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.
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.
Here is another example of scene setting from the novel, Aksinya. Here is a complete scene setting. The time is "Thursday." The place is the front door of Aksinya's house. The characters are Ernst, Aksinya, Natalya, the driver, the Sister, and the novice sisters. The purpose of the time and place is this is the date of Ernst's invitation. One item of note is the carriage and the other is the bouquet.
On
Thursday, a landau carriage drove up to the front door of Aksinya’s house. The convertible roof was up and the side
flaps were tied tightly shut against the cold.
The two dark horses blew out great puffs of frosty breath when the
driver brought them to a halt. The
driver jumped to the street and opened the flap on the house side. Ernst von Taaffe stepped out the landau and
walked to the door. He held a small
bouquet of flowers in one hand. He
knocked on the carved cedar door himself.
Sister Margarethe opened the door to
him, “Good evening.”
Ernst
pushed past her into the house. He
pulled off his top hat, “Good evening, Sister.”
He glanced at her for only a moment, “I’m here to pick up that wonderful
Lady, the Countess of Golitsyna.” He juggled the top
hat and the small bouquet for a moment then handed her his card, “Will you
please tell her that Ernst von Taaffe is here to attend her.”
Sister Margarethe took the card then
her hand stole to her cheek, “You are here to pick up the Countess?”
“Yes,
I am expected. I have an
appointment.” He smiled.
Sister Margarethe backed toward the
end of the room. As an afterthought, she
called back to Ernst, “Please make yourself… comfortable. I shall return presently.”
Aksinya
and Natalya almost ran into Sister Margarethe
on the stairs. Sister Margarethe pressed her lips together, “A man is
here.” She could barely get out the
words. Then her eyes finally focused on
Aksinya and Sister Margarethe
let out a tiny squeak, “You were expecting him?”
“Of
course,” Aksinya pushed past the Sister.
Natalya
paused a moment beside Sister Margarethe. She smiled and nodded then she continued
after her mistress.
Aksinya
stepped into the parlor, and Ernst dropped both his hat and the flowers. Aksinya wore a dark blue dress made entirely
of satin. The fabric shown
brilliantly. Each twinkle of the
gaslights reflected in it and blazed. It
was an older noble cut, but certainly not out of style for visiting a
tsar. The bodice was covered with
brocade—a blue on blue whose design was so intricate, Ernst’s eyes could not
discern its entirety in the dim light of the room. Aksinya’s long gloves were white with accents
of blue lace, and a mist of lace floated upward from the bodice to cover her
shoulders. That was also matched by the
lace of the small veiled cap that covered her short hair.
Ernst
could only beam when he saw her. He
recovered the flowers and dropped to his left knee, “Countess, you are
ravishing.” He held out the bouquet,
“Please accept this small gift.”
Aksinya
took the flowers. She knew it was no
small gift. In the middle of winter such
a bouquet of fresh flowers was very dear.
It was made of a single red rose surrounded by lilacs and edelweiss. She brought them close to her nose. They smelled very pleasant. She smiled behind the bouquet, “Aren’t you
being a little presumptive in presenting me with a red rose?”
“Not
at all, you accepted it, didn’t you?”
“So
I did, Herr von Taaffe.”
Ernst
stood and put out his arm, “If you please, Countess. My landau awaits you.”
Sister Margarethe loudly cleared her
throat behind them.
Aksinya
half turned, “Ernst von Taaffe, I am pleased to introduce Sister Margarethe. She looks after the Lady Natalya and me.”
Ernst
turned his head only a fraction of an inch, “Will she accompany us?”
Aksinya
shook her head, “Not on this occasion. And I can’t forget my best friend and
confidant, the Lady Natalya Alexandrovna
Obolenska. She will accompany me.” Aksinya didn’t turn this time, “Sister Margarethe, the Lady Natalya
and I will be going out for the evening with Herr von Taaffe. We will return after the ballet. Please bring our cloaks.”
Sister Margarethe curtsied, “I am
very pleased to meet you Herr Taaffe. Do
not keep my charges out too late. They
must both attend chapel and early classes.”
She exited the room for a moment and returned with the cloaks.
When
Sister Margarethe approached
Aksinya, Natalya stopped her, “That is the wrong cloak for the Countess. Please bring the mink one.”
Sister Margarethe pressed her lips
together, but she went back for the heavy mink cloak. When Sister
Margarethe returned, Natalya took the cloak from her and placed it over
Aksinya’s shoulders. She took a deep
breath, smiled, and tied the cloak at Aksinya’s neck.
Sister Margarethe placed Natalya’s
black woolen cloak over her shoulders.
Natalya stepped toward Aksinya before the nun could fasten the
cloak. She buried her face in the fabric
and slowly tied it at her neck herself.
Aksinya
eyed Ernst’s proffered arm dubiously.
Then she placed two gloved fingers on his forearm. Ernst covered her fingers and forced her hand
against his arm. He smiled at her, “I
wouldn’t want you to stumble.” He led
her to the door. Sister Margarethe just had time to get to the portal and open it
so he and Aksinya could exit into the freezing evening. Natalya nodded as she passed the nun, but she
didn’t say a word, and she turned her head away from the sister to hide her
smile.
This is a scene about the unexpected. Sister Margarethe didn't expect Ernst to come calling. Aksinya didn't expect Ernst to be so debonaire. Natalya didn't expect that she would act so well as the lady-in-waiting to a Countess. Note how she treats the Sister. This little scene introduces Ernst as a lover and gentleman. It shows Natalya in her prime. It shows Aksinya as a Countess.
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: I am awaiting for you to write a detailed installment on identifying, and targeting your audience, or audiences...ie, multi-layered story, for various audiences...like CS Lewis did. JustTake care, and keep up the writing; I am enjoying it, and learning a lot.
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, www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, thefoxshonor, http://www.aseasonofhonor.
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