Pierre Ménard is the author of Le Grand Roman de l'scripture , published by Editions Novice. This guide for authors brings together advice from classic and contemporary novelists, editors and literary critics.
Pierre Ménard is the author of Le Grand Roman de l'scripture, published by Editions Novice. This guide for authors brings together advice from classic and contemporary novelists, editors and literary critics.
From inspiration to publication through writing, proofreading and sending the manuscript, you will come across Balzac, Hugo, Flaubert, the terrible Goncourt brothers, Marguerite Yourcenar and Marguerite Duras but also François Bégaudeau, Marie Darrieussecq, David Foenkinos, Maylis de Kerangal, Lola Lafon, Hervé Le Corre, Nicolas Mathieu, Amélie Nothomb, Camille Pascal, Tatiana de Rosnay and many others.
HOW WAS THIS GUIDE PROJECT FOR AUTHORS BORN
The project was born from the brain of Timothé Guillotin, who, at the age of 24, launched his publishing house, Novice. I hesitated a lot before accepting: there were already dozens of writing manuals and I had no particular legitimacy to give writing advice. The project, however, piqued my curiosity. While working on the Goncourt brothers, who told everything about their working methods as well as those of their friends (Flaubert, Zola, etc.), I realized to what extent the idea of genius writing under the dictation of a muse, willingly conveyed by writers, was far from reality. I therefore seized the idea as an opportunity to discover the secrets of the literary creation of classic authors but also of contemporaries, whom I questioned on this subject (Camille Pascal, Tatiana de Rosnay, Nicolas Matthieu, Lola Lafon…) . »
WHAT KINDS OF ADVICE WILL AUTHORS FIND IN THE GREAT NOVEL OF WRITING
“Everything you need to get the Goncourt Prize on the first try. More seriously, the book is intended as a literary stroll in the company of novelists, essayists, pamphleteers and is intended for all those curious about literature and not just novelists. While there is no miracle recipe for producing a masterpiece, there are certain tricks that can significantly improve your writing. These are what I have attempted to share through my research and interviews. You can write an excellent page, a beautiful chapter under the influence of a sudden inspiration. Rarely a good book. This requires work, self-sacrifice and a bit of method. »
WHAT ANECDOTE STRUCK YOU THE MOST ABOUT MEETING ALL THESE CLASSIC AND CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS
“I was struck by Balzac, literally: one of his books fell on me while I was tidying up my library. Otherwise, I would say that the most striking feature concerns the strangeness of the very act of writing, which causes the greatest happiness to its followers, at the same time as immense suffering. With just a few examples, they all highlight how difficult the act is, much more difficult than we imagine. “I now feel as if I have penknife blades under my nails, and I want to grind my teeth. How stupid! So this is where this sweet pastime of literature, this whipped cream, leads. » bellowed Flaubert, for example. »
HOW DO YOU ANALYZE THE RECENT DECISION BY GALLIMARD TO ASK AUTHORS TO SUSPEND THE SENDING OF THEIR MANUSCRIPTS
“The situation is, it seems to me, unprecedented but hardly surprising. Everyone knows it, in France everyone writes and no one reads anymore. “All the women write, we can’t even find a cleaning lady anymore,” complained Paul Léautaud in particular. We can rejoice in the passion for writing which remains less expensive than psychoanalysis and undoubtedly causes less damage. But the amateur writer must keep in mind that it is extremely difficult to get published. We must therefore not cry conspiracy against small people, big people or women if we are rejected. Editors are human beings, with their tastes, their faults… and the need to ensure the survival of the company that employs them. They cannot, nor even should, publish everything. Most keep a few places per year for new authors. No more. And this in the face of millions (yes millions) of manuscripts sleeping in cupboards. On the other hand, it may be wise to target your sending carefully, to have your manuscript proofread to be sure that you are not sending a half-finished game, and to listen to the advice of booksellers, authors and professionals. Above all, authors must remain hopeful. One, two, three refusals do not mean that you will be rejected for the rest of your life. Many writers, even the greatest, have come up against this. Also know how to remain lucid about your work. It happens that we have written a complete rubbish. You have to know how to cross out, tear up, throw away, erase, even abandon and start a new project. First books are rarely masterpieces. Maturity comes through effort. Finally, let's keep in mind that you can be very happy without publishing. It's not an obligation. Nothing prevents you from sharing your book with others, without forcing your friends to buy it.