Reading Lists

Below are details of a dozen modern (ie, all published last century) novels which constitute some kind of ‘recommended reading’ list for those keen to write their own novel or discover how great fiction works. I’m aware that any such list will inevitably be extremely selective - and subjective - and will, no doubt, provoke anguished cries of, ‘What, no —’ (Supply the name/title of your own favourite author/book). What the texts listed below attempt to do is broaden the scope of the novel, either in theme or subject matter, or through the mechanics of the writing itself. All are superb examples of the novelist’s art, with three - the Greene, Murdoch and Nabokov - being bona fide masterpieces. Each of these books will repay in-depth analysis as to how they achieve their effects, and offer considerable insights into the way in which novels are written. You will learn infinitely more about the craft of novel writing (and, indeed, writing in general) through a diligent reading of just one of these books than you will from studying any number of ‘How to...’ volumes.

A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh
Falling - Colin Thubron
Fullalove - Gordon Burn
Hangover Square - Patrick Hamilton
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov*
Money - Martin Amis
The Black Prince - Iris Murdoch
The Devil’s Own Work - Alan Judd
The End of the Affair - Graham Greene
The Mezzanine - Nicholson Baker
Christie Malry’s Own Double-Entry – B.S. Johnson‡
Flaubert’s Parrot – Julian Barnes

* It’s well worth acquiring the annotated version of Lolita. The extra expense is easily justified. (Penguin).

Most of the above are currently in print, or should be readily available through the public library system. The fact that only one female author is listed above should not be taken as evidence of rampant phallocentricity on the part of your humble tutor.

‡ Should you find yourself addicted to Johnson after reading ‘Christie Malry’ be sure to read Jonathan Coe’s superb biography of the writer, Like A Fiery Elephant, which deservedly won the Samuel Johnson prize for non-fiction. It’s available from Picador (£9.99), as are several of Johnson’s novels. Grab them whilst they’re still in print – which may not be for long.

A student from a past course asked if I might supply a list of ‘classic’ texts which should be read/explored. I came up with ten novels off the top of my head. With a little time to ponder, though, I’ve amended and added to my original list; it now looks like this:

Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
Silas Marner – George Eliot
Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
New Grub Street – George Gissing
Villette – Charlotte Bronte
Germinal – Emile Zola
Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
Tristram Shandy – Laurence Sterne
Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes
Billy Budd – Herman Melville
Lady Audley’s Secret – Mary Elizabeth Braddon

As with the modern novels above each one of my chosen classics is, first and foremost, a damned good read as well as clearly demonstrating what fiction is capable of, particularly when dealing with that infinitely tricky subject ‘the human condition’. If you only tackle one of the above, though, make it ‘Jude’, a stunning achievement and easily Hardy’s greatest novel. Those with a taste for B.S. Johnson should definitely have a go at Tristram Shandy. The influence which Sterne has over Johnson’s writing should be evident from the first few pages of his exuberant metafictional masterpiece.

I have also been asked to expand upon my original reading list and have come up with a list of fifty modern/contemporary novels which you might care to work your way through. The list is attached. Happy reading.

Over the past few years the number of ‘How to…’ books which claim to teach the reader everything from raising chinchilla to building a fast-breeder nuclear reactor on your kitchen table using everyday household objects have multiplied faster than rabbits on Viagra. Those texts dealing with the lucrative subject of creative writing never fail to promise novice authors that the secrets of writing successful ‘straight’ and genre fiction will be revealed to them; consequently they sell in healthy numbers. Most of the larger bookshops and libraries will carry a representative selection of these seductive works. These manuals should, however, be approached with a degree of both caution and scepticism. Hemingway averred that no one can be taught how to write, they can only refine and develop the skills they already possess. Many of these guides do indeed adhere to their rigorous self-help philosophy; they help their authors to increase their respective bank balances. Caveat emptor!

