Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 924, Publishing, more of The Unique and Entertaining Protagonist

22 October 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 924, Publishing, more of 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?  Headed back to Wichita at 11,000 feet from Scottsdale.  Still have all the ladies with me.

 

The protagonist must be unique and entertaining.  The question is how do we make a unique and entertaining protagonist?  I’ll put at the beginning, that the number one characteristic of a unique and entertaining protagonist is they are a romantic character.  Don’t get Romantic and romance mixed up.  They are entirely different.  A Romantic character can also be a romance character, and a romance character can be a Romantic character.  Romance is a genre and a romance character is one whose telic flaw deals with love and romance.  Romantic is a character archetype. 

 

Romantic means a character who is special in some way and usually an archetype or a stereotype of a specific type of highly regarded human being.  Usually, the Romantic character is special but misunderstood.  They many times see the world around them through a different set of blinders than normal humanity.  They are contrarians to their culture and society, but usually for moral or ethical reasons.  Modern literature has seen the rise of the anti-Romantic character.  The anti-Romantic character is one whose morals and ethics are both contrary to society and culture as well as common established morality.  For example a common Romantic character might be morally perfect, virginal, intelligent, a stickler for the rule but opposed to the cultural or social construct about life.  An anti-Romantic character might oppose cultural or social morality and, for example, be sexually promiscuous or criminally wanton.  The Romantic character is usually an archetype of morality and ethics.  The anti-Romantic character is usually opposed in some way to cultural or social morality.

 

For example, an anti-Romantic character might be a communist or a socialist.  Communism and socialism, like the proverbial Robin Hood wants to take from those who have to give to those who supposedly need.  This is theft from any cultural or social standpoint and therefore immoral.  A Romantic character might be opposed to the potential inequities of capitalism, but realize that capitalism is a moral imperative and that helping the truly poor is a moral and ethical imperative as well.  What are some examples of Romantic and anti-Romantic characters?

      

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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