Synopses & Reviews
Daniel Fischer has a secret. He knows he's a character in a book that's being written. He's the only one who knows, the only one who's aware of the author's presence—but what good does it do Daniel? He's just a minor character. The author seems much more interested in other people's lives. Now Daniel is determined to win a bigger part, and he'll do whatever it takes to get the author's attention and make this story his own.
Suspenseful, subversive, and hilarious, Being Written is an audaciously inventive literary turn that gleefully calls into question who we trust, what we believe, and how the stories of our lives are created.
Review
“At once experimentally playful and existentially poignant, and both ultra literary and ultra readable. The novel ultimately includes both that love triangle, and a few suspenseful turns and even a surprise twist at the end. One of the most impressive and memorable debuts this year.” Metro Magazine, NC
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“[A] promising foray into metafiction...Conescus light, swift and nicely structured dark comedy puts to the test a characters ability to outwrite his own author. In the end, the author wins.” Publishers Weekly
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“BEING WRITTEN is a first novel of great charm, imagination, and wit. Conescu is a dextrous storyteller with a gift for wicked twists and a dazzlingly urbane sense of both drama and humor.” Zachary Lazar, author of < i=""> Sway <>
Review
“Part thriller and part essay on the relationship of writers and the characters they create.” Herald-Sun, NC
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“An adroit riff on literary conventions, turning various genres on their heads. A clever debut.” New Orleans Times-Picayune
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“At times playful, at times frightening, Conescus book is always readable.” Baton Rouge Advocate
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“Ionesco, eat your heart out. I suppose you could argue the hero is simply nuts, but Id rather argue that William Conescu is simply a genius!” Wilton Barnhardt,author of < i=""> Emma Who Saved My Life <>
Review
“This book is a mind warp, and will have you thinking even after the story is finished.” News and Sentinel, WV
Review
“A white-knuckle thrill ride. You simply cant put this book down once youve picked it up.” Akhil Sharma, Pen Hemingway Award winning author of < i=""> An Obedient Father <>
About the Author
William Conescu's short stories have appeared in The Gettysburg Review, New Letters, Green Mountains Review, and other publications. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Being Written is his first novel.
Reading Group Guide
Questions for Discussion
1. Daniel's discovery of the author's scratching pencil greatly complicates his life. What questions must Daniel face as a result of this discovery? How are Daniel's struggles similar to more familiar struggles that people face?
2. How do Daniel's beliefs evolve over the course of the novel? Is Daniel a reliable interpreter of the author's intentions?
3. What was your reaction to Daniel's trip to Winchester and its aftermath? Were you surprised by Daniel's actions? Why or why not? To what extent is Daniel a sympathetic character?
4. Daniel is not the only character whose actions are informed by a personal system of beliefs. What beliefs influence the way Graham lives his life? What about Delia? In what ways do Graham and Delia use their beliefs to justify questionable choices?
5. Why is Delia drawn to Daniel? What factors influence Graham's attitude toward Daniel?
6. What do you think happens in the minutes after the last paragraph of the novel? Where do you think each of the main characters will be five years after the novel's close Daniel, Delia, Graham, Monty, and Jon?
7. What role does Corrone play in the novel? What role does Broadway Lady play?
8. Daniel's point-of-view sections are written in the second person, while the other characters' sections are written in the third person. What was your reaction to reading second person narration? Why might Conescu have chosen the second person for Daniel's sections? Have you read other stories or novels written in the second person?