Reading these cosy ‘How to…’ books is, despite their winning and winsome blurb, no guarantee of ultimate success, and is, emphatically, not a valid substitute for the raw ‘talent’, discipline and sheer hard work which is vital to the creation of any work of art. In some cases they may be a dangerous and addictive substitute for the writing process itself - an immensely enjoyable, self-delusory displacement activity for the real thing. Despite a recent survey which would appear to indicate that 1.5+ million individuals are either engaged in writing - or have written - a novel, the world (or that small portion of it with which I’m acquainted) is full of people prepared to talk at great length about the books, plays, poems they are going to write. These people are not embarrassed to call themselves writers, and yet when challenged they will confess that they haven’t written a word yet. They are waiting for the right opportunity to present itself; there’s that ‘essential’ creative writing course to get through, and that new authoritative guide to novel/poetry/short story/screenplay writing to purchase and peruse. Guard against becoming one of these sad, sterile souls!

For those who do feel the need for some kind of guidance (a reassuring hand other than my own to hold as you wade ever deeper into the often icy waters of creativity), a small selection of the more recommendable, ie, less banal, ‘How to’ books are listed below. These texts are much less cynical and egocentric than many of their type, and were not written with just the profit motive in mind. Several have stood the test of time and survived various literary fads and fashions. At best, writing ‘crammers’ can offer useful pointers to the kind of inherent technical problems which may be encountered (particularly in genre fiction, which usually conforms to a set of strict - if not draconian - rules, romantic/erotic/horror fiction being, perhaps, the best examples). At worse, writing manuals can easily delude the literary neophyte into believing that if she/he slavishly emulates the working methodology of, say, Barbara Taylor Bradford or Jeffrey Archer (!) wealth, fame and frequent appearances on celebrity-fat chat shows will be the inevitable outcome of their endeavours.

For short story writers:

For those whose primary interest lies with the short story I would unhesitatingly recommend that you seek out those gems written by William Trevor, Graham Greene, Raymond Carver, Richard Yates, John Cheever, Elizabeth Bowen, M.R. James, Truman Capote, A.E. Coppard, V.S. Pritchett, Nabokov, Saki, Ian McEwan, Katherine Mansfield, Flannery O’Connor and Chekhov, to name but sixteen. In case you’re wondering, I’ve not listed them in any order of merit. I’ve yet to come across a short story writing primer which deserves the reading, hence the lack of recommendations. If you’ve been fortunate enough to discover a half decent one, don’t keep it to yourself.

For writers of drama (including film/TV):

If you fancy yourself as a dramatist you should – obviously – strive to see as many productions as possible as well as reading/studying plays written by - again in no particular order of worth - David Mamet, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee, Chekov, Ibsen, Coward, Wilde, Ionesco, John Osborne, Pinter, J.B. Priestley, Terrence Rattigan, Alan Bennett, Simon Gray and Dennis Potter, to name, in this instance, another sixteen. As with the novel and short story reading list, my inventory of dramatists could easily be extended, but there’s enough here to get you started. No doubt other names will crop up as the course progresses. Apologies if your own favourite playwright has failed to make an appearance. Shakespeare, I would argue – but, please, don’t get me started – is optional. Try and read, if you’ve not already done so, the following texts:

Peter Brook, The Empty Space (First published back in 1968, Brook gives the reader the distillation of his vast knowledge and experience of the theatre. There is much to ponder upon, and perhaps vehemently disagree with, in this short classic work which has lost little of its impact in the 40 years since it first appeared.) ✰✰✰

Stuart Spencer, The Playwright’s Guidebook: an insightful primer on the art of dramatic writing (This is one of the best, most comprehensive books on its subject that I’ve seen. Spencer, himself a playwright, wrote the book after failing to find an effective, no-nonsense text for his students. All the elements of writing for the stage are meticulously covered: structure, the creative process, problem solving, etc. There are a number of to-the-point exercises to demonstrate when you’ve mastered each of the aspects involved in writing a producible play. Appendices list ‘required’ and ‘recommended’ reading and offer further extended exercises and ‘image’ prompts to cure the creatively constipated. Does exactly what it says on the cover.) ✰✰✰✰

