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This album provides the budding author with everything they need to know about approaching the art of fiction writing. Each track contains discussions and interviews with best-selling novelists from a variety of backgrounds including Alex Garland, Louis de Bernières, Abdulrazak Gurnah and Monique Roffey. This enlightening and engaging series tackles the practicalities and pitfalls of writing fiction. It contains invaluable advice on the creation of characters, the structure of narratives and how to turn an idea into the book you’ve always wanted to write. This material forms part of The Open University course A174 Start writing fiction. (New and updated content added July 2009)
Track 7: How to keep going
Examining the importance of a writer’s own experience and how this feeds into prose. The value of self-criticism and how to keep writing when the going gets tough.
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Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start writing fiction | An introduction to this album. Play now Start writing fiction |
| 2 | Starting the writing process | Here, the novelists on the panel discuss what first attracted them to writing prose and what writing means to them. Play now Starting the writing process |
| 3 | Researching and influencing your fiction | In order to write, every novelist must read. The importance of reading and how this can influence your own style. Play now Researching and influencing your fiction |
| 4 | Characters and genre | How do you create a believable character, and how can genre hinder or help a writer? Play now Characters and genre |
| 5 | Narrative and structural techniques | Technical methods of storytelling and how to structure a book. Play now Narrative and structural techniques |
| 6 | Redrafting and editing | Good writing isn’t really about writing – it’s about rewriting. The crucial aspects to consider in the editing process, including the pace and precision of your prose. Play now Redrafting and editing |
| 7 | How to keep going | Examining the importance of a writer’s own experience and how this feeds into prose. The value of self-criticism and how to keep writing when the going gets tough. Play now How to keep going |
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