#1 A Novel in a Year

Weeks 1-4

If you read last week’s post, you will be aware that I came across Louise Doughty’s book ‘A Novel in a Year’ shortly before Christmas courtesy of my local library.

52 exercises.

One a week all of varying design and challenge.

A message board accompanied the original column nearly 20 years ago, but as this no longer exists, I thought that I would create a version of my own here¹.

The intention of sharing my updates in my newsletter is twofold; it helps track my progress, and it may help with my motivation to stick at it for the year.

If you are interested in joining me with these exercises, please get in touch and we can share ideas.

Week 1

Write one sentence, beginning with the words: The day after my eighth birthday, my father told me…

Huh? Was my first reaction.

Then after a little more thought, words would pop into my head, and then snippets of lines. Part of me thought that my offering needed to be smart or funny, and then another part of me began to question why I was even attempting the exercises in the first place. So, I returned to Doughty’s book for advice:

Everyone has to start somewhere. Laurence Sterne, Emily Brontë, Nadine Gordimer all started somewhere. Every novel in the history of literature began with one sentence, so begin.

So here goes:

The day after my eighth birthday, my father told me that everything was going to be fine, but we had to leave right now.

Week 2

Doughty asks the following question at the beginning of week two:

What do you think might be the most useful thing you can do to prepare (to write)?

She mentions purchasing some new stationary, cleaning up, even pruning a hedge so that it doesn’t block your view. But Doughty identifies the one thing that will really help - you must read.

Fortunately, Doughty didn’t need to ask me twice on this one.

Just some post-Christmas book purchases…

Week 3

There were two exercises for week three. The first was to review several one-liners shared by other writers who participated in the original ANIYA, while the second was to complete another one-line task and answer the following question: why do you want to write a novel?

Doughty says to write one sentence in plain English, using concise language, and avoid the temptation to be funny:

I want to be a novelist because I want to feel everything, and I cannot imagine not writing.

Week 4

This week’s exercise was to write anything. If there were any pre-requisites, it was to write freely, enthusiastically, and not to self-censor.

Here is one thing that I wrote in my journal:

I read an article yesterday about ambivalence. The writer said that the feeling of ambivalence is often portrayed as an absence of emotion, a numbness. But they argued the opposite, ambivalence is when we feel overwhelmed with emotions, and in almost every moment we are weighing up information to better process our response providing respite from a busy and often confusing world. In short, ambivalence allows us to sit on the fence.  

Ok, that’s the first four weeks of material for ANIYA. Onwards and upwards.

Sarah xx

1. Although you can find the first column here.