THE FORMULA FOR LIT-NOUVEAU
The Golden Age of Lit-Nouveau
Lit-Nouveau: The Oxford Review’s term to describe a condensed version of literary writing which Oxonians fear may become compulsory… and perhaps they are right.
In this era of Episodic Content and Micro-Dramas, there is a zeitgeist frothing in the literary world where even longform literature is subject to compression and acceleration. And whilst one might believe that literature is safe from the vagaries of social currents, it most certainly is not. I would even suggest that it is imperative that we put on our swimmies and attempt not to drown.
Perhaps we can learn from the Italian theatre groups who coined the term canovaccio, a short deadline where the speaker has already prepared a draft report.
Consider this your canovaccio to The Oxford Review’s Lit-Nouveau.
THE FORMULA FOR LIT-NOUVEAU
1. Your first paragraph must be action, a call to action or an inciting event
2. Your short story must be episodic in nature (treat every two pages as a short episode in a series)
3. Within the first two pages, there must be yearning, deep need or a hero’s quest.
4. Eloquently weave in your backstory through exposition and dialogue
5. Keep your dialogue truncated (most people do not speak in full paragraphs)
6. By page six we need to know why we are following you (easily accomplished if you follow step two)
Yes, this is different from the literature that we are used to, but it does not mean it cannot be both beautiful and striking. Whilst Penny Dreadfuls, Roman-Feuilletons and Chapbooks were the bastards of the literary world when they were first conceived, they gained momentum and (more importantly) popularity.[1],[2],[3]
‘La scadenza è breve, ma il relatore ha già elaborato un canovaccio nella relazione in parola’.
[1] Penny Dreadful
Sounds like Hemingway would approve!