Writing - part x244, Novel Form, Sequel Tension and Release

7 September 2017, Writing - part x244, Novel Form, Sequel 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 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 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 took her place in the NKVD but instead of working directly for Abakumov, Beria placed her in an office of her own directly under him.  This scene is a reflection of this enigma.   

 

I have a very good writer friend who is an expert with scenes.  He’s even written a book about writing them and I recommend checking it out—Scenes and Sequels by Mike Klaassen.  Mike is huge on the idea of sequels—reflective scenes where the protagonist looks back on the events of the previous scene and plans the next steps.

 

In my view of writing, this is an okay way to handle scenes, but my caution is to ensure you continue to show and not tell in the sequel.  With that in mind I offer you an example of a type of sequel.

 

In this scene, Mother Anna and Mother Marya reflect on the events of the previous scene.  I do use synopsis to simplify the explanation to Mother Anna—because the scene and events are so close.              

 

Here is the scene:        

 

        Yegor led Sveta and Marya down the hall to the end office.  It was an empty suite.  The door opened to a sizeable open lounge and secretarial pool with side offices.  At the back, Yegor opened a big door to an intermediate office and at the back into an even larger office.  He motioned toward the large office, “This is your office Svetlana Evgenyevna.  Does it please you?”

        Sveta entered the room.  It was enormous with a couple of windows that looked out to the east.  On the wall were the ever present pictures of Lenin, Stalin, and Marx.  She sat in the office chair, “Yes, Yegor, this is very nice.  It will do.”

        “About your staff?”

        “Please contact Svetlana Iosifovna…”

        “Stalin’s daughter?”

        “Yes, the same.  I want her to choose the most capable translators for my staff.  Marya will interview the secretaries we require.  Is there a problem?”

        He nodded slightly, “No, no problem, Svetlana Evgenyevna.  I will do as you ask.”

        In the afternoon, Sveta took Marya around with her to the embassies.  Sveta visited with the ambassador from each.  They all seemed to applaud the NKVD’s new office and new representative.  In the evening, Sveta and Marya returned to the convent.  They went directly to the abbess’ office.

        After Marya explained everything that happened that day, Mother Anna pulled herself closer to her desk, “Why would they give Sveta this degree of responsibility?  I thought they just wanted a translator.”

        “Mother Abbess, I think they had an escalation of responsibility because they were fighting over the use of her.  Beria promised the most and won.”

        “Then someone else is pulling the strings.  Someone on a higher level than Beria?”

        Marya shrugged, “The embassies themselves may have requested more help.”

        “They have their own translators.”

        Marya glanced up in alarm, “Could he expect sexual favors?”

        “Not with all the attention he has given her.  Svetlana is expected to work at a high level in the NKVD, if he just wanted sex, he would keep her out of sight.”

        Marya raised her hands, “What should we do, Mother Abbess?”

        “Proceed as Beria has instructed you.  Help Svetlana put together her office.  I will speak to Father Nikolay and ask his opinion, but I can see nothing else to do.  This is much more than we hoped.”

        Mother Marya’s words were intense, “Why would they give this degree of responsibility to a girl not sixteen years old?”

        “The best answer is that they trust her skills.  The worst is they need to set up someone to fall.  Which do you think is true?”

Following the short sequence at the beginning that is part of the scene itself, we see Mother Anna and Mother Marya discussing the reasons that Beria placed Sveta at the head of an office.  This is more than they could have hoped for, but note the kicker at the end—which do you think is true? 

 

This is precisely the question I want the reader to ask—so I put it in the mouth of the characters.  The reflection is not specifically from the mind of the protagonist, this reflection is what the author wants the reader to think about.  I’m all in favor for sequels if they forward the revelation of the protagonist.  I like sequels even better if they forward the revelation of the plot and theme.

 

This is precisely what this scene does.  Instead of revealing the protagonist directly, it asks a question and leads the reader in a direction I want them to go.  First, is someone higher interested in Sveta (as a translator, or for other reasons, and second, are they setting her up for a fall.

 

Why is this important?  From every piece of literature that came out of the Soviet Union, we know they were a dangerous and horrific political culture that went down to the core of the society.  People were encouraged to turn in their fellow citizens for words, thoughts, and actions that didn’t meet the Party’s standards or goals.  Many times political disagreements at all levels resulted in the imprisonment, torture, and death of the lower level person.  In many cases, political leaders set up others to fall to give the leader more credibility in the Party hierarchy.  Beria was an expert at this type of manipulation.  It eventually led to his downfall, and the reason Khrushchev followed Stalin rather than Beria who was Stalin’s protégé in the Party.   

 

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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