Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 386, Past Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

1 May 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 386, Past 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)

If everything has a basis in the past--nothing is completely new, but some leaps are unique, then how do we leverage the past to build the creative and the unique.  I think Bram Stoker is the perfect historical example of that creativity.  Bram Stoker invented the gothic horror novel.  If you haven't read Dracula or any of his other horror novels, you should.  Bram Stoker took ideas from the past and history and melded them together to produce not just a new genre of literature, but a whole type of character.  He literally invented the supernatural evil character.  He was able to do this only because he as a very devout Catholic.  Dracula was an anti-Christian character who happens to prove God.  That, by the way, is the theme of Dracula.  Bram Stoker provided an antithesis that proves God exists.

The idea of looking to the past to create and build the unique is the easiest and most powerful method of building creativity.  It isn't the only way, but it is the basis for every method.  If you want to invent something new and creative--look to the past.  This means you need to start studying.  Many people imagine that creativity is the work of drugs and a music induced haze.  No one can create anything trough drugs and a haze of any kind.  Creativity comes from knowledge and a lucid mind.  Why do you think the greatest artists and inventors were both scientists and artists--like Leonardo Da Vinci.  When we understand the past, we can invoke creativity.      

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