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Wednesday 17 April 2013

Is writing a novel like learning a language?



I woke up at 3.30am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep for a while. I'd been having dreams about the eighteenth century plus my brain told me to write a blog post as it's been ages (due to school holidays mainly) and to put together some work for a writing course I'm going on this weekend.

The subject of this post sprang to mind when I woke early this morning. When I was living in Italy, someone told me that apparently when you start dreaming in another language, you know that you're fluent. In 1994, I studied at L'Università per Stranieri di Siena as part of my French and Italian B.A. degree and shared a flat in Siena with five other students. In July when the course ended, I got a job as an au pair and my English-speaking friends returned to the UK. When I was au pairing, I spoke Italian all of the time, except for the occasional telephone call home. I wrote letters in English to friends and family and when we went to the au pair family's holiday home in Castiglione della Pescaia, I found some Wilbur Smith novels ('When the Lion Feeds' and others in the same series) in English at the local Tabacchi. I'd buy one every time I got paid and reading them was a welcome escape during a time when I felt quite alone, despite living with a family.

The upside of working for the au pair family was that after a few weeks I started to dream in Italian. I'd reached a stage where I could chat away in Italian with confidence, using the right intonation, accompanying hand gestures and slang too. Recently I've been reading every eighteenth century novel, diary, letter, journal, non-fiction book I can get hold off, completely immersing myself in that period as research for my Book 2, 'The Painting'. Now I'm dreaming about that period, The Painting seems to be taking on a mind of its own, replacing Book 1, 'The Grandson' which dominated my thoughts for so long.

Learning another language fluently is about immersing yourself in the culture and history of the country where it's spoken, memorising vocabulary and grammar rules and reading literature in the language. Writing a novel is about immersing yourself in the world of that novel in a similar way. Hopefully The Painting is now on its way to becoming what I want it to be.

Over the next few months, I'll need to focus on The Painting in the run up to the deadline for The RNA's New Writers' Scheme ("NWS"), so I probably won't be blogging as often as usual. Best of luck to other NWS members who are working to get their manuscript ready.

Thought I'd include this photo from a sunny trip to Southwold in the Easter holidays. Spring is kind of here: I haven't got my sandals on yet, but I can hear the hum of lawnmowers as I type.

16 comments:

  1. Fascinating post, Anita! How lovely to have learned a language to that level of fluency and it's a good way of thinking of a novel, especially if historical. Very best of luck with that NWS submission.

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    1. Thank you Rosemary! Yes, I think that this is particularly the case with historical novels. Best of luck with the launch of The Jigsaw Puzzle. x

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  2. Maybe it is Anita. It is lovely to see a new blog post from you. All the best with your writing of The Painting.

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    1. Thank you Cathy! Hope all is well with you.x

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  3. When I was studying French, I got to a level where I was dreaming in French and in my dream I knew exactly what I was saying, but when I woke up I had no idea what I had said! Gradually, I moved onto understanding my French dreams but having not spoken in properly for years I feel I've lost the skill. I didn't dream about my contemporary novel I wrote, but I am soon beginning research into one set in France during the war - I'm wondering now if the dreaming will begin both historically and in French. I'll keep you posted.

    Thanks for the picture - sunny days and beach huts :0)

    Good luck with your WIP - we are all heads down now for NWS deadline.
    x

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    1. Hi Sue, it sounds as though your French was amazing! I expect that when you go to France, it all floods back. Your new novel sounds interesting-can't wait to hear more about it. Thanks-best of luck with your WIP too-hope to see you at the RNA Summer Party!x

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  4. I think the ability to cross cultures is incredibly useful to novel writing; it seems natural to be able to switch into another person's shoes if you've been able to think in a completely different 'national' way.

    Apart from translating from French and German into English on a professional level, I provided cultural consultancy to many clients. It's not the words, the phrases, the syntax or vocabulary that count or even a high level of fluency. It's the ability to look through another window when articulating that language.

    So it's not just a passive competence, but one which you practice almost unconsciously if you have a good grasp of the language, the culture, the mentality of the people whose language you are borrowing.

    Perfect training for a novel writer!

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  5. Thanks very much for your interesting comment Alison-I can see what you mean. Living in another country, especially with a family also means adapting to the culture: the food, the way of life etc which is like viewing life through a character's eyes in a novel.

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  6. I tried to leave a comment the other day, but my laptop didn't want to for some reason.

    I love the idea of speaking another language fluently and particularly love the sound of someone speaking Italian, despite not understanding it at all.

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    1. Thanks very much for trying again Debs. I have forgotten a little, but we're going to Italy this summer on hol for first time in a while-can't wait! x

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  7. I loved reading your interesting post, Anita - to be that absorbed is fantastic. I really want to read the book! Best of luck with the writing and NWS submission! x

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    1. Thank you Clare! Enjoyed your post on settings last week. Good luck with your writing x

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  8. What an apt analogy, Anita. I'm jealous of your time in Italy!

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  9. The on ly way to learn a lanuague is to speak it constantly and live it.I went to classes to learn signing thinking it would help as I worked in a GP surgery but I used it so little I can hardly remember it at all now. Good luck with your book.

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    1. Thanks Anne! Yes, being immersed in a language definitely helps. I've enjoyed reading your A-Z posts.x

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