Re: Structure
Charles Dickens (cdickens@RMPLC.CO.UK)
Fri, 6 Mar 1998 09:22:59 -0100
My dear Miss Michelle,
Long training as a journalist enabled me to write, early in my career as a
novelist, without making notes. With my first novel, I simply thought of Mr
Pickwick and began writing. Such plans as there were, were in my head.
Later, I did make notes, but only at a very initial stage were they at all
random: lists of names, episodes and the like. Very soon I proceeded to
structured plans - cryptic jottings for each monthly (or weekly) number,
very short, which would have meant nothing to anyone but myself.
But I also began to revise much more as my career developed. I used to
pride myself on the clarity and transparency of my early manuscripts.
Sometimes, when I think of my later ones, I shed a compassionate tear at the
thought of the tribulations of the wretched compositor, confronted with so
many crossings out, interlinear notes, instructions to incorporate entire
second-thought paragraphs on the back of the sheet, and so forth. The
compositors must have been tempted to re-christen the Inimitable the
Indecipherable. Nor would the Inimitable have blamed them for doing so!
Faithfully yours,
Charles Dickens
________________________________________________________________________________
>Dear Mr. Dickens,
>Thank you for your reply. I would like to ask you something else about
>your writing. When you started jotting down ideas for your novels, were
>they in the order they are in the book now? I mean, when you started
>writing, did you start with the first chapter then go on to the second,
>then the third and so on? Or did you classify them in order when you've
>finished?
>
>Yours faithfully,
>
>Michelle
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>
======================
Charles Dickens
charles_dickens@rmplc.co.uk
Author