How To Write A Damn Good Novel: Advanced Techniques For Dramatic Storytelling

HOW TO WRITE A GOOD NOVEL, II OTHER BOOKS BY JAMES N. FREY NONFICTION How to Write a Damn Good Novel FICTION Winter of the Wolves Came a Dead Cat Killing in Dreamland The Long Way to Die U.S.S.A. The Last Patriot The Armageddon Game Circle of Death The Elixir HOW TO WRITE A GOOD NOVEL, II ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR DRAMATIC STORYTELLING JAMES N. FREY St. Martin's Press • New York HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD NOVEL, II: ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR DRAMATIC STORYTELLING. C o p y r i g h t © 1994 by James N. Frey. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. Editor: George Witte Production Editor: David Stanford Burr Design: Judith A. Stagnitto Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Frey, James N. How to write a damn good novel, II / James N. Frey. p. cm. ISBN 0-312-10478-2 1. Fiction—Technique. I. Title. PN3365. F75 1994 808.3—dc20 93-44060 CIP First edition: April 1994 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Books are available in quantity for promotional or premium use. Write to Director of Special Sales, St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, for information on discounts and terms, or call toll-free (800) 221-7945. In New York, call (212) 674-5151 (ext. 645). IN MEMORIAM Arnaldo Hernandez (1936-1993) who lived and wrote passionately ACKNOWLEDGMENTS o my wife, Elizabeth, who suffers all the usual pains and uncerT tainties of being a writer's wife, and who labored long and hard copyediting the manuscript for this book; to Lester Gorn who taught me most of it; to Prof. Elizabeth Davis for her many great suggestions, enthusiasm, and occasional kick in the pants; to Susan Edmiston for her sharp-eyed editorial help; and to my agent, Susan Zeckendorf, without whom I might still be languishing as an insurance claims adjuster, spending my days calculating the cost of replacing dented bumpers. Introduction CHAPTER ONE: The Fictive Dream and How to Induce It To Dream Is Not to Sleep—Sympathy— Identification—Empathy—The Final Step: The Transported Reader CHAPTER TWO: All About Suspense or Pass the Mustard, I'm Biting My Nails Suspense Defined—Lighting the Fuse CHAPTER THREE: Of Wimps and Wackos: Creating Truly Memorable Characters Wimps—Characters Worth Knowing—Character and Competence—The Wacky Factor—Character Contrast and Setting—The Ruling Passions—Dual Characters CHAPTER FOUR: The " P " Word (Premise) Revisited: Part One: The Concept Is Explained and Simplified A Rose by Any Other Name Is Not a Banana— Finding a Premise for a Particular Story—Sorting 1 5 21 33 49 Out the Babble of Terms—Premises at Work—A Mighty Example—Types of Premises CHAPTER FIVE: The " P " Word (Premise) Revisited: Part Two: The Novelist's Magic Wand Premise Prestidigitation—Premise-Making for Fun and Profit—The Multipremise Novel—Mastering the Technique of Writing with a Premise CHAPTER SIX: On Voice or The "Who" Who Tells the Tale Why the Who Ain't You—The Roar of the Lion: Using a Strong Narrative Voice—The First versus Third Pseudo-Rule and Other Myths—The Writer Pumping Iron: Developing Your Voice CHAPTER SEVEN: The Author/Reader Contract or Don't Promise a Primrose and Deliver a Pickle The Basic Contract—Genre—Mainstream— Literary—The Contract beyond the Conventions— The Unreliable Narrator—Playing Fair . 63 79 99 CHAPTER EIGHT: The Seven Deadl