Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x15, the Kicker in the Method of Scene Writing, Rising Action

21 January 2017, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x15, the Kicker in the 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)

 

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

 

The release for the initial scene in School is the fight between Deirdre and Sorcha.  After that comes the kicker.  Some kickers are stronger than others.  Here is the kicker from the initial scene of School. 

 

Luna and Ms. Beckworth stepped out of the room.  Ms. Beckworth closed the door with a snap.  Deirdre glanced at the page of rules.  It was an entire sheet of tightly typed text numbered from one to twenty.  Deirdre gave a huge sigh, sat at her desk, licked her pencil, and began memorizing the entire page of rules.

What you didn’t see before is that after the fight, Deirdre was given a punishment. She missed lunch and supper, and she had to memorize the rules of the house.  The kicker here isn’t that strong, but it is still a kicker.  Here it is again:

 

Deirdre gave a huge sigh, sat at her desk, licked her pencil, and began memorizing the entire page of rules.      

 

The kicker completes the scene and ties it to the output and the next scene.  Completes the scene is important.  You can just write, Deirdre studied the rules.  That’s okay, but the trick is to complete the scene and refer to the output.  If you remember the output becomes the input into the next scene, you can guess where the next scene should go.  Here is the kicker from the next scene:

 

Sorcha curled with her back toward Deirdre.  She had never slept with anyone else.  She’d never been this close to another person, not on purpose.  She wasn’t sure what to say to Deirdre’s statement—attack mode.  She heard Deirdre’s empty stomach rumbling for a while, but the girl’s breathing became quickly regular.  Sorcha slowly drifted off to sleep.

Notice, concludes the scene and points to the next scene.  In this case, it is easy—the next scene is in the morning.  The second scene is also an intermediate scene.  It is not the expected next scene.  The second scene is Sorcha and Deirdre’s interaction and reconciliation.  The third scene is really the continuation of the first scene.  In the first scene, the output is that Deirdre must memorize the house rules for Mrs. Beckworth.  And thus the scenes continue.

 

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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