Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 383, Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

28 April 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 383, Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

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/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

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

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo shuttle pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer.  Lilly is my 24th novel.

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

Creativity is the means of writing and of scene development.  I think creativity is easy.  I discover new ideas to write about all the time.  I am intentionally being very carefully right now not to get a new idea to write about because I want to go through three novels that are already written, I want to develop the marketing material for Escape, and I'd like to get some contracted novels going.  If I get a ne idea, I'll want to write a novel, and that wouldn't be good right now.

Creativity is simply discovering new ideas to write about.  The way I cultivate new ideas is through reading and experience.  Most of my reading is great literature.  I also read much of my own writing.  I also try to diversify my experience--I've been reading much Asian literature and books.  I am planning to write a Japanese novel set in 1000 AD, but the closest I've come is Lilly.  The point is to keep generating ideas to build novels from.  I get plenty of ideas--the problem is writing them.

In the past, I've written much about generating ideas and themes.  Generating a theme is a great way to start a novel.  Getting an idea for an initial scene is a great way to start a novel.  Getting an idea and building on it is a great way to start a novel.  However you do it, start writing.  Writing is the way you will get a novel done--there is no other method.  What do you do if you have absolutely no idea how to begin?

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:

http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com  

fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release