Development - Short Stories and Scenes

30 October 2012, Development - Short Stories and Scenes

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

Here are my rules of writing:

1. Entertain your readers.
2. Don't confuse your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.

A scene outline is a means of writing a novel where each scene follows the other with a scene input from the previous scene and a scene output that leads to the next scene. The scenes don't necessarily have to follow directly in time and place, however they generally follow the storyline of the protagonist.

A storyline outline is a means of writing a novel where the author develops a scene outline for more than one character and bases the plot on one or more of these storyline scenes. This allows the scenes to focus on more than the protagonist. This is a very difficult means of writing. There is a strong chance of confusing your readers.

Whether you write with a scene outline or a storyline outline, you must properly develop your scenes.  All novels are developed from scenes and each scene has a design similar to a novel.  Every successful novel has the following basic parts:

1. The beginning
2. The rising action
3. The Climax
4. The falling action
5. The dénouement

Every scene has these parts:

1.  The setting (where, what, who, when, how)
2.  The connection (input)
3.  The tension development
4.  The release
5.  The output

This is the basics of scene development. Every scene must have a setting, characters, and tension and release.  The breakdown of a scene is roughly analogous to a novel and especially to a short story.  Every scene can potentially be made into a short story.  Listen to this very carefully.  I'm not saying that every scene can easily be made into a short story or that they should, but every scene must contain the elements of a short story.  Those elements are the same as the parts of a scene above, and if a short story, they are exactly the elements of a novel.

To be specific, a short story, like a novel, is always self contained.  A scene is not necessarily self contained, but it has the significant elements of any short story.  To turn a scene into a short story just requires the addition of an input and an output.  The input is the connection to the novel (for a short story, the beginning setup).  The output is the dénouement.  In a short story, the beginning (setup) is cohesive and self contained, and the dénouement completes the story.  In a scene, the input connects the scene to the previous scene and the output to the next scene.

Some great authors are short story writers.  I'll write about this tomorrow.

My Notes: once you have a theme, you need to begin to visualize your plot, focus your theme, and define your characters. More tomorrow.

I'll move on to basic writing exercises and creativity in the near future.

The following is a question asked by one of my readers. I'm going to address this over time: Please elaborate on scene, theme, plot, character development in a new novel creation....ie, the framework, the development, order if operation, the level of detail, guidelines, rule of thumb, tricks, traps and techniques.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor, http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.