Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 993, Introducing Pathos into the Rising Action

30 December 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 993, Introducing Pathos into the Rising Action

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 also working on my 29^th novel, working title School.

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.

 

For novel 28:  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.

 

For novel 29:  Sorcha, the abandoned child of an Unseelie and a human, secretly attends Wycombe Abbey girls’ school where she meets the problem child Deirdre 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 like to start with characters who immediately introduce pathos into the writing, but many Romantic characters can’t be made pathetic and some characters who initially seem strong and independent can be made or revealed as pathetic.  Remember, pathetic means pathos developing, which means the character creates a strong and appropriate emotions. 

 

Let’s review Sorcha and Deirdre a little.  Sorcha is my major pathos building character in this new novel.  She literally has nothing but a good mind and a fit and athletic body.  She was in the British foster and homes system until she beat up some girls.  She was sent to juvie prison and escaped.  She decided she wanted to attend Wycombe Abbey and is now attending in plain sight.  She is not paying tuition, and she is not officially on the student list.  She has skills and is very tricky.  She learned to get into the classes.  Sorcha immediately builds pathos because we want to cheer for her efforts—even if they are slightly illegal and wrong.  At the same time, we want her to succeed.  Do you taste the Romantic nature of her character too. 

 

Deirdre is an altogether different character.  She has had everything she needs—not perhaps everything she wants, but we know she has anger and fighting issues—that’s why she was sent to Wycombe Abbey, and that’s why Luna is watching her so closely.  We realize that Deirdre has never really been put upon, or we think we know this—the revelation will be different.  In any case, Deirdre also builds pathos, but a different kind of pathos.  We see her latching onto Sorcha as a kind of sad need for friendship that she can’t really achieve any other way.   

 

For the new character (no name yet), she is a girl who is a day border.  Day borders are supposed to be included in the school Houses and structure, but sometimes they aren’t despite the work of the teachers.  This girl is poor, on scholarship, weird, a great student, but very stuck up, and not in the good graces of those girls in the power structure.  You can see immediately the pathos elements—these won’t be immediately evident.  They must be revealed in the plot.  Likewise, the force of the pathos elements of Sorcha and Deirdre will be further revealed.  This is similar to Flavia DeLuca.  She is a great pathos revealing Romantic character.  Her father is a nobleman, but her mother is dead.  She has a cook, but eats terrible food.  She lives in a huge mansion that is falling apart.  She never thinks of herself as poor, but she never has money in her pocket.  I think the author should have made her even more pathos building, but he didn’t.  As an author, don’t lose the advantage of building and developing pathos in revelation.  There is much more about this.

 

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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