Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 750, Sorcha

30 April 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 750, Sorcha

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, proposed title, Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si, is this: Mrs. Lyons captures a shape-shifting girl in her pantry and rehabilitates her.

I just started writing my 27^th novel, working title, Claire, potential title Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse.  This might need some tweaking.  The theme statement is: Claire (Sorcha) Davis accepts Shiggy, a dangerous screw-up, into her Stela branch of the organization and rehabilitates her.  

Here is the cover proposal for Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si.  Essie is my 26th 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 finished my 27^th novel, working title Claire.  I’m working on marketing materials.

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 finished answering the questions on writing from one of my blog readers.  Where we will go now is into the depths of novel development, writing, and marketing.  I’ll use my newest novel, Sorcha as an example.  Let’s start at the very beginning—that unfortunately makes me think of The Sound of Music.  A very good place to start—we will start with A, B, C, so to speak.

 

How to begin a novel.  Number one thought, we need an entertaining idea.  I usually encapsulate such an idea with a theme statement.  Here’s the theme statement from Sorcha.

 

Claire (Sorcha) Davis accepts Shiggy, a dangerous screw-up, into her Stela branch of the organization and rehabilitates her.

 

I’m reusing characters and organizations in this theme statement.  I’ve already developed many of the ideas before in my novels, so I can just grab them off the shelf, so to speak.  I have had Sorcha Davis in two previous novels.  She was a seven year old precocious child in Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si.  In Valeska: Enchantment and the Vampire, she was a nineteen year old college girl.  She was portrayed in Valeska as infatuated with an older Agent of the Organization. 

 

Sorcha is the protagonist’s helper in this novel.  This should be obvious from the theme statement.  At the time of this novel, Sorcha is about thirty.  Her character is not fully developed for this novel because ten years has passed from the last novel, but we have many of the bits and piece of a character.  All we need to do is fill out the in between.  Most of this is completely unknown to the reader and will not be revealed in the novel. This novel isn’t about Sorcha, but about Shiggy.  I have a lot of information and entertaining ideas to use about Sorcha.  The infatuation angle is a great place to start.  The fact that she was a precocious child and an irritating adult build and fill out her personality.  She is very bright and independent.  She is also cruel and demanding.  Sorcha leads a branch of Stela in the Organization.  She is an agent in British intelligence.  If you haven’t figured it out yet—the first step is developing the characters.  Sorcha was the first one up.  I’ll tell you more about her and her development next.

 

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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