Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 793, Climax Examples, Aegypt

12 June 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 793, Climax Examples, Aegypt

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.

 

I’ll try not to introduce spoilers, but please read my novels and see for yourself these examples.  My next published work is Aegypt.  Aegypt is a historical suspense novel about a lieutenant in the French foreign legion who discovers an Egyptian tomb in Tunisia.  If you didn’t know, the headquarters for the French foreign legion was originally in Tunisia.  This novel is filled with historical and cultural information.  It is also an ancient mystery concerning a tomb, a missing temple, and two excommunicated Egyptian goddesses.  The climax of the novel concerns the opening of the second tomb—the tomb of the Goddess of Darkness.  The first tomb was previously opened—the tomb of the Goddess of Light.  The climax is filled with action, because, well, just because. 

 

The external telic flaw is that the lieutenant, Paul Bolang is a man driven by bloodlust.  He is a leader of leaders who is in need of an objective in life.  This is also his internal telic flaw.  The climax of the novel resolves this (these) telic flaws.  As I mentioned, we have action and the resolution of the protagonist’s telic flaw. 

 

The final point is the expected and the unexpected.  Who could not expect the archeologists to open the tomb they found?  The reader expects it.  The characters expect it.  That’s just an obvious expectation for a novel about tombs.  Now to the unexpected.  The contents are the unexpected part as is the results of the opening of the tomb.  A good author plays the plot such that the readers aren’t sure of the contents or the events in the tomb.  Who is lying and what is the truth?  These are questions the author doesn’t answer until the events occur in the novel.   The next is The End of Honor.          

     

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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