31 July 2016, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part 842, The Stage of the Novel, more Describing Characters
and the Stage
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.
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.
Let’s go back to the beginning. I’ll use my newest novel as an example. It’s a historical novel, and you can see the
theme statement just above. Let’s look
at a novel from the standpoint of a stage play.
A novel is not a stage play or a screenplay, but the author should
approach some aspects of the novel from this vantage point.
In setting the stage of the novel
follow my rules for writing 4a above:
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage
of the novel.
In fiction writing, we want to show
and not tell. The most basic example of
this is that we, as authors, want to reveal our characters. Revealing means telling their inmost thoughts
and desires. The trick is you can’t tell
what the character’s inmost thoughts and desires are. The best way to accomplish this is through conversation. This is why I write that I love to get
characters into personal conversation.
If I can find a time for the protagonist and the protagonist’s helper to
talk quietly to each other, that is the time for powerful revelation.
You don’t need to have the
characters say they feel this or that—you communicate their thoughts and
emotions through their gestures and opinions.
Plus, showing is showing. If you
want to show us your protagonist loves children, put them in a situation where
they have an opportunity to show their love for children. If you want to show us your protagonist is
honest, set up a situation where the protagonist must show honesty. Again, you can give all kinds of information
through conversation.
Conversation is a fantastic means to
give a character’s history or general history.
In giving history, the character can relate how they felt about a
situation or their gestures and emotions can show how they felt or feel. You can always use gestures and emotions as a
means to show character feelings and inner thoughts. Sometimes they are true and sometimes they
are false. Ever hear of crocodile
tears? One of the powerful aspects of
showing inner thoughts and the conversational revelation is that they might be
true and they might be false. The author
has great control over the revelation and the means of revelation. The author can show truth or falsehood, and
the author can provide all kinds of breadcrumbs that reveal the accuracy or
inaccuracy of a character’s self-revelation.
This is what makes writing so powerful.
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
No comments:
Post a Comment