Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 787, more of The Climax

6 June 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 787, more of The Climax

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 started writing my 28^th 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.

 

If Red Sonja’s external telic flaw is that she is a Soviet spy, and her internal telic flaw is her allegiance to the USSR, then what should be the climax?  For this to be a comedy, she should come to an internal change based on her own thoughts and experience.  This will result in a change of heart.  That’s positive, but not very good at all.  The external telic flaw is a worse problem for her.  She might want to stop being a Soviet spy, but she has to face the Soviet Union and potentially the USA government.  The chance of being killed by your own side is pretty high.  The possibility of being caught as a spy is pretty high too.  Both of these would make great climaxes for the novel.  You can have an internal telic flaw climax and an external telic flaw climax, but you really can’t or shouldn’t have two external or internal climaxes.  However, you can write a really great scene that includes both the Soviets and the USG or perhaps separate scenes with one primary climax. 

 

Here’s my point—in this novel, the climax is obvious, but can be approached in many ways.  The author can write the climax in many ways, but the climax is an open area that the author can exert an incredible level of creativity in writing in and writing to it.  Here we go. 

 

The author’s job is to write.  Writing means creativity.  Now, I think the theme for this novel is pretty unique.  You can have a well-used theme and common characters with a common telic flaw, but turn something like that into a wonderful novel.  Think of Shakespeare.  He wove well used themes into very powerful works of art.  The climax of most of his pieces are obvious, but the way he approached them made them new, and the way he wrote them made them unique and powerful.

 

The author’s skill comes from the writing and not necessarily the theme or basis of the climax.        

     

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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