Alan Ayckbourn, The Crafty Art of Playmaking (Ayckbourn’s jocular gloss on writing for the theatre may be short on pages but it’s long on the kind of pithy advice/insights that only a consummate playwright and director can provide. It also has the considerable virtue of being laugh-out-loud funny. A sweet, gooey dessert which is an ideal accompaniment to Spencer’s meat ‘n’ two veg first course.) ✰✰✰✰ - it almost deserves that extra fifth ✰ for the jokes alone.

[I handed in a script last year and the studio didn't change one word. The word they didn't change was on page 87.
Steve Martin]

I’ve still to read a screenwriting manual which I can unreservedly recommend. Try and take a look at those by Syd Field (Screenplay and The Screenwriter’s Workbook) which I’ve heard others swear by (or at). Field’s latest book is The Definitive Guide to Screenwriting. I’ve only had a quick flick through it and so can’t advise as to whether it’s worth shelling out the fifteen quid asking price. It seems broadly similar in approach to the McKee book below, ie, a tad too ‘architectural’ for my taste. Definitely worth a look though.

Robert McKee, Story: substance, structure, style and the principles of screenwriting (The title’s a book in itself. McKee’s muscular volume, powered by his ‘story is a metaphor for life’ philosophy, is likely to enrage and enthral in equal measure, but is worth checking out just to see what all the fuss is about. Be sure and have some aspirin handy though. If complex graphs and flow charts do it for you, this is a multiple orgasm between hard - or soft - covers. Folk are divided into those who think McKee walks on water and those who think he’s an asshole who deserves to drown. I confess I’m a mite suspicious of a guy who presents the reader with a set of ingredients for the perfect film script together with strict cooking instructions. Is it a soufflé or a screenplay we’re after? Far too Nigella for my particular taste – though I’ve absolutely nothing against the luscious Ms Lawson. Read and reject, or read and accept. The choice is yours.) ✰✰✰

Alistair Owen (ed), Story and Character: interviews with British screenwriters (A cautionary, though probably essential, read. The book offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the movie business from the writer’s perspective, a world which – to lazily quote from my own review – is driven by equal amounts of vanity, craziness, incompetence and bullshit.) ✰✰✰

Kevin Conroy Scott (ed), Screenwriters’ Masterclass: screenwriters talk about their greatest movies (A useful addition to the ‘wannabe’ screenwriter’s library. A juicy warts ‘n’ all glimpse into filmmaking from the guys and gals who put the words into the actor’s mouths.) ✰✰✰

William Smethurst, Writing for Television (Smethurst’s book has been around for a few years – it came out in 2000 – but only recently have I actually picked up the updated edition and read it. Much to my surprise it’s a wonderfully succinct account of the scriptwriting process and is packed with tips for getting your work on screen and contains lists of useful contacts whom you can approach with your ultra-violent six part series, ‘Skin and Blister’, featuring a hardbitten East End tea leaf trying to go straight to please his dear devoted sis who’s a part-time Lionel living in real Turkish with her little basin who’s West Ham’s are all shot cos she’s just been told she’s got the big C.) ✰✰✰✰

It’s worth noting that most serious practitioners of the screenwriter’s craft tend to eschew manuals, regarding them as useful reference material for the mechanics of script layout rather than infallible blueprints for the production of a brilliant, get-Spielberg-on-the-phone-NOW! screenplay.

NB: If you’re interested in writing radio drama (and why wouldn’t you be?), please let me know and I’ll happily provide you with the handouts I prepared for my series of Writing Radio Drama courses. I have also written a detailed handout which deals with the correct formatting of the screenplay. If you’d like a copy, just ask.

