Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 807, Climax Examples, Khione

26 June 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 807, Climax Examples, Khione

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 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’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.  They all have to do with enchantments.  The forth is Khione: Enchantment and the Fox.

 

With my enchantment novels, I can explore new and creative ideas outside my normal writing.  They’ve kind of become my normal writing lately.  Khione is one of the enchantment novels that is tied directly to another of those novels.  Khione works with characters developed in Hestia. 

 

Khione is a demigod from Greece.  She was offered her earth stuff at the end of Hestia which gave her control of her life and self.  Unlike many other demigods who were offered their freedom, Khione is a wild being who decided to go to the United States to be free of her past.  She lives like an animal in the streets.  In fact, Khione in her mind is an animal.  She has always been treated like an animal and she thinks she will always be an animal.  When she wasn’t free, she was a sexual slave.  If her earth stuff is held by another, she must obey.  This is true of all demigods. 

 

Pearce, a graduate student at Boston University finds Khione.  She is naked and come out at night to hunt mostly cats.  On one particular night, Khione is struck by a bus.  Pearce isn’t sure what to do with a naked, cat-eating, girl, so he takes her home.  Pearce puts her earth stuff—a Greek coin in his pocket.  Thus begins the education of Khione and Pearce.

 

Khione is the protagonist.  Her external telic flaw is she has always been a slave.  Her internal telic flaw is she has always been a slave.  This is a discovery novel.  In this sense—the protagonist isn’t completely hiding who she is, but who would believe a dirty girl off the streets who claims to be a demigoddess.  The mystery for the readers and the characters is who really is Khione.  This is shown and not told in the novel.  Thus, the readers and the characters slowly learn about who Khione really is. 

 

The expected climax is that Khione becomes free.  Here is a problem.  Khione has no idea what it really means to be free.  She hasn’t ever had friends.  She has been mostly alone her entire life.  When Pearce befriends her, this is a new stage in her life.  Can you see the unexpected resolution?  There is much more to this, but I think I made my point without giving away too much.  I love these types of novels where the expected and the unexpected climax produce obvious irony and satire.  Of course, the climax must include action.  What do you think happens when the authorities discover Khione, an undocumented alien person with no paperwork at all?   

 

My next as yet uncontracted Enchantment novel is Valeska: Enchantment and the Vampire.           

     

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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