Writing Theory

[Watson]

I don't know much about the theory of writing, but I wanted to ask a
general question. I'm writing a thesis on Mason and Dixon, and I keep
contextualizing it against both GR and Vineland. All mainstream reviews
of MandD take their time to get in at least one negative comment about
Vineland, something I lament because I feel that Pynchon had to write
Vineland to write MandD. This leads to my question...is there anything
written about the idea that novelists write "pre-writes" in the form of
smaller novels before their bigger works, ie no V without the story from
Slow Learner, no GR without TCOL49, no MandD without Vineland. It's as
though P writes an introduction or outline for what he wishes to write
later, and it still gets published.
	Perhaps that is an oversimplification, but I wonder if this has
come up in discussion. Best,
					Graham

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    " All this talk about architecture and art is very dangerous: it
    brings the ears so far forward that they act as blinkers to the eyes."
					
						-Edwin Luytens
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