Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x12, Method of Scene Writing, Rising Action

18 January 2017, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x12, Method of Scene Writing, 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

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 Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse. 

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: transition from input to output focused on the telic flaw resolution)

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

 

Here is the scene development outline again.  This is an outline to help you develop a scene. 

 

1.  Scene input (easy)

2.  Scene output (a little harder)

3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)

4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene: transition from input to output focused on the telic flaw resolution)

5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)

6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

 

From this outline and the concept of entertainment and excitement, you can build a method of how to write a scene.  As I note (over and over) you start the scene with an input.  The input should come with a creative element.  At least, the input will give you where, when, characters (who), stuff in the scene (which).  The what of the scene is based on the creative elements and the tension and release.

 

With the where, when who, and which, I can write the scene setting.  For simplicity sake, let’s start with where and when.  Write the scene setting beginning with the place and time.  It was a dark and stormy night…and so on.  Next bring in the characters.  Bill and Susan were there…describe them and their clothing.  Anything else of interest comes in.  So, here is the beginning of the method from the outline:

 

1.      Scene input (comes from the previous scene output or is an initial scene)

2.      Write the scene setting (place, time, stuff, and characters)

3.      Imagine the output, creative elements, plot, telic flaw resolution (climax) and develop the tension and release.

4.      Write the scene using the output and creative elements to build the tension.

5.      Write the release

6.      Write the kicker

You don’t have to have a kicker, but I always try to end a scene with a good and strong demarcation.  The kicker can be funny, tragic, a cliffhanger, a thoughtful idea, a compromising situation.  The kicker can be anything that rekindles the interest and excitement of the reader and closes the scene.  The trick is to close the scene.

 

I mentioned that you should already have some creative elements from previous scenes and characters.  For example, a strong creative element might be a love interest.  It could be anything that was mentioned in a previous scene that is yet incomplete.  The protagonist might have promised to take the protagonist’s helper to the movie, ballpark, dinner, the office, the library, take your pick—it’s your novel.  The protagonist might have reasoned to study more about the telic flaw situation at the library, city hall, a newspaper, a university, a hospital, the police headquarters…whatever.  These are all creative elements.  They come from a previous scene thought or idea.  Creative elements that don’t come from other scenes might still have their antecedents in another scene or the character or they might be new. 

 

The question to ask is what do I want the characters to do in this scene?  What must they do in this scene?  What moves the telic flaw resolution forward in this scene?  What builds tension in this scene?  What should the release for this scene be?  These all help develop the scene.  Until you know how to answer these, you shouldn’t write your scene yet.     

 

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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