Writing - part x172, Novel Form, Initial Scene

27 June 2017, Writing - part x172, Novel Form, Initial Scene

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.

These are the steps I use to write a novel including the five discrete parts of 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

I finished writing my 28^th novel, working title, School, potential title Deirdre: Enchantment and the School.  The theme statement is: 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.  

Here is the cover proposal for Deirdre: Enchantment and the School. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I continued writing my 29^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 28^th novel, working title School.  If you noticed, I started on number 28, but finished number 29 (in the starting sequence—it’s actually higher than that).  I adjusted the numbering.  I do keep everything clear in my records.  I’ll be providing information on the marketing materials and editing.

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 29:  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.

 

This is the classical form for writing a successful 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 (protagonist, antagonist, and optionally the protagonist’s helper)

d.      Identify the telic flaw of the protagonist (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

              

I always start with the initial scene.  You don’t have to and there is no requirement to.  I just find it easy to start with an initial scene.  The reason is that an initial scene envelopes the protagonist and protagonist’s helper or antagonist, the setting, and introduces the telic flaw.  These items are the minimum you need to write a classical form novel. 

 

When I get an idea for a novel, it usually comes as an action packed initial scene.  Such a scene comes with a protagonist, a setting, and a telic flaw.  If it doesn’t I simply need to develop each of these.  Additionally, to be action packed, the initial scene must be the meeting of the protagonist and the antagonist or the protagonist and the protagonist’s helper.  Therefore, with an initial scene I have all the pieces I need to start a novel.  You might ask how that can be.  Let’s look at the pieces—first, the protagonist.

 

The protagonist is the main character of the novel.  Classical novels only have one protagonist.  I suggest only having one protagonist.  More than one makes for a difficult novel.  Plus, this is not a classical form and that makes a novel difficult to sell to readers and publishers alike.  You might ask, what makes the protagonist the protagonist.  That’s a great question. 

 

The protagonist is the protagonist because he or she has a telic flaw, specifically, the telic flaw of the novel.  The telic flaw can be internal or external or both.  The internal and the external telic flaw should be related—I’ll say, they must be related.  This still hasn’t answered, what is a telic flaw, and why is it so important to a novel (and a protagonist)?  The telic flaw is the problem the protagonist must solve to resolve the novel.  For example, an external telic flaw might be the solution to a crime.  The related internal telic flaw might be that the detective (protagonist) has a drinking problem that prevents her from solving the crime. 

 

In the Harry Potty novels, the external telic flaw of Harry is the V-guy.  The internal telic flaw of Harry is that the V-guy couldn’t kill him when he could kill everyone else in the world.  This telic flaw follows Harry around and is not fully resolved until the last novel, when Harry fully defeats the V-guy.  We’ll get more into 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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