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English Seminar
Research Proposal
A Preface to a First Time Novel
Topic Summary
What I am here to propose is a novel; my first time writing fiction
in a setting longer than twenty pages. However, this proposal and
project will not be focused on the novel itself, but on the preface to the
novel. In the preface, I will address my reason for writing the novel,
what research had to go in to it, and how the process has changed my
life. What research could possibly go into a fictional novel? Just as an
example, I made the decision to give one of my characters a rare and
dangerous medical disorder, so I underwent a deal of research to
accurately portray the symptoms and the type of psyche that would
develop from it. For this project, I had to reach out to a broad range of
materials including medical articles/journals and personal accounts,
examples of previously printed fiction that share similarities with what I
have in mind to write about and to set up the structure of the novel,
and non-fiction writing regarding the novel writing process itself. In the
preface I will explain the specific uses and outcomes of these sources.
I will also discuss myself, how the project has affected me from the
beginning, to drowning in the midst of it, to holding the broken tape at
the end of the race, knowing Ive changed, but wondering how. The
preface will be as much a revelation to myself as it will be to my
reader.
Research Question(s)
Can I incorporate my years of education in writing and literature
with the research materials I dig through to create a novel length
story? What is congenital analgesia and how does it affect the human
body? What will make a character likeable and literary voice
engaging? How do I write a novel within a novel? How do I structure
the novel, linearly or dancing around with time and space? How would
the human body react to different stressful situations, and could a
person heal from those injuries.
Background
Ive always wanted to write a novel, and why not a horror novel
to start things. Ive had many ideas and story arcs that I want to
explore, but the concept for my horror novel, The Devil is in the
Details, was the most recent and the one I was most excited about. I
wanted to write about a man who desired to write more than anything,
but cant because he lacks one of the things most necessary to a
horror writer: empathy. The character Cain Morrison cannot feel pain
and therefore has no fear, so he is unable to write the sensationalistic
genre where pain and fear are paramount. I want to delve into the
writing process and how we as people transfer our personal fears and
experiences onto a page, and how we can relate to each other through
those connections.
Approach/Methods
It will be some time before I bring in my antagonist with the
medical disorder, so first I will begin by researching into non-fiction on
the craft of writing a novel. Theres also no time to waste, so I will
begin writing at a point that I hope will be the beginning and write as I
research, going back and making adjustments as I progress. I will also
be reading a few works of fiction that relate closely to my novel,
including The Collector and Misery, so that I can frame better
characters and learn how to structure a fictional novel inside my own. I
will annotate all of my sources, and since Im attempting to read
several books while writing one, as well as conducting medical
research, I will be focusing on the portions of the works that are crucial
to my writing, unfortunately not taking the time to enjoy the novels as
a reader.
Objectives
Annotated Bibliography
Atwood, Margaret. "Wilderness Tips." 3x33: Short Fiction by 33 Writers.
Ed. Mark Winegardner. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2005. 2942. Print.
In truth, I am going to reference two of Atwoods works from this
collection of short stories, because she is a master of point of view and
character development in minute spaces. Not to say that her stories
arent long, but she doesnt waste time telling you something about
your character that makes you go Oh, I understand you perfectly in a
sentence or two. She also switches between the perspective of
characters flawlessly and gives each such unique voices while
maintaining an omniscient narrative voice. I plan on having multiple
perspectives between the chapters, so Id do well to absorb Atwoods
techniques.
"Congenital insensitivity to pain." Genetics Home Reference. Genetics
Home Reference, 2016. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
<https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/congenital-insensitivity-topain>.
This reference webpage has all of the basic information for
congenital analgesia, or congenital insensitivity to pain. It begins with
a simple explanation of what the phenomena is, and lists symptoms in
detail. The article says that it is a rare condition, with only about 20
cases reported in scientific literature, that it is gene related and affects
the patient from birth. It is often considered a peripheral neuropathy,
and may have something to do with the back and necks connection to
the brain. People may feel hot and cold and touch, but would not feel
the pain of being burned, and many who suffer it do not have a sense
of smell. The article then gives many links to further articles regarding
this condition, and others for diagnoses, management, and medical
contact possibilities.