Why The Némirovsky Method

Any idiot can write a novel. But to tell a compelling story that entertains, enlightens and satisfies ain't easy.

This is a monthly newsletter about longform storytelling: novels, novellas and screenplays. There's been plenty said already about how to write novels, novellas or screenplays, so this newsletter will not put forth yet another system or writing process.

It sure as hell won't suggest there's a formula you can follow to write a bestseller.

Writing longform stories takes a strange combination of plotting, character development, and use of setting. It requires planning and persistence by the writer. You must summon a muse to your writing space for a year, maybe longer, only to face the daunting task of revising.

You may need to start over.

That takes grit and determination. You don't have to be tough, but it helps.

Those of us who seek to write novels that touch upon the most emotionally compelling stories must develop skill, patience, and stamina. We need instruction and inspiration in equal measure.

Némirovsky You Say?

Irène Némirovsky, 1903-1942, was a novelist of the first order. She was Jewish and born in Kiev when it was part of the Russian Empire. She escaped the Bolshevik revolution with her family and they settled in Paris where her father rebuilt his fortune. Irène, whose mother was a narcissist, wrote novels.

She worked out a process to design and develop stories involving lengthy backstories for the characters, including minor characters. She wrote about the themes that interested her and how they intersected with the characters until a workable story emerged, and thus set about writing the narrative.

You might think that's all that need be said about a method for longform writing: deep dive your characters, and write about compelling themes. That'll get you started, but it's not enough to see you through to the bitter end.

The Bitter End

Irène Némirovsky wrote two novellas while trapped in Nazi-occupied France. Somehow, in the chaos and hardship of living as refugees, worrying about her daughters and her own mortality, and the terror of a hostile occupation by men sworn to destroy them, she punched out two longform stories with all the beauty and grace she'd learned in the previous fifteen years, written with a sense of detachment that belied none of her inner turmoil.

She died, in Auschwitz, in 1942.

This Newsletter

This newsletter is about summoning inspiration when things are not easy in your life, and developing writing routines that can withstand the slings and arrows we all encounter.

Once a month, I'll share something about what I've learned in forty years of writing.

I'll reach out to established novelists and screenwriters to share how they persist in writing through the chaos of modern living.

My Hope

My hope is to give back to the writing community that has been patient and generous with me.

I haven't made much money as a writer, but I feel richer for everything I've learned along the way.

So I'll keep this newsletter free and share as much as I can.