Write a long novel outline with a double mat

The outline of the novel "Cua Bien" by writer Nguyen Hong is a piece of paper as wide as a double mat, traced and pasted together from many small pieces of paper. On that piece of paper is a diagram, the development lines of the plot, the characters like a lush old tree. It is like a genealogy of a large, crowded family for dozens of generations. Writer Nguyen Hong always carries the outline in his bag. And perhaps because he opened and wrapped it up, stamped and erased it many times, the outline has become worn and blurred in many places.

After two months of making the outline, writer Nguyen Hong read and reviewed all the works that could serve the theme of "Cua Bien" and thought about the language of the characters. Being strict with oneself is the top priority. Regarding the language, there is no need to imitate or mimic, but to grasp the spirit and soul of the character's voice. The character is the core, the decision of the novel. The theme is revealed from the character's actions. Those characters intertwine to form the foundation on which the author's opinions, that is, the ideology of the work, stand.

The details are to serve to make the character more clear, more prominent like the flesh on the human body. The relationships with the character, between the characters, the writer must also build around them, creating a typical environment for the character to reveal his full potential. And finally, re-read the manuscript with hundreds of pages to review his army until it is complete, with no more shortcomings before being brought to the publisher.

LE HONG BAO UYEN(st)