| Summary: | Comprising of a novel and complementary discourses, this thesis investigates the traditional distinctions between theory and creative practice, and contributes new insights into the practice, craft, and theory of the contemporary novel. Carrington’s is a novel about people living with the complexities of mid-life, set against the backdrop of a busy department store. Alongside the novel, my research looks at the question of whether the pre-planning of a novel stifles creativity. As part of testing this theory, I have been able to compare the process of writing an unplanned novel (Cappuccinos) and a second novel (Carrington’s) which involved much planning. I investigated where creativity comes from and looked at the physiology of the body and the two hemispheres of the human brain. In relation to that, I looked also at the education system that has weighed heavily on left brain teaching and ignored the right brain qualities of creative students. I interviewed six published authors, including Susan Hill and Joan Bakewell, to investigate the processes they use in taking an initial idea through to a final draft. A further exploration was made of the 50,000 word annual National Novel Writing Month competition which has no planning methods. I also examine the methods used in the writing of my novel and make a study of literary craft.
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