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THE NOVEL

Undergoing a Novel

Antennae Up

Carol Shields
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

When you are undergoing a novel, your antennae is up somehow and so you're catching all sorts of things that you might not catch if you were not in the process of writing a novel.

Writing a novel involves developing setting, characters, plot, climax, and all the elements of language that bring those things alive to the reader. Carol Shields says that when she is in the process of writing a novel her antennae are up. She absorbs all sorts of things to use. It's not a case of not having enough material. It's a case of have too much.

Imagine that your small group has been given the challenge of collecting ideas/information for a novel. The setting for the novel is your school. Put your antennae up and brainstorm material in the categories below. Be very descriptive as you jot down ideas. For example, instead of just listing "hallway" for settingÖ describe which hallway and its mood and appearance.

Setting	Characters	Events/Plot	Conflicts/Problems