Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 809, Climax Examples, Lilly

28 June 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 809, Climax Examples, Lilly

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.  The sixth is Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer.

 

Lilly is a girl with many issues.  She is a math genius who has a scholarship to Pacific Lutheran University.  Unfortunately, her scholarship will pay for classes, but not for room and board.  She chose Pacific Lutheran University because the Chancellor made a deal with her that she could take any class she wanted, and since all the money is gone for tuition, Lilly’s mother, a drug addict and prostitute, can’t take it from her.  This, in a nutshell, is Lilly.  There’s more.  She can also program computers the way most people play a video game.  She tricks out electronics.  She also lives on the streets and steals food. 

 

Dane, a graduate student, rescues Lilly when she is using a hacked password to buy food.  Dane just wants to know more about this really smart girl—Lilly is infatuated with Dane.  That’s just the setup.  Lilly shares her meagre food with an old Japanese man and his cat.  This Japanese man happens to be a Japanese kami (god).  He is the kami for metal, is tired of life, and he wants to pass on his deity.  The kami does pass his deity and skills to Lilly.  Now Lilly has everything she could ever want—almost.

 

Lilly’s external telic flaw is she is an abused and abandoned person.  Her internal telic flaw is she wants someone to love her.  She’s found Dane, and Dane is interested, but he doesn’t know much about love either.  You can guess the expected climax is somehow related to love, acceptance, and being a Japanese kami.  You got it.  The expected climax is not so obvious, this makes it a potential unexpected resolution.  I’ll give you a hint, the other Japanese kamis are not happy with a human goddess among them.  This has got to have action to resolve.    

 

My next as yet uncontracted Enchantment novel is Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si.           

     

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