28 April 2017, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part x112, Creative Elements in Scenes, Plot Devices, Unreliable
Character
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.
 |
|
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)
Third attempt
Secrets
Judicial Setting
Legal argument
Prophecy
Two way love
Three way love (love rival)
Rival
Celebrity (Rise to fame)
Rise to riches
Military (Device or Organization manipulation)
School (Training) (Skill Development)
Supernatural
Comeback
Retrieval
Taboo
Impossible Crime
Human god
Revolution
Games
Silent witness
Secret king
Messiah
Hidden skills
Fantasy Land (Time Travel, Space Travel)
End of the --- (World, Culture, Society)
Resistance (Nonresistance)
Utopia (anti-utopia)
Fashion
Augmented Human (Robot) (Society)
Mind Switching (Soul Switching)
Unreliable character – Current discussion.
Incarceration (imprisonment)
Valuable item
Identification
Contest
Search
War
Brotherhood (sisterhood) (camaraderie)
Crime
Theater
One way love
Unreliable character: here is my definition – Unreliable character is the use of a character who intentionally doesn’t tell or explain the whole of an idea, incident, past event, or about themselves to further a plot.
I’m
not certain that unreliable character is really a plot device as much as it is
a characteristic of good literature.
Just like secrets (everyone has them), I think unreliable character is a
reliable indication of most good literature.
Characters are only completely reliable in children’s, teen, and young
adult novels.
Most
characters in adult novels are not completely reliable. Not every word is a lie, but they never tell
all. Telling all is a trait of children
and not of adults. What about
examples. I’m not sure I have any
directly to hand. The problem with unreliable
is the words appear reliable, but later become obviously untrue or partially
true. I’ll try to dig an obvious one
from my own writing.
Here
is an example from my writing from Athelstan
Cying.
Johan
led Den to an area of the city close to the spaceport. The buildings there showed a level of ancient
decay that was carefully covered with new pastel paint and burnished
brasswork. The houses of Neukoln all in
various degrees displayed similar levels of layered enhancements that covered
their antiquity. Neuterra was one of the
first successful colonies of Terra—the origin of humankind. Johan took Den to a quiet corner pub well
back from the busy thoroughfares. He
ordered them both a thick and pleasant ale from a sloe-eyed barmaid, and they
settled back to watch the other spacers and passersby.
The
people of most spaceports patently ignored the citizens of the trader
Families. The trader Families, for many
reasons, were not known for their gregarious habits or for overly friendly
consort. This was due to their native
distrust of anyone outside the Families and because of constant conditioning to
prevent easy acceptance or fraternization.
As Nata had told Den, it wouldn’t do for the Families to lose their
members at every planetfall.
Johan
settled back and took a long draw from his ale.
He glanced out of the side of his eye at Den, “So, Den, have you given
up on Natana?”
“Given
up?”
“Yes,
is she a free woman now?”
“Free
woman? I don’t know what you are talking
about.”
Johan
leaned across the table, “Not a month ago, you two seemed inseparable. Now, nothing.”
“Is
it that obvious?”
“Everything
is obvious on a Family Trader ship. Just
between you and me, I think the association was good for her and for you. I don’t need to tell you how much you’ve
changed. Most of us thought your change
was due, in part, to Natana.”
“What
if she is a free woman,” Den gave a laugh, “Do you intend to court her?”
Johan
smiled back, “Me and half the ship’s eligible bachelors—that is, if she would
woo. Until you won your suit, we thought
it was a hopeless case.”
“Who
said I won anything?”
“You
got further into her good graces than any of us. She wouldn’t look at a guy if he wasn’t a
brain and a half. Not too long ago, you
were the last man I would have said she’d look up to.”
Den
studied his drink, “As far as I know she’s a free woman, but I wish I could say
otherwise.”
“How’s
that? Did she dump you?”
Den
laughed, “Her mother did.”
“Dr.
Kern?”
“After
the incident with the ship, Dr. Kern read me the riot act and told me to stay
away from Natana.”
“And,
you did?” Johan stared.
“Of
course I did. Natana had it in for me
too.”
“Did
she tell you that?”
“She
asked for ‘time.’”
“Man,
what happened between you two on that shuttle—must have been a dozy?”
Den
shrugged, “It was that evident?”
“Yeah
obvious. That’s likely what set off Dr.
Kern,” Johan glanced around, “Also, I know some of the tapes were erased.”
It
was Den’s turn to look incredulous, “Is that a big deal?”
“Den,
who are you trying to kid—you know it is.
The ship records all public activities for good reason: accidents and
history. Your escapades deserved
recording for both reasons.”
“On
the shuttle too?”
“On
the shuttles, even the head is bugged.
Who knows, you might get sucked out while doing your duty.” He brought his slate gray eyes back to Den,
“What was so important to hide from an accident investigation or history?”
“Are
you asking in your official capacity or as a friend?”
“Both. You covered your tracks well, but we know
either you or Natana erased the tape. I
figured you got to the tapes first. By the
way, I know she checked them right after you.”
Den
hung his head, “I know.” He suddenly
stared at Johan with renewed appreciation, “That was an incredibly shrewd
interrogation. What if I don’t come
clean?” Den searched through his
memories—the punishment for altering the Ship’s official records could be
severe
Johan
took another pull on his ale, “Nothing.
But if you did, I think I could take some of the heat off you.”
“What
do you mean?”
“Dr.
Kern thinks you raped her daughter. She
takes the erased tape as a proof of that.
