Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 432, more Reasoned Systems Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

16 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 432, more Reasoned Systems 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 consuming, thinking, and producing. 

I noted yesterday the difference between a logical and a reasoned system.  Let's be more explicit in the definition and look at reasoned based systems.  A logical system is necessary for any natural, scientific, or cause and effect system or event.  I used magic and sorcery as cause and effect system examples because they were so different compared to a science based system or event.

Reasoned systems and ideas are the bread and butter of the author.  Many things are not logical, but they can be made to sound reasoned.  Many things are not fully provable, but through logic and reason, they can be made to sound reasonable.  A great example is magic and sorcery.  That's why I brought them up as examples--the author can make them sound both logical and reasoned through the fiction in a novel.  This is the same way I can make an FTL (Faster than Light) system sound reasonable and logical in a science fiction novel.  That isn't to say FTL might not be possible in the future, but right now, our data says impossible.  Who knows what the future will bring. 

The author through creativity brings things that don't exist in the real world to life.  This doesn't just mean characters or places, but systems, technology, ideas, politics, governments, nations...whatever you can imagine, you can bring to life in a novel.  And the best way to make anything seem real is, unless you are an expert on the subject, don't get too deep in the weeds.  An FTL system can sound real with a little relativity mumbo jumbo thrown in, but a little too much and you sound like an idiot. 

Magic and sorcery can be made to look real in a novel, but unless you've studied it well, don't go too deep.  I will advise you, the more you know, the better you can invent a new system.  I personally study a subject for years before I begin to write--like magic and sorcery.        

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, creative, idea, logic