Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 393, Journey Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

8 May 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 393, Journey 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)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires true study and true reading. 

Creativity is a journey and not an end.  Many people simply envision themselves at the finish line or at a book signing party.  I've personally experienced many significant celebratory events and successes in my life.  Each one was a let down in some way.  When you graduate with a degree or graduate with a doctoral degree, you imagine you might have arrived.  When you gain an award, you might imagine you gained something special.  When you are granted a patent, you might think you made a great accomplishment.  When you have a published book, you might think that was the focus.  If you think these accomplishments are more than measures of success, you are wrong.  They are only measures of success.  The true happiness you gain is not in these measures, but in the thousands and thousands of hours you put to work gaining these measures.  The journey is what matters and not the goal.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't aim for high goals--it means if you don't apply and enjoy yourself, you likely won't make those goals, and the goals themselves will never be as sweet as the journey to make those goals.

I love to look at and read my novels--they are individual works of art that took at least 400 to 2000 hours to write.  The enjoyment was in the writing.  The beauty was in seeing each spring fully armed from my mind--and of course, they didn't.  Novels never spring fully armed, they begin like a child--conceived in creativity, born as a theme, raised as a plot, and set to rest with a climax and dénouement.  Authors can't pull out and admire their published works because they are set in stone--they can only enjoy them.  Authors can't admire their unpublished works without wanting to edit them.  Creativity is a journey and a journey like no other. 

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  

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