Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 923, Publishing, The Unique and Entertaining Protagonist

21 October 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 923, Publishing, The Unique and Entertaining Protagonist  

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

 

Would you like to write a novel that a publisher will consider?  Would you like to write a novel that is published?  How about one that sells?  I’m in Scottsdale.  I played golf at Camelback golf club again.  I’m staying at the Sanctuary with five ladies—don’t worry, I’m supervised. 

 

The protagonist must be unique and entertaining.  The question is how do we make a unique and entertaining protagonist?  I am not a big fan of the Harry Potty novels, but they are popular and well known—many have read them.  Harry is a unique and mostly entertaining character.  Harry is a god with faults.  His main and only fault is that he doesn’t love or trust himself.  This is the basic repetitive theme of all seven of these novels—I wish it weren’t.  I hate godlike characters.  I don’t mind god characters.  In general, god characters can be made human by limitations and human behavior.  Godlike characters cannot be rehabilitated.  For example, Superman is a godlike being.  What is amazing is that he looks like a human when he is really an alien.  Also he eats human food even though he is an alien.  If you don’t realize why aliens will never be able to eat any human or earth food, you need to study biology.  Additionally, the chance of a human reproducing with an alien is the same as a human reproducing with a steam-shovel.  It might or might not be fun, but it is likely to be disappointing from both partners.  If you don’t understand this, you need to study biology.

 

Back to Harry Potty, the god.  Harry is a god.  He has godlike powers and even in his own community of gods is the unique god.  There you go.  Harry Potty is a unique character among the unique.  He is a god.  Now, most characters in literature are not gods or godlike.  I do write about gods in the modern world.  This is where I get part of my unique themes and characters from.  Usually, protagonists are not so unique they are gods or godlike—they are still special in some way.  These are usually referred to as Romantic characters.  Romantic characters (protagonists) are characters who are human archetypes.  Most of the novels you love the most have Romantic protagonists.  For example, Harry Potty is definitely a Romantic character.  One of the best ways to tell is ask: does this character like to follow the rules or not, additionally, is this character special?  Typical favorite Romantic characters are Tarzan, Sara Crew (The Little Princess), Jean val Jean, Howard Roark, many science fiction characters, and Harry Potty.  Most of your favorite characters are Romantic characters because Romantic characters are unique and usually they are entertaining.  Let’s start with unique.  What makes a character Romantic?

      

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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