6 March 2017, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part x59, Creative Elements in Scenes, Plot Devices, Eucatastrophe
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 27th 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.
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Cover
Proposal
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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 28th novel, working title Red Sonja. I’m also working on my 29th 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 beginning of the scene
development 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
Below is a list of plot
devices. I’m less interested in a plot
device than I am in a creative element that drives a plot device. In fact, some of these plot devices are not
good for anyone’s writing. If we
remember, the purpose of fiction writing is entertainment, we will perhaps begin
to see how we can use these plot devices to entertain. If we focus on creative elements that drive
plot devices, we can begin to see how to make our writing truly
entertaining. I’ll leave up the list and
we’ll contemplate creative elements to produce these plot devices.
Deus ex machina (a machination, or act of god;
lit. “god out of the machine”)
Flashback (or analeptic reference)
Story within a story (Hypodiegesis)
Secrets
Eucatastrophe: Here is a definition of Eucatastrophe from
the link-- Coined
by J. R. R. Tolkien, a climactic event through which the protagonist appears to
be facing a catastrophic change. However, this change does not materialize and
the protagonist finds himself as the benefactor of such a climactic event;
contrast peripety/peripateia.
Eucatastrophe comes from the prefix
eu, meaning good, and catastrophe.
Therefore, a eucatastrophe is a good catastrophe. Literally, it is a catastrophe that results
in something good. The example from
Tolkien also from the link is this event:
At the end of The Lord of the Rings,
Gollum forcibly takes away the Ring from Frodo, suggesting that Sauron would
eventually take over Middle Earth. However, Gollum celebrates too eagerly and
clumsily falls into the lava, whereby the ring is destroyed and with it
Sauron's power. In a way, Gollum does what Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring
intended to do through the whole plot of the trilogy, which was to throw the
ring into the lake of fire in the heart of Mount Doom.
I’m not sure if I used a
eucatastrophe before in my writing. I
think this might qualify. This example
is from my published novel, The Fox’s
Honor. You can get and read the
entire novel yourself. Here is the part
that introduces the eucatastrophe.
“I cannot,” said the Baron quietly, “I promised our father and myself
that I would do my best to protect our House.
How can I do that off this planet?
Can you expect me to leave you in the hands of a population that will
tear my little sister to shreds? Or,
that I will trust you to the machinations of this man, Devon Rathenberg.” He walked back to his desk.
Frustrated
and thinking, Tamar put her face in her hands.
Beside her, Devon glanced at his
crono. They all felt a strong vibration
through the stone floor. George Falkeep
turned around and stared. When a second
heavier tremor rolled through the palace, Devon
reached out to Tamar to keep her from falling.
The Baron stumbled, but when the rumbling passed, he regained his
balance.
One of Falkeep’s aids rushed into the hall. His lips were white and he spoke with
agitation, “The city is under attack.”
“Not entirely,” stated Devon , “Your
troops are safe. But you will find many
of the planet’s nobility and your forces without a place to live. You will also discover, the Army and Navy of
Gran Stern in the process of aiding my people to take the Houses noblesse. They are also supplying my people with food
and shelter.”
The Baron’s eyes widened, a look of anger convulsed his features. He took a menacing step toward Devon and stopped.
Tamar stared at Devon . Her eyes appeared as shocked as the
Baron’s. Frightened, she said, “Devon , I warned you not to make the attack until after we
convinced my brother.”
“Another example of his true loyalty,” yelled George as he rushed
unexpectedly toward Devon . George’s baton caught Devon
on the side of his face. Devon did not expect the attack. He fell heavily, and struck his head on the
stone floor with a crack.”
“Do you think you can take this planet so easily away from me, Count
Rathenberg?” the Baron sneered as he pulled out his snub pistol. “I think you cannot. The whole of the Navy of Gran Stern could not
force my men off this rock, and I and they have a certain entitlement to it.”
Tamar was dazed; their attack was not to come until after George
left. Now Devon
was at the mercy of her brother. She
stepped toward Devon ’s prone figure.
When
she caught sight of George’s gun, Tamar screamed, “No!” She fell across Devon
and shielded him from the Baron, “No!”
The tinge of hysteria in his sister’s voice drove the rage from
George. He slowly returned the gun to
his holster.
Tamar knelt over Devon ’s still form,
“No, no, no,” she groaned, “This is not how it was to be.” A tear threatened to fall from her eyes, but
in her anger, she forced her emotions under control. Thank God, she could see Devon
still breathed. As a small pool of
bright blood tinged the floor beneath his head, she was suddenly afraid to
touch him, afraid that to move him would cause more damage. The blood welled from the side of his
face. Gently, Tamar took her
handkerchief and held it against the gash on his skull.
Behind her, George said,
“Arrest the Count Rathenberg. He is a
traitor to our House.”
In this novel, all appears lost as
Devon Rathenberg is injured. This
eucatastrophe results eventually in Baron Falkeep’s surrender to Devon
Rathenberg and his forces. It’s not
quite as dramatic a eucatastrophe as in Tolkien where the world of Middle Earth
stands in the balance. In the case of
Devon Rathenberg, it is the lives of his subjects. Do I need remind you? The world is not at risk of ending tomorrow. Generally, even at the worst, humans work
things out and through. On the other
hand, the loss of friends, people, family are real tragedies that happen all
the time. The eucatastrophe seems to be
a good plot device to me. Let’s see if
we can discover creative elements within it.
The first creative element I notice
is conflict. Pretty generic, but there
it is you need a conflict. The second is
a catastrophe. Since the meaning is a
good catastrophe, you need at least a catastrophe. From the catastrophe, you require a good result. You might gather that a good result is a
resolution to the conflict. All of these
are creative element features from Tolkien and my novel, The Fox’s Honor.
I like this plot device. Now that I know about it, I might use it
again. I used it in The Fox’s Honor without understanding it was a specific type of
plot device. If you haven’t noticed, I
don’t write from plot devices or using the idea of a plot device. I write starting with creative elements and
not with plot device. If the creative
elements happen to match with a plot device, all the better. In any case, I’ll continue to look at plot
devices and try to attach them to creative elements. I think this is the best way to look at
developing entertainment in a novel as well as scenes.
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
fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline,
character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing,
information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic
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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