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Writing Quips and Tips
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Writing Quips and Tips
Writing and rewriting - it’s now or never
I recently read that, before he begins a new novel, EL Doctorow writes 60-or-so pages of dialogue between his main characters – then throws them away and starts again.
I don’t know how he does it. It must break his heart. But I do understand why.
Having just finished a rough draft of a new novel, I have been giving him a lot of thought lately – and wishing I had his discipline (not to mention his talent).Reading my manuscript from beginning to end, I can see how the voice of the protagonist, and the novel as a whole, develops as I gain confidence. At the start, my protagonist is a tentative being, just drawing her first breaths in the world I gave her. By the end, she is more confident in her skin. She speaks and reacts in a way that is more true to who she is.
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