Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 954, Publishing, Protagonists, Conclusions: Enchantment

21 November 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 954, Publishing, Protagonists, Conclusions: Enchantment  

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 provide quite a few examples of my novels that have protagonist who are both Romantic and pathetic.  Pathetic means they generate pathos just by being in a novel.  It means they evoke emotions in the reader without the author doing much more than placing them on the stage.  They are like a kitten video—I personally don’t watch the things, but I understand they are the rage.  When a normal person watches a kitten video, they go all floppy and want to pet kittens.  This is a similar reaction to a properly developed pathetic character—the reader wants to hold an comfort them.  In many cases, they would just like to give them a hamburger.  The chief difference between the concept of a kitten video and a pathetic character is the reach and force of the pathos developing character.  For example, it does no good to have a character like a hungry urchin with no future, no scope, and no thoughts.  Such a character is like a kitten video—it generates a moment of poignant interest, but then nothing.  This is why a Romantic character balanced with pathos is so important.

 

If you remember, a Romantic character is one who is an archetype of humanity in some way.  Additionally, a Romantic character is usually at odds with his or her culture and society.  Think Tarzan for a perfect and simple 20^th Century example.  Readers want to be like a Romantic character.  The Romantic character draws and excites them.  The fight of the Romantic character seems like their fight in life.  Mix a Romantic character with pathos and you have a potential powerhouse for a character.  Such a character is one the readers immediately love and want to be like (except for the pathos part).  A reader feels for a pathetic character and wants to be like a Romantic character—you can’t get much more than this from a character.  These are the characters readers say they love.

 

Now, I hope you caught from the examples how I developed Romantic characters, and how you can develop Romantic characters.  I used many different techniques or let’s say, I used many different means of creating a Romantic character (archetype) and a few different means to build pathos.  To synopsize, I had Romantic characters from those with a supernatural bent to extraordinary beauty to extraordinary intelligence to extraordinary skills to extraordinary qualities.  I built pathos characters through poverty, abuse, abandonment, banishment, and etc.  I suggest you approach your protagonists in a similar manner.  When you can make them Romantic and when you can inject pathos—do so.  Tomorrow, I’ll look at the protagonists in my science fiction novels.      

  

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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