30 June 2016, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part 811, Climax Examples, 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
finished writing my 27th 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 started writing my 28th novel, working title Red Sonja.
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)
How to begin a novel. Number one thought, we need an entertaining
idea. I usually encapsulate such an idea
with a theme statement. Since I’m
writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement. Here is an initial cut.
Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates
the X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk,
learns about freedom, and is redeemed.
I’m writing about how to develop the
climax of a novel. I’m giving examples
from my published and yet to be published novels. I’ll try not to introduce spoilers. You can’t read some of these novels yet, but
it’s worth writing about the process of developing the climax for them. I have two contracted novels Sister of Light and Sister of Darkness. These
are supposed to be published in a three-in-one with Aegypt and individually. The
economy has delayed their publication. These
first three novels are called Ancient
Light. They include Aegypt, Sister of Light, and Sister of Darkness. In addition to the Ancient Light novels, I’ve written some very fun novels I call my
enchantment novels. The eighth is Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse.
Many of my novels include a covert
intelligence theme. In Sorcha, I just take it to a higher
level. The protagonist of Sorcha is Shiggy. Shiggy is a very intelligent woman who has
been through every type of British intelligence training possible. She has failed miserably at each. The problem with is Shiggy—and something
else. Shiggy is not a being or a
creature. There are beings and creatures
all around her, but, at first, she is just a normal human. Shiggy’s character stands for all the bad
things people currently imagine about millennials.
Sorcha takes Shiggy on as an
intelligence project. If she can’t turn
the problem child into an effective agent, no one can. Thus begins the education of Shiggy. The problem with Shiggy, is not just her
upbringing, but also her lineage. Shiggy
is cursed. Still most of her problems
are her own problems, but she does have this strange problem of a curse.
Shiggy’s telic flaw is that she is
cursed. This doesn’t exactly mean what
you might think it does, but the answer isn’t really to get rid of the
curse. Still, the expected climax is
that Shiggy gets rid of her curse. From
the nature of the curse and any curse, we know this won’t happen. Thus, the expected climax can only have an
unexpected resolution. This is again,
the power of a theme that drives an impossible climax. I’ll note once more, the climax must have an
action based resolution.
I think I’ve made myself clear,
there is great power in a theme that has an expected climax that is not
possible. This makes it possible for the
author to either provide a reasoned means for the climax to become possible or
to provide a very unexpected resolution—an unexpected climax. I’m in great favor of this. Many themes logically can’t have the expected
climax—not without some kind of really powerful trick. We don’t want a deus ex machina, and we don’t
want the invention of an imaginary world where such events can come true. For example, how much more powerful is it
when I write: Shiggy’s curse can’t be broken—it is a part of her. The climax that breaks her curse also breaks
her. That’s no good. On the other hand, the unexpected resolution
that leaves the curse, but resolves her telic flaw—now that is powerful. That isn’t to say, it might be possible for
an author to develop a climax that solves Shiggy’s problem more directly. I just don’t like those kinds of climaxes,
and I like my worlds to be much more developed and based in actual human
affairs. The hopelessness of a person
who has some kind of issue that they can’t repair is much more powerful when
they overcome it, than one which is simply internal or based on bad habits
(laziness, weakness, etc.). For example,
if I wrote about a disabled person who overcomes their disabilities that is a
much more powerful story than a fully able person who decides to work
harder. My style is to present spiritual
disabilities (vampire, shape-shifter, cursed, goddess, demi-goddess) those who
are fated to be beings who we would consider irredeemable who in some way find
redemption. The fact that their fate is
the problem provides a powerful motif for the unexpected resolution.
Another novel I’ve written is Antebellum.
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
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com
