As one who barely manages to control or corral the characters I put to page, I was hooked from the moment I read the description of Being Written. The idea of a minor character subverting an author's plot line for his own gain was not only intriguing, but made the writer in me curious how Consecu would pull it off. Well, he did and it was great fun. While some may not care for the ending, I found it absolutely perfect for the story. ( )

Daniel is sick of being a minor character in the books he finds himself in. He can hear the author writing from time to time, writing books about the lives of other people, and it is never focused on him. One night he hears the familiar scratch of the author’s pencil hovering over a young lady at the bar he is at and he realizes he is being presented with an opportunity. Maybe Maybe he can get into her novel...and maybe he can finally play a major role! Daniel does play a big part, as he will go on to make the as much impact as he possibly can, and in doing so he will drastically affect the lives of those around him.

Being Written is incredibly unique, and I mean it in the most wonderful way. When I first read the description, I thought for sure it was something I had seen before in popular cinema, but this is quite different. It’s strangely believable despite being completely ridiculous, and though occasionally I felt the characters acted slightly unrealistic, I felt perfectly okay with surrendering myself to the author’s narrative, and doing so was very rewarding!

Unfortunately the last line in the book makes me want to cause immeasurable and irreversible bodily harm to Mr. Conescu. I will probably loathe him for several days, in the mornings I will dream about kicking him in the shin, and at night I will fantasize about setting his hair on fire. All this nearly made me want to give the book 1 less star out of principle alone. However, the fact that the book is centered around my biggest pet peeve of all (infidelity/love triangles) and my biggest complaint is the way it ends, well, I think it speaks volumes for how fantastically the book is written. It’s a good one, much as it pains me to admit it so soon after finishing it. Now I’m going to go grumble some more. ( )

Daniel is a bit peculiar compared to most people because he realizes that he's not just a person, but a character to be used at the author's whim. How does he know this? Well, he can hear the scratching of the author's pencil of course! Which is the creative carrot that entices you in.

Daniel, having a drink,hears the scratching over in the direction of this attractive woman sitting a the bar. He's fed up. Daniel no longer wishes to be a minor character, merely filling in the background scenes, he wants his own part. In fact, if he's going to be honest with himself and the author - he wants his own novel. Daniel has no other choice but to approach the woman who the author is writing about, forcing the author himself to acknowledge Daniel's presence.

Thus begins Daniel's role in the lives of friends Delia, Graham, Jon, and Monty. Just because the novel is about them, does not mean that Daniel cannot maneuver himself into a stellar role. Under the guise of a writer himself, Daniel conveniently shows up in the friends' lives over and over again, until he finally establishes himself. Question is, is it the part that he's always wanted? ( )

ne day, walking home late at night from a party, Daniel Fischer is robbed, and as the event takes place he hears the scratching of a pencil. Daniel believes that the scratching indicates that he is living in an author's world, and that his robbery is being written into a book. However, Daniel only plays a passing role in that book, so when, years later, he again hears the scratching in a bar where he meets an aspiring musician named Delia, he is determined this time to play a more important role. By insinuating himself into Delia's circle of friends, Daniel won't allow the author to ignore him this time around.

I enjoyed the premise of this book, and found most of the characters to be engaging. I'm a little ambivalent towards the actual plot: on the one hand it was interesting to see Daniel use his desire to be an important part of the book to justify more and more extreme actions as the book progressed, but at the same time I found myself groaning as certain plot twists took place.

You can read my full review at Rantings of a Bookworm Couch Potato. ( )

Bizarre and intriguing, William Conescu's first novel is a must-read. While it is remenicent of the movie "Stranger Than Fiction", it easily stands on its own. The basic premise of the story is that a fictional character in an author's invented world is somehow aware that he is a character, and a minor character at that. As you follows his efforts to become more central to the story, you are left feeling both curious and discomforted. As the story nears the end, you begin to wonder if the man knows a great truth about his fictional exisistence, or if he is a nut in our existence. ( )