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Pikini Death Ray mentioned that the Hamsun title was a great influence on Charles Bukowski so I had to go read it. Though you can get it for free on amazon as an e-book, I got the 6 e-book Hamsun deal instead for $2.99. At least dead white males often come cheap!
A few pages into Hunger you may think you are reading a Bukowski novel, except that it was written in 1890 by Norwegian Knut Hamsun. It involves the trials and travails of a starving young writer who is reduced to sucking on wood shavings to alleviate his hunger pangs. The novel realistically describes the fever and delirium symptoms that accompany severe starvation. Although there is a mysterious woman in black, the novel is mostly introspective. There are no horse and buggy chases here. However, many consider Hunger to be the dawn of the modern psychological novel so it is well worth reading.
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I am working on a novel myself with the aid of a book called 90 Days to Your Novel by Sarah Domet. At first I was skeptical that the title sounded too much like "20 days to rock hard abs" or something but the author emphasizes how Faulkner wrote As I lay Dying in six weeks. By outlining your manuscript before putting anything to paper you save a lot of time and confusion. I had a rudimentary outline but this reference book stresses creating scenes that stand alone as well as part of the whole. And the 90 days creates a first draft. I won't dither about the plot but there is a CBGB based setting in the novel. With my wretched schedule I may have to stretch the exercises out to more than 90 days. Anyway, I have never published anything longer than short pieces, so this is the proverbial Matterhorn.
Is there anyone out there who has published a novel or is working on one? Do you have any work habits to recommend or any good novel writing reference books?