I've gotten only a little further with my novel but the process of deconstructing someone else's novel was very interesting and instructive. I was able to gain some insight into how Mr. Crais put together his novel, how he created tension and suspense, basically the whole nine yards of novel construction. I believe that I've gained so much insight into the writing process that I'm now deconstructing James Lee Burke's Black Cherry Blues and will do the same with Robert B. Parker's early Spenser novel Looking for Rachel Wallace after I finish with Mr. Burke's book.
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I've included two links to reviews for Henning Mankell's The Man from Beijing. The New York Times review is lukewarm; the Washington Post review is more positive. I am reading the novel, a mystery in which a mass-murder has occured in the fictional Swedish town of Hesjovallen. The Man from Beijing is not Mankell's best work but I'm enjoying it none the less.
The New York Times Review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/books/review/Peed-t.html
The Washington Post Review:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/09/AR2010040904973.html
Below I've also included a review, from the Los Angeles Times, of Robert Crais' The First Rule.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/11/entertainment/la-et-book11-2010jan11
I've never given much thought to deconstruction of another's work. I can see where you would gain great insight of the process! Really quite brilliant.
ReplyDeleteWhen you deconstruct, what does that entail? Outlining, chapter by chapter?
ReplyDeleteNaomi, to answer your question I start with 5X7 index cards. I give only one card to each chapter. On the card I write down a two or three line synopsis of the chapter. I also write down the names of any character(s) introduced in that chapter and a line or two about each of them; i.e.: personality, job, etc. Lastly I write a line or two about the setting of the chapter. This process, especially the synopsis, give a good understanding of how a particular nove was structured and how the story was moved forward.
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