Queen of a Distant Country

"Queen of a distant country" is not only a novel with a well-told story, but also a how-to-write-a novel manual. The premise: the main character (a 19-year old John Braine stand-in and the same guy 20 some years later) reflects on the experiences that propelled him into becoming a successful novelist -- the mentoring from an older women novelist who had early success and now suffers from writer's block and some pivotal personal events (such as knocking up his first girlfriend). Braine shows how his prototagonist stand-in borrows and transforms his experiences into the basics of his first hit novel (which is described as being pretty much Braine's own first novel, "Room at the Top.") All in all, a clever and well-written book and includes tips such as never writing directly or indulgently about your personal feelings (readers are more interested in actions) or yourself directly (the narrator shows how his own novel's protoganist and story departs from his own). I know Braine wrote a how-to-write-a-novel self-help book for writers. But, this novel is probably a better way to get his drift on the subject.