Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 875, Novel Development, Revealing the Protagonist, more Material

2 September 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 875, Novel Development, Revealing the Protagonist, more Material

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.

 

These are the steps I use to write a novel:

 

1.      Design the initial scene

2.      Develop a theme statement (initial setting, protagonist, protagonist’s helper or antagonist, action statement)

a.       Research as required

b.      Develop the initial setting

c.       Develop the characters

d.      Identify the telic flaw (internal and external)

3.      Write the initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

4.      Write the next scene(s) to the climax (rising action)

5.      Write the climax scene

6.      Write the falling action scene(s)

7.      Write the dénouement scene

 

Here is my list of ways an author might add extraneous writing to a novel.  Let’s look at the first.

 

1.      Material not relevant to the climax or plot.

2.      Characters or character arches not relevant to the climax or plot.

3.      Side stories.

4.      Information not relevant to the climax, setting, or plot.

5.      Excessive storylines.

6.      Lack of a sufficient telic flaw.

7.      Incorrect protagonist.

    

Material not relevant to the climax or plot.  What is the telic flaw of the protagonist?  I’ve been through my novels more than once to identify the protagonist and express their internal and external telic flaws.  I won’t do this again here, but I’ll give some examples of telic flaws in common literature.  This is the most important concept an author can identify in his novel because it define the plot and the climax.  You really can’t have a climax without the resolution of the protagonist’s telic flaw.

 

Let’s pick some writing that everyone has read.  Harry Potter is probably a good example because almost every person has read these novels.  Unfortunately, the plot and climax in these books is repetitive and in some ways unconnected directly to the internal telic flaw of the protagonist.  Instead, I like to use other more common, and better written novels.  Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens is a great example.  Oliver’s telic flaw is he is a noble (or at least a respectable person) forced to live with the common.  The idea of the perfection of the aristocratic was a common theme concept in Dicken’s time.  This was moving from the nobility to those of more common means, but still the middle class or the landed gentry as they called them.  Oliver doesn’t really have an internal telic flaw, but his external telic flaw is that he is living and existing at a level of society below him.  The obvious climax is that Oliver becomes part of the landed gentry.  Perhaps this is a poor example because the plot only requires Oliver to continue to act noble with common people all around him.  The climax that Dickens develops has an unexpected resolution, but the climax plays out pretty much as expected.

 

Perhaps a better example is Sara Crew from A Little Princess.  The external telic flaw for Sara is that she has lost her father (he died).  She does have a wonderful internal telic flaw.  Hodgson created a powerful internal telic flaw that Sara is a princess because she acts like a princess.  The resolution of the external telic flaw is Sara gets a father.  The resolution of the internal telic flaw is that her perfection as a person is revealed.  The plot drives to this resolution, and we see Sara return to her class station, and she gets a new father.  In any case, to prevent material extraneous to the climax and plot, the author needs to understand the telic flaw (internal and external) of the protagonist.  Indeed, they need to understand who the protagonist is.  Revelation of the protagonist is the key to the plot and 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  

fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic