Writing - part x192, Novel Form, Tension and Release, Pathos, Pity – Japan day 5

17 July 2017, Writing - part x192, Novel Form, Tension and Release, Pathos, Pity – Japan day 5

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

              

The protagonist and the telic flaw are tied permanently together.  The novel plot is completely dependent on the protagonist and the protagonist’s telic flaw.  They are inseparable.  This is likely the most critical concept about any normal (classical) form novel. 

 

Here are the parts of a normal (classical) novel:

 

1.      The Initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

2.      The Rising action scenes

3.      The Climax scene

4.      The Falling action scene(s)

5.      The Dénouement scene

             

So, how do you write a rich and powerful initial scene?  Let’s start from a theme statement.  Here is an example from my latest novel:

 

The theme statement for Deirdre: Enchantment and the School 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 scene development 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

          

If you have the characters (protagonist, protagonist’s helper, and antagonist), the initial setting, the telic flaw (from the protagonist), a plot idea, the theme action, then you are ready to write the initial scene.  I would state that since you have a protagonist, the telic flaw, a plot idea, and the theme action, you have about everything—what you might be lacking is the tension and release cycle in the initial scene.

 

Tension and release is the means to success in scene writing.  The creative elements you introduce into the scenes (Chekov’s guns) are the catalysts that drive entertainment and excitement in a scene, and this is what scenes are all about.     

 

I am moving into the way to develop sufficient tension and release.  One of the best means is through pathos.  I’ve written about pathos developing characters.  What I want to do is expand this into pathos developing scenes.  In most cases, a scene with a pathos developing character can be made pathetic.  In any case, almost any scene can invoke pathos—pity and fear.  This development of pity and fear is the driving force in tension and release.  The question is how the author develops it.

 

I’m in Tokyo Japan—this isn’t a travel log, but I might find some examples to put here.

 

Fear is just one mechanism for developing powerful and sufficient tension and release in a scene.  The other mechanism is pity.  

 

I’m not writing a travel blog, and I already have a hit and miss food, drink, and cigar blog, but I thought it might be fun to give some direct reporting from the Land of the Rising Sun. 

 

Day five in Japan is west Tokyo day.  We checked out of our capsule hotel, after the bath and soak, and headed down the street to Jonathan’s.  Jonathan’s is a family restaurant where you can get an English or a Japanese breakfast.  Otherwise, breakfast is usually bread (the bread is great) or onigiri (rice balls).  I had the Japanese breakfast.  Food, like always, is plentiful and good. 

 

Next, on to sightseeing.  Our first stop was the Shinjuku Gardens.  Unfortunately, times and closures are slightly problematic in Japan.  Everything isn’t closed on Mondays, but restaurants, places, and sites vary in closure.  Shinjuku Gardens was our only strikeout.  We saw it from the outside.  Our next stop was an owl café.  Not sure why we decided to go to the neko café (cat café) instead, but we found ourselves with tea in hand at feeding time surrounded by about twenty cats.  The cats ignored us.  Still, these animal cafés are an iconic part of Japan.  I’m not sure if they had then in the Edo times, but you’ll find them all over today. 

 

Back to sightseeing.  We went to Yoyogi Park and the Meiji Shrine there.  Same kind of shrine stuff.  World heritage, great to see, iconic, you don’t want to miss it, but there it is, another shrine.  In fact, you will find shrines everywhere.  Literally, at the beginning and end of every shopping district and area.  Crammed into the space of a shop.  On the left after a corner.  Shrines, small, large, and medium are everywhere.

 

We had lunch reservations at Hacienda Del Cielo.  Why go to Japan to eat Tex-Mex?  Why not?  The Japanese spin on Mexican is interesting and tasty.  Plus, at the Hacienda, you can sit on their open terrace, eat, and drink Japanese Margaritas to your heart’s content.  The city and people viewing is what is pleasant. 

 

You can’t visit Tokyo and not see Shibuya Crossing, the largest, most complex, and busiest intersection in the world.  We also took the required dog photos at the station.  You cross the street with everyone else—you gotta see it once.  It’s kind of like New York’s Central Square on steroids.  You must get the required center of the street selfie. 

 

If that wasn’t enough, we had reservations for Ninja Akasaka Restaurant at 1700.  That was too early for me, especially after a wonderful large lunch.  The Ninja Akasaka Restaurant is a ninja theme Restaurant and one of the best theme restaurants in Tokyo.  You have to find the secret entrance in the side of a wall.  Your Ninja server takes you through the secret passages deep into the bowels of the earth and to your specially cell/serving room.  The interior is dark and exciting with the sound of water flowing just at your side.  The food comes in courses and is very Japanese and very pleasant.  It is also very Ninja themed.  I loved it and suggest it as a destination—make sure you are hungry.  You definitely don’t want to miss the exquisite beef and the wonderfully crafted desert. 

 

After dinner, we hoofed it to the station and took a train back to Fussa and our beds.                   

 

End of day five.

                

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