Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 438, more Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

22 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 438, more Extrapolation 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. 

To use historical extrapolation to get to my "shape-shifter," I researched shape-shifters in Celtic mythology.  I wanted my shape-shifter to be a cat and a witch.(or thought to be a witch).  I found a great shape-shifter in Sith.  Sith is a great black cat who has a white mark on her chest.  She is said to be a woman, but turn into a large black Scottish wildcat at will--usually at night.  There might be an association with the moon, there usually is with women and shape-shifters, but I wanted my character independent of the full moon.  Perhaps affected by the full moon.  Sith is also known as Aos Si--this is pronounced ess shee, thus the girls name would be Essie.  The name Sith is more properly pronounced Sidth.  There is a strong association of Sith with the four fairy courts.  I figured I could roll those into the novel.

Finally, I mentioned it before, Ceridwen has two white cats who do her bidding in the world. I didn't mention them in my novels.  Perhaps I should.  The association of  Ceridwen with white and white cats makes too much of a possible crossing of Sith and Ceridwen.  I will, of course have Sith and Ceridwen meet...an possibly fight.  Ceridwen is the high goddess of the Celts and the head of all the Celtic courts including the courts of the fairies--at least in my novels.                  

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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