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Transcriber's Notes: Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been
left as in the original. Words in italics in the original are surrounded
by _underscores_. Ellipses match the original.

A few typographical errors have been corrected. A complete list follows
the text.


                         The "how to" Series




                         HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL




     +--------------------------------------------------------------+
     |                     The "how to" Series                      |
     |                                                              |
     |                                                              |
     |                     I. HOW TO DEAL WITH                      |
     |                         YOUR BANKER                          |
     |                                                              |
     |                       BY HENRY WARREN                        |
     |                                                              |
     |            Author of "Banks and their Customers"             |
     |                                                              |
     |                       _Third Edition._                       |
     |                                                              |
     |                 _Crown 8vo, Cloth, 5s. 6d._                  |
     |                                                              |
     |                                                              |
     |                     II. WHERE AND HOW TO                     |
     |                        DINE IN PARIS                         |
     |                                                              |
     |                      BY ROWLAND STRONG                       |
     |                                                              |
     |         _Fcap. 8vo, Cloth, Cover Designed, 2s. 6d._          |
     |                                                              |
     |                                                              |
     |                    III. HOW TO WRITE FOR                     |
     |                        THE MAGAZINES                         |
     |                                                              |
     |                   BY "L600 A YEAR FROM IT"                   |
     |                                                              |
     |                 _Crown 8vo, Cloth, 2s. 6d._                  |
     |                                                              |
     |                                                              |
     |                    IV. HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR                    |
     |                            BANKER                            |
     |                                                              |
     |                       BY HENRY WARREN                        |
     |                                                              |
     |                 _Crown 8vo, Cloth, 3s. 6d._                  |
     |                                                              |
     |                                                              |
     |                   V. HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL:                   |
     |                                                              |
     |                 A Practical Guide to the Art                 |
     |                         of Fiction.                          |
     |                                                              |
     |                 _Crown 8vo, Cloth, 3s. 6d._                  |
     |                                                              |
     |                                                              |
     |                    VI. HOW TO INVEST AND                     |
     |                       HOW TO SPECULATE                       |
     |                                                              |
     |                       BY C. H. THORPE                        |
     |                                                              |
     |                   _Crown 8vo, Cloth, 5s._                    |
     |                                                              |
     |                                                              |
     |                    LONDON: GRANT RICHARDS                    |
     |                   9 HENRIETTA STREET, W.C.                   |
     +--------------------------------------------------------------+


                         The "how to" Series




                            HOW TO WRITE A
                                NOVEL

                     A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE ART
                              OF FICTION


                                LONDON
                            GRANT RICHARDS
               9 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C.
                                 1901




PREFACE


This little book is one which so well explains itself that no
introductory word is needed; and I only venture to intrude a sentence or
two here with a view to explain the style in which I have conveyed my
ideas. I desired to be plain and practical, and therefore chose the
direct and epistolary form as being most suitable for the purpose in
hand.




CONTENTS


  CHAPTER I

  THE OBJECT IN VIEW
                                                             PAGE
  An Inevitable Comparison                                      3

  A Model Lesson in Novel-Writing                               5

  The Teachable and the Unteachable                             9


  CHAPTER II

  A GOOD STORY TO TELL

  Where do Novelists get their Stories from?                   12

  Is there a Deeper Question?                                  14

  What about the Newspapers?                                   17


  CHAPTER III

  HOW TO BEGIN

  Formation of the Plot                                        25

  The Agonies and Joys of "Plot-Construction"                  28

  Care in the Use of Actual Events                             31

  The Natural History of a Plot                                35

  Sir Walter Besant on the Evolution of a Plot                 40

  Plot-Formation in Earnest                                    43

  Characters first: Plot afterwards                            45

  The Natural Background                                       47


  CHAPTER IV

  CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERISATION

  The Chief Character                                          50

  How to Portray Character                                     52

  Methods of Characterisation                                  55

  The Trick of "Idiosyncrasies"                                58


  CHAPTER V

  STUDIES IN LITERARY TECHNIQUE

  Narrative Art                                                63

  Movement                                                     66

  Aids to Description: The Point of View                       67

  Selecting the Main Features