Scenes - Scene Setting, Time Examples

10 November 2012, Scenes - Scene Setting, Time Examples

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

There are lots of approaches to scene setting. That means there are about a million plus ways you can set a scene. The main point is you have to clearly get across the where, when, who, what, and how.

Did you try the scene time setting exercise?  Did you discover unobtrusive ways to tell your readers the time in a scene.  Some obvious methods are the sun rising or setting (obviously morning and evening).  The sun at zenith or noon.  How about the long afternoon shadows or the extended morning shadows.  How about, he awoke to late morning sunlight or she awoke to false dawn.  Every one of these short statements tells you what time it is and sets the scene.

If you move out a little in time.  Did you try something like this: she woke and stretched.  She hated Monday mornings.  Or, how about this, the sun sat bellicose in her bedroom window.  She knew it was a Wednesday sun before she thought about the date.  Or, the Friday crowd pushed into the bar.  These are great ways to tell your reader the day of the week--if you have a reason to.

For dates and months:  February slinked in from a frozen January--you couldn't tell one from the other.  Or, Christmas decorations covered the town.  A poorly posed Halloween skeleton stared from behind the hedge.  How about a modification: a poorly posed and forgotten Halloween skeleton stared from behind the hedge--someone must have forgotten it because the smell of roasting Turkeys filled the atmosphere.  Okay, okay, I'm just trying to give you ideas on how to set the time in the scene. 

We'll move up a step 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.centurionnovelthesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor, http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.