The Verb at Hay Festival: How to write a Novel

The Verb

From blank page to bestseller, how do you write a successful novel? The Verb offers you another chance to join a masterclass in storytelling recorded earlier this year at Hay Festival, with renowned authors Kate Mosse and Philippa Gregory, best known for The Other Boleyn Girl; and Booker Prize-winning novelist Douglas Stuart.

How do you begin, how do you redraft and decide what to take out and what to leave in, what happens when you experiment and play with language to shape-shift and distort the form, how do you decide who is your narrator and uncover your own literary voice, and how do you know when the novel is finished?

Ian McMillan takes us on a deep dive into the craft of writing a novel, from the first marks you make on the paper, to the final draft that ends up on the bookshop shelf.

Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright

First broadcast in June 2023.