Novel originally a story in the Romance, a vernacular language. The definition appeared in the 12th century. And each time something new was called by it. Initially, the novel could be poetic – it is understandable, because in verse, song form huge texts are easier to memorize, and then retell. However, quickly enough the novel came to prose.
Although the origins of the novel are found in the 2-5 centuries AD in India, Greece, ancient Rome.
Interesting fact: the history of the novel is confusing and uneven. And this applies not only to its popularity as a genre, but even the varieties of sub-genre: who came from where, where it flowed and in general, what ties of kinship are connected – scholars are still arguing about it.
Often the novel centers around the fates of individuals who act in a time of change and upheaval. In the novel is centered much more people than in the stories and novels, there are more events and the time interval of let’s say tens of years. Although Dan Brown in his Secret Symbol managed to cram only twenty-four hours of history into a thick book.
The novel includes details, nuances, worlds, characters and their relationships in different hypostases.
In addition, despite the era chosen, the novel parses the situations and relationships of today. Even if you transfer the reader to Ancient Egypt, you still make people and their relationships through the prism of today.
This, by the way, is a good excuse for those who write some fantasy, and he is presented with a claim that in that medieval time did not say so.
In general, the novel is a strange and greedy structure. It feeds on everything it comes across and makes part of itself, from essays to the notes of a doctor of a madhouse.
The novel, at the expense of its long and abundant history, can include both descriptions of the external world (real or fictional) and internal, purely psychological experiences. Gerald Durell wrote about nature, animals, and a little about how he lacked the money to create his zoo.
The novel includes not one, but several or even many plot lines. They can be short, within a chapter or the story of one character. And can stretch over several volumes. Of course, this implies a large number of events that layer on top of each other and change the characters, times, and humanity.
That’s why a novel is a great test for a writer: do you have the patience to just sit down and write those hundreds of pages? And do you have the knowledge, the flair, the experience and the desire to make it really interesting?
Speaking of me – and you’re always interested in my personal opinion – I love novels. Not all of them, obviously, but in general I love to linger over a good story. Given that I read fairly quickly, the longer the book, the better chance I have of staying in a new world longer.
A little background on novel writing. It’s always long. A short story can be written in a few hours on one fuse of inspiration. A novel is a systematic endeavor. Sometimes a single sketch is easy to write, and sometimes an entire chapter per author’s page. But to finish you still need systematic work: searching for information (not much, but to stay within reason), writing a rough text; looking for logical holes; working out the characters; adding details; drafting again; texting again; writing ideas on pieces of paper, on the computer, on the phone, on the walls, and so on.
Over time, you develop a regimen; you become less dependent on inspiration – i.e. an emotional high, an injection of nitrous oxide into your head. Inspiration reaches a certain working level and comes every day, as long as you keep writing and have a timely rest.
