Taking “Drastic Action”: One Approach to Writing a Novel

Maybe you know the story of Kazuo Ishiguro, how he wrote his Booker Prize winning novel, THE REMAINS OF THE DAY, in four weeks. Four Weeks! How did he do that?

The story goes that the summer of 1986, he wrote the opening chapter to the novel, and in the months following, did a great deal of reading as to the timeframe and setting involved. But after a year had gone by, what with public engagements, travel, and social obligations, he’d made no further progress. It was time to take drastic action.

After clearing his calendar for one month, Ishiguro embarked on what he and his wife called “a crash,” dedicating that month to completing his book. During those four weeks, he would attend solely to his writing, working from 9:00 in the morning to 10:30 at night six days a week. He’d take an hour for lunch and two hours for dinner, but in the remaining time, he would write. He would not answer the phone, read mail, or entertain visitors. His wife agreed to take on his share of the housekeeping and meal preparation, and Ishiguro’s sole responsibility was to finish his novel.

The idea was to become so immersed in the fictional world he was creating that the narrative would flow easily. He’d get down the gist of the story, the hard first draft, and save “cleaning up” for later. And so he did. He wrote longhand, “awful sentences, hideous dialogue, scenes that went nowhere” as he described them. Leaving the awful and hideous in place and forging on to the end of the manuscript. At the end of the four weeks, though he still had refining and editing to do, Ishiguro finished his novel.

We may not all be able to devote a months’ time to our writing projects as Ishiguro did, but what can we as writers take away from his experience? Probably lots of things, but for now I’d like to discuss three.

The first important point is that such sustained writing requires a great deal of planning. This includes any pre-writing thinking about the novel—the basic story being told—as well as any research needed for the setting, historical, or cultural context. And it includes extensive planning to assure that the dedicated time will be honored.

Secondly, there are great advantages to working many consecutive days in a row. This “on-goingness” helps to keep the plot and characters in mind so that no catching up is needed. Each day, you will get into the flow more quickly.

Lastly, and perhaps most important is the realization that we are capable of greater achievement than we might believe. And it can come about in a fairly short time.

We all must write in ways that work for us. Writing a novel is a marathon; and elements of Ishiguro’s plan (adapted to fit your needs) will help keep you running. Happy writing! –Lucy Adkins

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