For novelists:

John Braine, Writing a Novel (First published in 1974, this is a pugnacious, dogmatic and occasionally downright eccentric work driven along by Braine’s angular axioms on the novelist’s art. A very useful - and salutary - read for demythologizing the craft of fiction writing, An obligatory purchase for anyone burning to write the sequel to Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, and who is deeply ashamed of not having been born into a state of impoverished illegitimacy in a draughty outside privy somewhere north of Potters Bar.) ✰✰✰

Diane Doubtfire, The Craft of Novel Writing (Auntie Di’s easy, and so quick-to-bake recipe for literary stardom. Not jaw-droppingly brilliant, but by no means a waste of time/space. Sturdy, if not evangelical, in its approach. It might prove too schematic - and therefore not ‘organic’ enough - for some. I’m sure you know what I mean.) ✰✰✰

Christopher Derrick, Reader’s Report: on the writing of novels (Unfortunately now long out of print - it was originally published in 1969 - but it might still available through the public library system, discovered in a secondhand bookshop, or acquired via one of the many book-search services. Last time I checked Amazon’s UK site it was still possible to secure a copy. This is one of the most sensible, clear-headed and wonderfully entertaining books on the joys, and agonies, involved in the creation of a novel written from the invaluable perspective of a publisher’s reader. Essential reading if you’re convinced that the spirit of Flaubert moves within you, and you wish to rewrite, and transpose, Madame Bovary from Rouen to Redditch. Docked one ✰ for its lamentable absence from the shelves of Waterstones, Borders et al.) ✰✰✰✰

Margaret Geraghty, The Novelist’s Guide (A generally effective alternative to Reader’s Report. While Gereghty’s book suffers from a superfluity of pseudo-psychological waffle supposedly designed to get the creative juices gushing and make you think like a writer (an endemic failing with such works; if you don’t habitually think like a writer, you’re not a writer), much of the ‘hard’ advice given is sound and eminently practical. The readily accessible format is a definite plus earning the book three ✰✰✰ out of a possible five ✰.)

Carole Blake, From Pitch to Publication: everything you need to know to get your novel published (Carole Blake is one of this country’s premier literary agents - Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. Her book is an exemplary, in-depth guide to successfully presenting yourself to both agent or publisher. It takes the reader through every stage from first submission to final publication and beyond. The book’s bias is firmly towards commercial fiction (in which Ms Blake specialises), but those striving to write their own version of the English literary novel will also have a great deal to gain from her wisdom, insights, and sound commonsense. The (rather optimistic) statistic quoted on page three stating that ‘less than half of one percent of all unsolicited manuscripts sent to publishers are accepted’ should act like a gauntlet thrown down, rather than suggesting that macramé can, in its own way, be just as rewarding as novel writing with none of the attendant angst, frustration, or lack of recognition.) ✰✰✰✰

David Armstrong, How [Not] to Write a Novel (Crime writer Armstrong lifts the sticky lid on the publishing game from the point of view of the non best-selling author, ie, 98% of writers, and wittily examines such issues as low advances, poorly attended readings, humiliating signing sessions and bitchy writers’ conventions. Armstrong tells it like it really is for the majority of semi-anonymous writers struggling to make ends meet and see their work achieve publication. Part of his remit is to persuade the innocent would-be novelist not to do it and spare themselves the considerable misery/frustration involved. Feel better now?) ✰✰✰✰

E.M. Forster, Aspects of the Novel (Forster’s slim volume, first published in 1927, and originating from a series of Clark Lectures at Cambridge, is an essential purchase for the would-be novelist, indeed any writer. I shall say no more other than urging you to read it at the earliest opportunity.) ✰✰✰✰

John Mullan, How Novels Work (Drawing on his weekly Guardian column, Mullan sets out to open the reader’s eyes to the craft of writing, helping us enjoy and appreciate novels more fully. Although not a writing manual per se, you’ll pick up a great many insights into why some novels succeed whilst other utterly fail to spark. Light-weight lit-crit for the reading-group generation maybe, but none the worst for that. ✰✰✰

Let’s move on to more general texts.

