, AJ Dalton, Nikesh Shukla, Stella Duffy, Mark Morris, Alison Moore, Nicholas Royle, Alice Thompson, Kerry Hudson, Toby Litt, Livi Michael, Joe Stretch, James Miller, Sarah Butler, Will Wiles, Graeme Shimmin

Featuring

Eighteen specially commissioned essays

Creative writing exercises

Top tips

Lists of recommended novels



Some pairings can be relied upon – literature and life, Steptoe and Son, Lennon and McCartney, Nicholas Royle and a good anthology.



Royle's (excellent) taste means that little explosions of weirdness or transcendence often erupt amid much well-observed everyday life.



The tips are all good, the exercises useful, and the recommended books will give you quite a reading list!