Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 671, About Creative Elements, Outline Scene Development, Style Q and A

11 February 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 671, About Creative Elements, Outline Scene Development, Style Q and A

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.

     4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage of the novel.

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 26th novel, working title, Shape, is this: Mrs. Lyons captures a shape-shifting girl in her pantry and rehabilitates her.

Here is the cover proposal for Escape from Freedom.  Escape is my 25th 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’m editing many of my novels using comments from my primary reader.  I’m editing Children of Light and Darkness at the moment.

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.  Historical 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. 

One of my blog readers posed these questions.  I'll use the next few weeks to answer them.

1.  Conflict/tension between characters

2.  Character presentation (appearance, speech, behavior, gestures, actions)

3.  Change, complexity of relationship, and relation to issues/theme

4.  Evolving vs static character

5.  Language and style

6.  Verbal, gesture, action

7.  Words employed

8.  Sentence length

9.  Complexity

10.  Type of grammar

11.  Diction

12.  Field of reference or allusion

13.  Tone - how tone is created through diction, rhythm, sentence construction, sound effects, images created by similes, syntax/re-arrangement of words in sentence, the inflections of the silent or spoken voice, etc.

14.  Mannerism suggested by speech

15.  Style

16.  Distinct manner of writing or speaking you employ, and why (like Pinter's style includes gaps, silences, non-sequitors, and fragments while Chekhov's includes 'apparent' inconclusiveness).

Moving on to 15. 15.  Style

Woah—style is huge.  I just spent more than six months defining style from almost every angle I could imagine. Here are the elements I found for an author’s style.

1.  Novel based style

a.  Writing focus
b.  Conversations
c.  Scene development
d.  Word use
e.  Foreshadowing
f.  Analogies
g.  Use of figures of speech
h.  Subthemes
I.  Character revelation
j.  Historicity
k.  Real world ties
l.  Punctuation
m.  Character interaction

2.  Scene based style

a.  Time
b.  Setting
c.  Tension and release development
d.  Revelation
e.  Theme development
f.  POV

 

When I write about scenes, I mean, a sequence of continuous action in a novel.  This is the smallest element of a novel. 

 

My method for scene development will accommodate the focus and style of any author, but it is a method.  Here is my method for scene development.

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’m looking at step four creative elements, and I gave a couple of examples of creative elements.  The first example was the wind blowing up a skirt.  The second was a handkerchief being blown by the wind.  These are creative elements of a scene.  A creative element is an event in a scene that produces a response from the characters.  An author uses creative elements to move the plot, theme, and characters revelation. 

 

Both events, the skirt and the handkerchief could be elements of scene setting rather than creative elements.  They become setting elements if the characters do not react to them.  If Chastity’s skirt is blown up and she and Tom ignore it, that makes it simply an element of the setting and the author has wasted a wonderful creative element.  Likewise, the handkerchief—if the characters just let it blow across the lawn/beach/tarmac, it is an element of the setting and not a creative element.

 

Remember, a creative element produces (or allows) the author to invoke a response from the characters—this is the purpose of a creative element.  The author needs or rather develops creative elements to move the plot, theme, and character revelation.  Many creative elements are large—the creative element that moves the initial scene might drive a large part of a novel.  Most creative elements are small—gestures, words, events, actions.  For example, a large creative element from my novel, Dana-ana is when she is “beat up” in the initial scene.  This event brings the protagonist and the protagonist’s helper together and propels the novel.  A smaller creative element from my novel, Warrior of Darkness, is when Scaith places lipstick on Klava.  Each time lipstick is renewed is an opportunity for a response—and I don’t waste a single one. 

 

The use of creative elements is a function of style.  I wouldn’t call these elements of style, but their use are rather the elements that make the writing detailed and wonderful to read.  An author who uses many creative elements is an author with many intricate details in the plot.  An author who doesn’t has a distant style.  For example, Kurt Vonnegut is an author who provides many elements of setting and fewer creative elements.  His characters are acted on rather than acting with or against their environment.  This is a function of style.

 

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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