Dorothea Brande, On Becoming a Writer (Curl up all nice and comfy with a giant, frighteningly calorific tub of that infamous Dutch ice cream while Auntie Dot explains in soothing tones the best way to achieve literary success. This book, originally published in 1934, takes a refreshingly direct approach to writing, largely avoiding the kind of bland abstractions that make many other instructional guides so unsatisfactory, The book has been recently reprinted with a puff by the late Malcolm Bradbury, famous for helping to launch the Creative Writing MA at UEA along with the – equally - late Angus Wilson, and for unleashing the monstrous Howard ‘History Man’ Kirk upon the world.) ✰✰✰

Betsy Lerner, The Forest for the Trees: an editor’s advice to writers (Ms Lerner, a much admired American book editor, shares her considerable editorial acumen with the reader and offers an extremely useful, and pleasurable, peek inside the arcane world of publishing. She also delves fearlessly into the writer’s psyche without provoking either guffaws or groans (no mean feat) and examines the way in which writers fall into distinct personality types. She explores the myriad anxieties and concerns of writers at all stages of their careers and reveals what a strange, dysfunctional bunch we are. This is a wonderfully readable textbook, rich in succulent literary anecdotes, which encourages but, crucially, never patronises.) ✰✰✰✰

Julia Bell & Paul Magrs (ed), The Creative Writing Coursebook (Attempts to condense the University of East Anglia’s undergrad writing programme into a single volume. The result is workman and/or woman like without being desperately inspiring - despite the long list of illustrious contributors. All the bases are covered, but there’s something a tad precious about it – or maybe it’s just me. A solid - or should that be stolid? - companion to the Lerner above.) ✰✰✰

Stephen King, On Writing (Comprising three parts: a skeletal, though engrossing, memoir covering King’s early life before fame an’ fortune came a callin’. The middle – longest - section is King’s take on the creative process. Here he discusses the writer’s craft dealing with plot, dialogue, sentence construction, the use of language, etc. The final part covers the accident which almost killed him and put an end to a phenomenal career. I personally find King’s novels unreadable; consequently I was astonished to discover myself concurring with the bulk of his thesis - although it proved impossible to reconcile King’s perceptive writer’s manifesto with his own novels which continue to display scant evidence that he’s paid sufficient attention to his rules.) ✰✰✰

Norman Mailer, The Spooky Art (Mailer has always occupied the tough kids end of the literary playground, his writing often exhibiting more testosterone than technique, thus I resisted reading ‘The Spooky Art’ - which appeared in March 2003 - until 2005 having, perhaps, learned my lesson with Stephen King! The book comprises a collection of Mailer’s essays on the subject of writing – it’s occasional joys, frequent perils, its inherent loneliness and its rare celebrity. Every ‘wannbe’ novelist should read Mailer’s thoughts on the pitfalls of early success/fame. The nuts and bolts of the craft are given a thorough examination, and the psychology of the writer is placed under the Mailer microscope. Such was my reaction to this book that I went off in search of my large, though neglected, Mailer collection and looked at his work through new eyes. If you’re a fan of Mr Mailer you’ve probably already read this; if, like me, you’ve found all that overt machismo a little too scary for comfort, pack away your prejudices and give The Spooky Art a place on your bookshelf. So impressed am I that I’m awarding it ✰✰✰✰✰.)

Francine Prose, Reading Like a Writer: a guide for people who love books and for those who want to write them (Novelist and critic Prose invites you on a tour around the masters - and mistresses - of great literature in order to discover why their writing has endured. Her obsession with Chekhov might perhaps be regarded as a tad unhealthy but you’ll gain much wisdom through reading her thoughts/analysis on literature and the art of writing. Yes, another 5✰ winner!)
Robert Graham, How to Write Fiction – and think about it (Any book which cautions new writers against over-planning their writing and allowing the imagination/unconscious to do their work is bound to win my heart. Sensible. Readable. Indispensable. ✰✰✰✰)

For poets:

