What I Meant to Say… My Experiment in Writing a First Novel

• Main Authors: Birdsall, Olivia Debbie, Plummer, Dr. Louise
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2014
• Subjects: writing a novel; eating disorder; divorce; telling the story; English Language and Literature; Orca
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2014/iss1/615; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/context/jur/article/2954/viewcontent/auto_convert.pdf

I find it difficult to begin this report with a generalization about my topic of study, as most ORCA recipients do, because there is no generalization that seems appropriate for the subject of writing, or what my experience with it over the last year has been. Writing a novel, especially your first, is bound to be as unique an experience for each writer as the novels they produce. One great quandary simply doesn’t exist, nor does one great solution, nor one infallible technique or manner of writing. I did not set out to solve a problem that affects all of mankind, all history students, an ethnic group, or a biome; selfishly, I chose to address my own wants and needs. I wanted to write a book. And that is what I have (almost) done.