Writing - part x234, Novel Form, Secrets and Mystery in Tension and Release

28 August 2017, Writing - part x234, Novel Form, Secrets and Mystery in Tension and Release

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 c9n 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 your scenes.

 

Here is an example of developing or building tension and release in a scene.  This example is from Shadow of Darkness an Ancient Light novel.  Sveta has a penchant for learning and speaking languages.  Her mind was injured during the battle for Berlin.  The Abbess discovers the many languages Sveta understands and can speak perfectly.  In this scene, we see the result of the Abbess and Father Nicolay’s plans.  Sveta is to become the translator for the head of the Orthodox Church.  There is much more to this, but that is a secret—a secret from Sveta and from the reader.          

 

In the case of this scene, I simply show and report the events of Sveta’s first work as a translator.  I love these types of scenes and this scene in particular.  I think I’ll give you the rest tomorrow to show you what I do with it for entertainment in the tension and release.  At the moment, just savor the scene and see how Sveta reacts and the people react to her.  That is the most entertaining part of most scenes.

 

Here is the scene:        

 

        Father Nikolay gave Sveta his arm and they walked up the steps to the doors.  A doorman let them into a large foyer where a maid and butler took their cloaks.  Father Nikolay led Sveta into the ball room.  It was enormous and filled with people.  Sveta had seen the fine clothing of the Communist Party members and the commissars—these people were dressed just as she.  She did fit in with them.  She overshadowed several, and with her head held high, she seemed to draw the attention of many.

        Father Nikolay covered her hand with his and whispered, “Very good, Svetlana.  The abbess did pick the exact clothing to set off your best attributes.  Now, I will introduce you to His Beatitude.”

        Father Nikolay guided Sveta toward a tall man with a large grey beard typical of an Orthodox priest.  He stood out in the group due to both his clothing and his demeanor.  No other priests or other religious men were evident in the room.  His Beatitude had a kindly face with full lips and a distinctive nose.  His features were soft and slightly sad.  Father Nikolay walked directly up to him.  His Beatitude took a step toward Father Nikolay, and his gaze turned abruptly from the priest to Sveta.  A slight smile crossed his features, “Good evening Nikolay.  How are you, tonight?”

        “Very well, Your Beatitude.”

        “You bring me my new translator.  She seems very young for so great a talent.”

        “Your Beatitude, this is Svetlana Evgenyevna Kopylova.  She is proficient in many languages and will serve you well.”

        His Beatitude gave a slight bow to Sveta, “Welcome Svetlana Evgenyevna.  I already have need of your talents.”  He turned slightly, “This is Mr. Harriman, the American Ambassador to the Soviet Union.  Mr. Harriman, this is my translator, Svetlana Evgenyevna.”  Mr. Harriman’s translator immediately translated His Beatitude’s remarks.

        Sveta put out her hand and spoke to the ambassador in perfect American English, “Mr. Harriman, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.  Whatever you would like to put before His Beatitude, I will be happy to translate for him.”

        Mr. Harriman stared at Sveta, dumbfounded.  He turned slightly to his official Russian translator, whose English he found difficult to understand, and spoke again to His Beatitude, “I just wanted to ask how the Orthodox Church was faring under the current rules of the Soviet state.”

        Father Alexius replied with a generally noncommittal answer and they conversed for a few moments.  Sveta translated for them both and ignored the ambassador’s official translator.  After a few moments, the crowd shifted, and before he moved away from them, Mr. Harriman turned back to His Beatitude and Sveta.  “Has your translator…” He stumbled over her name, “Ever been to America?  She speaks our language perfectly.”

        Sveta translated, and His Beatitude indicated that Sveta should answer for herself, “No sir, I have not been to America.”

        “I would like to borrow her sometime.  She is very good, better than good, excellent.”

        Sveta translated this.  Father Nikolay behind her nodded with pleasure.  His Beatitude also beamed.

        A French gentleman and his lady struck up a conversation with His Beatitude.  Sveta handled their conversations handily.  The French lady asked Sveta, “Are you from Paris, Mademoiselle?”

        When Sveta passed the question to His Beatitude, he just waved at Sveta.  Sveta answered, “No, Madam, you are very kind to attribute such skill to me.”

        Sveta could not help with a few of the dignitaries, but many of those spoke French and she could work between languages.  Unfortunately, some only used their native tongues.  In general, she was able to handle over seventy five percent of the discussions.  Many of the dignitaries gave up on their own official translators when Sveta began to speak.  The dignitaries were enraptured by her ease with their language and her presence.  In the words of one French speaking gentleman, “Her appearance and her speech are particularly alarming, especially to accompany the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church.”

        His Beatitude and Father Nikolay chuckled over that pronouncement.

        Eventually the dinner bell rang.  Father Nikolay gave his arm to Sveta who leaned heavily on it.  He remembered too late Mother Anna had warned him about her disability.  Father Nikolay was about to lead Sveta to the lower seats, but His Beatitude instead offered his arm to Sveta, “She must sit beside me at the table.”  This caused some confusion.  The seating was set up well before the function.  His Beatitude insisted, and Sveta was placed on his right where she could aid him with the British ambassador and his wife and a visiting French communist.  Sveta was happy to sit down.  Her leg was very painful.  She had not stood on it so long, even during prayers.

Secrets, secrets everywhere—this is what writing is all about.  It is the revelation of the protagonist.  You, the reader, knew what would happen when Sveta entered this crowd.  Perhaps, you wondered, but you knew—you knew if I remind you that you did.  This has been a tension setup since the very beginning.  Sveta has language skills.  I haven’t made too big a deal about them.  I haven’t said anywhere that she had wonderful language skills—I just showed you the reaction of people around her.  Some said she had skills of one kind or another.  The Mother Abbess perhaps was the most effusive and detailed.  We knew what was going to happen, so why is it such a surprise and why so entertaining and exciting?

 

The reason is the setup and the expected release.  I didn’t ask you to think ahead to what might happen at this dinner party, but in retrospect this is a pertinent question.  In any case, what I did from the beginning of the novel is to set up a little mystery and a secret.  The great secret is that Sveta speaks many languages exactly as if she is a native.  The mystery is how this can be.  Those who have read the other novels from the Ancient Light series know why.  This mystery will be solved to some degree in the novel, but it doesn’t need to be solved—not every mystery should or needs to be solved.  The answer lies in who Sveta is.  This is the point of the novel, the revelation of Sveta.  This is what I am eventually heading to.  On the way to revealing who Sveta is, we need to reveal this secret and bring up this mystery.  The secret has been playing since the beginning of the novel.  It comes to some fruition here, but not entirely.  I intend to play this little tune to the very end. 

 

I’ll give you more examples.

 

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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