National Novel Writing Month is upon us. For those beginning hopeful novels—tirelessly typing through scenes of dialogue and character descriptions, finding a rhythm, losing it, hitting a snag in the plotline—it can seem overwhelming to pen something substantial in just thirty days. But it’s not impossible. Here are ten authors who wrote some of their most important work in around a month. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess Burgess admits writing his best known novel in about three weeks and doing so only for the money. The novel went on to be adapted by Stanley Kubrick, whose classic film did not …
The reason so many writers choose universities as their settings is likely because the campus environment is a well-known microcosm for the world itself. The university, after all, has political hierarchies, bureaucracy, people studied in all known disciplines, social dramas, scandals…you name it. Essentially every facet of daily existence is represented on campuses across the world. This is also the reason the campus novel can be so entertaining. Whether it stimulates our own nostalgia, provides a mirror to our current lives, or takes us somewhere altogether new and unique, the campus novel is an institution well worth dipping in to. …
Before a book is published, it goes through many stages of revision and editing. Often, the title of the book changes throughout the process. Though it may seem like some of our favorite books could not exist under another title, they easily could have. Do you think you can spot the working title of some of the world’s best loved books? Take our quiz below and find out! Featured image courtesy of https://bit.ly/1XzE4IU
There are certain books it’s hard to imagine a world without. And yet, many of our best loved bestsellers met much difficulty in finding publication. The reasons for this are various, from the reluctance to publish controversial material, to simply being unwilling to take a risk on a little-known author. However, once these books do hit print, it can be very inspiring to take a look back and think about the many obstacles they faced on their way to glory. We’ve compiled a list of ten bestsellers and the number of rejections they received. Some of these might surprise you! …
It’s a simple but profound truth: the novel is capable of anything. There are some writers who give us straightforward narratives in which we can envelop ourselves and feel comforted. But there are other writers who attempt to push against the barriers of fiction in order to create works that defy classification. Experimental novels can be pretty hit or miss. But there are some experimental novels that reward you generously for doing the work of reading them. We decided to compile a list of our ten favorite experimental novels of the 21st century so far. Let us know what you …