Q: What did the poet say to Luke Skywalker?
A: Metaphors be with you.
(Thanks to Tom, aged 10)

I confess that I’m on slightly thin ice here having abandoned my brief poetry career upon graduation from university a quarter of a century ago, and having lost contact with those poets with whom I used to hang out. My research paints a fairly gloomy picture for poets hoping to launch their careers in 2008. After a period of substantial growth, sales of poetry are now falling - that is slender single author volumes. The mainstream publishers have ruthlessly pruned their poetry lists in this area. However the ‘Sonnets for Swingin’ Lovers’ type anthology is doing surprisingly well. Traditional forms of verse are also currently enjoying a renaissance; something to bear in mind perhaps. Poetry is thriving on the internet and you’d be foolish not to explore this option if you’re keen to have your work read and disseminated. The internet is something of a poet’s paradise and offers innumerable options for launching your verse into cyberspace. Creating your own website as a repository for your poems is now within the scope of anyone who is even mildly computer literate. There’s an abundance of (cheap) software and textbooks available to help you. If you hanker to see your poetry in print there are still a healthy number of small presses and magazines whom you can approach. Details of these together with the large commercial publishers (Faber&Faber, etc) can be found in The Writer’s Handbook (see below) which also contains a wealth of poetry-related material. You should also keep an eye open for details of competitions and awards, two areas where poets are relatively well served. Submission for poetry follows the rules given below for novels, etc. Between six and ten poems is the best number to submit together with a short covering letter to introduce yourself. Never send the same poem(s) to different publishers/magazines. It’s not the done thing apparently, is seen as terribly bad form, and is guaranteed to make you persona non grata within the poetry fraternity.

Whatever form of writing you undertake, if you’re interested in selling your work you’ll need to own an up-to-date copy of 'The Writer’s Handbook' or 'The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook' - or the brand new 'Writer’s Market UK'. Take a good look at each and see which you prefer. For those keen to break into the children’s market, I can thoroughly recommend 'The Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook' which, quite simply, tells you everything you need to know. A new annual publication, 'The Screenwriter’s Handbook' has just hit the shelves. Containing a handful of brief articles, the book’s true value lies in its lists of UK and US Production Companies, Writing Courses, Societies and Organisations, Agents, Film Festivals, Awards and Prizes. Is it worth the £16.99 asking price? If you’re convinced you have the necessary stamina and talent to succeed in the business, yes.


[A screenwriter comes home to a burned down house. His sobbing, singed wife is standing outside. “What happened, honey?” the man asks.

 ‘Oh, John, it was terrible,’ she weeps. ‘I was cooking, the phone rang. It was your agent. Because I was on the phone, I didn’t notice the stove was on fire. It went up in second. Everything is gone. I nearly didn’t make it out of the house. Poor Fluffy is —

’ ‘Wait, wait. Back up a minute,’ The man says. ‘My agent called?’]


Remember, the creation of a publishable/performable piece of writing is not like assembling a flat-pack wardrobe - an activity which usually results in a semi-durable structure resembling the picture on the front of the box if the instructions are followed carefully enough (despite your invariably being left with several ominously large screws and a collection of strangely shaped bits of plastic). The advice and guidance contained in the above texts (however profound) will count for nothing if it’s not allied to your own unique artistic vision, and the will to realise that vision.

If you’re desperately seeking publication or if you just want to discover the kind of writer you might be, talent and a desire to create will only take you so far – and not nearly as far as you might think. Self-discipline is an essential requirement irrespective of how inherently brilliant you are. Achieving success (financial or otherwise) is about building writing into your normal, everyday life (which is the main reason why we will NOT be writing in class); it’s about making the necessary mental and emotional space to write, setting aside the time to do your work justice, and then ensuring that you continue to write day after day – whatever else may be happening - until the task is completed. And then beginning the whole process over again. Pause for a moment and then go back and re-read this paragraph. There are no sly short cuts, no magic pill or secret incantation which will relieve you of the heavy burden that writing brings will it.