Some changes are afoot!
Plus, How I Wrote Before I Go to Sleep - a special Issue of The Writers' Lodge
Hi everyone!
I’ve been having some thoughts about this publication, and what I offer.
I write a lot, and only a fraction of my output can ever see the light of day if my only outlet is between the covers of a hardback book that has been traditionally published. The truth is the publishing industry is becoming increasingly risk averse, and moves incredibly slowly. There has to be a better way, or at least another, additional way, and it’s my belief that Substack might offer another route to get more of my work in front of those who might enjoy it.
Going forward then, in addition to my current output, I plan to write some essays on topics that might not be related to writing or fiction, and to share some of my work that hasn’t been, and in some cases might never be, published. This might include fiction, memoir, snippets of works-in-progress, or even bits of abandoned projects. Who knows? I for one am excited to find out.
Some of these posts I will definitely keep free, but since I do believe writers should be paid for their work, not all of them. I’ve kept the price as low as possible, however, and it is easy to unsubscribe at any time. And for those who don’t want to subscribe, or can’t afford to, don’t worry. I’ll still be keeping you up-to-date via my free posts, as well as sending out #SJsTwitterBookClub summaries and other, additional free material to sink your teeth into!
In summary, you won’t see any less material from me, whichever option you choose. Hopefully you’ll find there’s more, and more varied offerings too. Shifting to a paid subscription will just mean you get the full experience, and also the warm glow from knowing you’re supporting my work directly. I hope you’ll consider it.
How I Wrote Before I Go to Sleep
I’ve talked before about the writing of my debut novel, but I’ve never really thought before about the value of placing self-imposed restrictions, or rules, on your work
The other day I read Red Milk, a short book by Icelandic writer Sjón, and noticed something in the afterword. Sjón writes,
“When I’m planning a new novel, I invariably begin by deciding what not to do as much as what needs to be done to create the book I'm aiming for.”
He goes on to say, “With Red Milk, what I wouldn't allow myself to do was employ pathos or myth.” With another of his books he told himself he wouldn’t allow himself to show sympathy for the main character becuase he wanted him to “…have earned it himself”.
I found this fascinating. It reminded me of Margaret Atwood’s rule to herself when writing The Handmaid’s Tale — that should would put nothing in it that hadn’t actually happened, somewhere, at some point in history. I began to think about my own wor too, and how — perhaps counterintuitively — the restrictions we place on ourselves can actually help to lift and give a life to the work it might not otherwise have had.
Before I Go to Sleep began with an obituary I read at the end of 2008. Henry Gustav Molaison, had died a few weeks previously but since undergoing surgery in 1953 he’d been unable to form new memories. When I read that something struck me. If he’d really formed no new memories since 1953, he must’ve woken every day believing himself to be 27. He was 82 when he died.
As it turned out, when I later looked at Henry’s case in more detail, I found that was a simplification, and wasn't quite true. But the thought triggered something in me. A ‘what if?’. In this case: What if you woke every day believing yourself to still have your entire life ahead of you, then discovered many of your fundamental life choices were already made?
The novel started to form from that kernel of an idea. But, and this is the crucial point, I knew it had to a) not be about Henry, and b) be in the first person. It would’ve been relatively easy to write Henry’s story, because the ‘plot’, if you like, was already in place. And it would also have been relatively (emphasis on the relatively there!) easy to write it in the third person. That viewpoint would’ve allowed me, the author, to know things the character didn’t. To take an objective view of what they were going through and what was happening to them.
But, I knew that I wanted to write a book that had twists and turns and was an exciting, page-turning read. And also, I knew that the book would be much more engaging and interesting if it was written in the first person. That way I could convey what my character was thinking and feeling, I could talk about their confusion, their sense of loss. And crucially (though perhaps I wasn’t aware of this when I started writing the book), I could almost replicate her emotional journey in the reader — at every stage in the book the reader knows only what she knows, believes only what she believes. This would have been impossible (or at least incredibly unsatisfying) to attempt in a third person narrative.
So, in my case, the restrictions I placed on the work were basically, “Not Henry’s story”, and “there can be nothing on the page that my main character doesn’t know”.
I’ve come to realise that though one might intuitively believe that these constraints make the writing of a book more difficult, this can be far from the truth. They can actually serve as a set of rails, if you like, almost literally keeping you ‘on track’. And when the work is done, it can be these limits which actually give the book a life it might not otherwise have had.
Over to you
What restrictions have you got in place? Are there any you haven’t previously thought of? Are you finding them helpful?
As you may know, I launched The Writers’ Lodge back in February, with a mix of posts and threads aimed at those experimenting with writing their own works of fiction.
The above is an issue of The Writers’ Lodge. I hope you enjoyed it. As it was one I though might have a broader appeal — to those who might be interested in the craft of writing but aren’t necessarily writing themselves, for example, or those who have enjoyed Before I Go to Sleep and want to know more about how I wrote it — I decided to make it freely available.
If you did enjoy it, and want to get the full experience from this newsletter, do consider upgrading your subscription.
Happy writing/reading!
I tried de-gendering all language in A Slap on the Arse - a novel about sexual harassment that I condensed as a play. Worked for the novel, but difficult for stage.
I have never thought of restrictions... interesting idea.