In music and Art, there's an apprentiship, a long immersion, a
perfecting of skills, and finding a level. But is there a similar
apprentiship for a novelist?
Carolyn's book is in the genre of accelerated apprentiship,
specifically guidance for those writing their first novel.
The presentation is lively, and everything about this book is
refreshing and vibrant. The overall task is clear, as are the individual
exercises. The text sparkles with erudition, good sense and experience.
Carolyn herself says that there is no magic formula to writing a
novel (possibly no perfect recipe either) but she shows us ways of
seeing and noticing, ways of practising, ways to edit and take pride in
our craft, ways of bringing it all together.
And so here is the bonus, the extra that makes this book stand out:
Carolyn is herself so actively engaged with living and with writing that
her ideas (observation/life as a plot/character/stamina) enliven and
enrich our thinking, and this can only be reflected for good in any
consequent writing.
Geraldine Taylor
MA, MBAC, award winning writer and BBC Wildlife Writer of the Year
2000
This review appears in Bristol Review
of Books issue 13, Spring 2010
