Writing - part x213, Novel Form, Tension and Release, Pathos, Anticipation

7 August 2017, Writing - part x213, Novel Form, Tension and Release, Pathos, Anticipation

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. 

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.

 

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

 

In a novel, pity is the emotion of sorrow and compassion in the reader caused by the suffering and misfortunes of the characters. 

 

Pity and fear are the classic means of producing tension and release in a novel and in a scene.  There are other emotions that can be used for tension and release.  Here is a list of emotions:

• Fear → feeling afraid
• Anger → feeling angry. A stronger word for anger is rage.
• Sadness → feeling sad. Other words are sorrow, grief (a stronger feeling, for example when someone has died) or depression (feeling sad for a long time). Some people think depression is a different emotion.
• Joy → feeling happy. Other words are happiness, gladness.
• Disgust → feeling something is wrong or nasty
• Surprise → being unprepared for something.
• Trust → a positive emotion; admiration is stronger; acceptance is weaker
• Anticipation → in the sense of looking forward positively to something which is going to happen. Expectation is more neutral.

Is anticipation really an emotion?  I was writing about the expectation of revelation—in other words, the other shoe.  Once you’ve brought up something as a potential revelation, you have to do something with it.  At the same time, you have the anticipation of your characters and the anticipation of your readers.  For example, let’s say your character has a wonderful secret—perhaps they are a secret student at an elite girl’s boarding school.  Perhaps they are a criminal as well.  The character knows the secrets.  Once they are reveled, the reader knows the secrets.  The question of anticipation becomes that of the characters—when will the secret be revealed to the world at large.  Second, the question of anticipation is also for the reader.

 

Notice, the anticipation is and should be for the characters and the reader.  You can also have circumstances where the reader knows all about the secrets, but there is always the possibility of a secret that is unknown to the characters, but anticipated as a revelation by the reader.  So many possibilities.

 

Here is an example from School of anticipation and secrets:

 

When she arrived at level ten, the room seemed to still.  Or at least Deirdre thought it did.  The headmistress paused and glanced at her list more than once.  Her face showed an obvious perplexity.  She cleared her throat, “I have the distinct honor of announcing the name of a young woman who is entirely unfamiliar to me.  In the tenth level, the top honor for grades in this semester goes to Ms. Sorcha Weir.  Ms. Weir please step forward to receive your award.  I would very much like to make your acquaintance.”

Sorcha shuffled at her place.  Every eye at their table turned to her. She let out a great sigh.  Tim stood beside her seat.  He was beaming.  She stood a little slowly but moved around their table and to the front.  When she arrived before the Headmistress, Ms. Goodland took her hand and held it fast.  Sorcha raised her eyes to the lady.  The vice headmistress tried to hand the award folder to Sorcha and the Headmistress.  They both ignored her.  The Headmistress studied Sorcha for a long moment then stated, “In addition to top student in this semester, Ms. Weir also has the distinct honor of being the first in shooting in pistol with Eton’s competition team and the first in foil for Wycombe’s fencing team.”  She squinted at Sorcha as if trying to resolve some inconsistency within her own mind, “What an interesting girl.” 

The Headmaster stood and called, “Gentlemen of Eton.  It is a rare event that a young and beautiful woman would compete and beat us at our own sport.  I would like to add my congratulations to Ms. Weir.  Top in her class and top in pistols and foil.”

The Provost Marshall stood, “Headmaster.  Is it out of place to offer a toast to Ms. Weir?”

The Headmaster nodded, “Indeed.  I would like to offer her a toast on her own, that would certainly put you young gentlemen in your places.”

Everyone laughed.

The Headmaster continued, “We will instead offer a toast to all these honored woman when their awards are complete.  Just don’t forget, lads, the level of competition these ladies represent.”

The Provost Marshall returned to his seat, and the Headmaster sat.

While this was going on, Sorcha couldn’t enjoy it.  The Headmistress and the vice headmistress were whispering to her. 

Sorcha kept her eyes and back straight.  She accepted the three folders one white with the Eton seal on it, the other two in Wycombe’s blue and seal.

When she returned to her chair, she smiled at the table and scowled at Deirdre.

Everyone congratulated her.

Sorcha has been attending Wycombe Abbey illegally and in secret for three years.  This is the moment of truth.  Her secret is in the process of being discovered.  I use three plus whole chapters to reveal this great secret. 

 

The anticipation is the reader knows it.  They realize what is happening, and this is what I play out through an entire section of the novel.  I just gave you a tidbit above.  The point is to draw out and manage the revelation so that you build up the anticipation as much as possible.  Anticipation may not be an emotion, it is a powerful means of managing the reader’s expectations.     

 

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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