She is surprised Natana didn’t report you, but she thinks you illicitly
influenced her…”
“Because
I was Natana’s responsibility,” Den broke in, “Because I was her patient. Wait, I can guess the rest. She didn’t lodge a complaint because there
was no evidence, and Natana didn’t protest, because we basically saved the
ship.”
“Dr.
Kern couldn’t protest your bravery or your actions, but she loves her
daughter.”
“What
has Natana said?”
“She
won’t say anything.”
“You
asked?”
“Not
directly.”
“Is
this a conspiracy?”
Johan
threw back his head and laughed out loud, “Of sorts. This is an official investigation. Elizabeth Shear is Natana’s
shadow—interrogator, if you like.”
“You’re
not kidding, right?”
“Serious
as a heart attack.”
“I’m
sorry Johan. If Natana hasn’t said
anything, then I can’t either. This is
her secret and not mine.”
Johan’s
brows raised, “Her secret?”
“That’s
all I’ll say.”
Johan
let out a long breath, “Den, I would really like to get to the bottom of this
thing. Dr. Kern is causing the council a
real issue about this. She won’t let it
go.”
Den
stared at him, “If it meant I would lose all standing on the ship, I still will
not betray Natana’s confidence.”
Johan
ran his fingers through his short hair, “I don’t think it will come to
that. Natana would have to make an
official complaint before Dr. Kern could go forward, but I will tell you she
can poison your position with the council.”
“Has
she?”
“Other
than innuendo, no. When the issue first
came up, few on the council were willing to believe anything against you. You are living on your good conduct and your
latest success, but if we could clear this up, you wouldn’t have to worry.”
“Look
at it this way.” Den leaned forward, “If
I raped Natana, the council would have no choice but to set me down at the next
penal colony. You obviously don’t
believe this is what happened, or we wouldn’t be discussing the incident in
this pleasant setting. On the other
hand, I understand that you want to know what happened, but anything else that
could have happened is relatively innocent by comparison. Certainly I couldn’t face much censure for
another crime—say I spoke harshly to her or struck her.”
“I
agree.”
“I
think you believe Natana and I shared a sexual encounter and you want to know
if this was consensual or if I forced myself on her.”
“I
couldn’t have stated it better. The girl
loved you. That was obvious to
everyone. We assumed you shared her
affection.”
“Was
it that obvious?”
“I
told you…”
“Right,
on a Trader Family ship…”
“You
understand.”
“Alright,
I think I can clear this up right now.”
“I’m
all ears.”
“I
don’t believe I can settle all your questions, but I might as well try
anyway. First, I did not have a sexual
liaison with Natana—of any kind. Second,
I think I love her. That’s something I’m
trying to determine for myself, but due to her mother’s censure, I have not
spoken with Natana for a while.”
Johan
whistled, “That doesn’t clear up the problem, but it is interesting
information. The whole ship assumes you
did.”
“The
whole ship assumes what?”
“That
you made love. That is what makes this
whole thing so curious. Under the
circumstances, it makes sense that you would make love to the girl.”
Den
tensed his jaw, “Look because of my debt, I couldn’t marry her. I was already under the gun from every
quadrant. I couldn’t let that happen
too. I already…”
“You
already what?”
“Natana
already was taking so much heat for me.
Do you think I could betray her like that?”
“I
think she wanted you to.” Johan
whistled, “I think, you’re in a heap of trouble with Natana and her mother
because you acted the gentleman.”
“Damn. Am I that transparent?”
“No. I just have a lot of experience in these
Family matters. And to tell you the
truth, Den, I’m rooting for you and Natana.”
“Okay,
what now? You can’t let any of this get
out.”
“I’ll
hold everything you told me in confidence.”
“And
not use it against Natana.”
“My
lips are sealed.”
“Does
this help me?”
“I
don’t know. Of course, I was on your
side from the beginning. I will report
to the council that you and Natana did not have a sexual encounter. I don’t know how much that will change things
with Dr. Kern, but my word means a lot in the council—and in this
investigation.” He took a pull on his
beer, “But no one can blame you for desiring the girl—she is brilliant and
beautiful.”
“I
wish I could do something to patch things up with Natana.”
Johan
leaned back and cradled his beer in his hand, “I don’t know if I can help you
there, but I’ll try to take the pressure off from Dr. Kern. There is still the issue of the manipulated
tape, but I don’t think that is the real concern of the council. And I think I understand why you changed it.”
After
that, they both lapsed into an uncomfortable silence while they nursed their
beers and observed the passersby.
Neuterra’s sun set, but Asa-Thor remained high in the sky and left a
dusky, near permanent twilight. They ate
a simple dinner of meat pies accompanied by more ale to wash them down. Afterward, Johan and Den checked in at the
hotel not many blocks away where the Twilight Lamb reserved a number of rooms
for the duration of their stay on Neuterra.
The hotel was over a thousand years old and held together with enough
paint that it would likely stand another thousand. The room Den and Johan shared was large and
comfortable. It didn’t have the
dormitory feel of many portside accommodations.
The beds were clean and much larger than the bunks they were used to on
the Twilight Lamb.
This
is a wrap up of assorted unreliable character incidents from the previous parts
of the novel. You can see how each part
is not quite right, but fits into the whole.
I didn’t give you the whole here either.
None of the conjecture is true.
Natana tried to throw herself at Den—that’s what he is hiding. That’s what she is hiding. Everyone has their own idea and information
based on many things. Mrs. Kern wants to
find Den guilty. Johan wants everything
to be right between Den and Natana. This
conversation doesn’t solve the problems, but it brings them to light in the novel. My point is that in any novel, the unreliable
characters are most of the characters.
The author never lets out the whole of the information, and there is always
some part that is never shared.
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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