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Sunday, September 17, 2017

Writing - part x254, Novel Form, the Rest of the Story and Tension


17 September 2017, Writing - part x254, Novel Form, the Rest of the Story and Tension

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 28th 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 29th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 28th 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.  Much of history is lost especially small but important details.  In this scene I take a true historical thing (The Black Book), a true historical person (Vasily Grossman), and a true historical incident (bringing the Black Book to the West) and weave it into my novel.  I thought you would like to see the rest of this bit of history.

 

We are not certain how the Black Book got into the hands of publishers in the West.  In this scene, I propose that Sveta as part of a Soviet Directorate gave the Black Book  to the American Embassy in Moscow and that’s how it got to the West.      

 

Here is the scene:        

 

        A copy of the manuscript came to Mother Anna, and Marya carried it to Sveta’s offices.  In the afternoon Sveta made a visit to the American Embassy.  She came alone and asked to speak to Walter Smith.  Unlike Mr. Harriman, Mr. Smith made her wait for a while before he would see her.  Sveta was perturbed.  She had much to do, and waiting for the ambassador was the least of her desires.  Finally, the ambassador received her.  She entered his office and he motioned for her to sit down.  Walter Bedell Smith was an officious looking American with thinning hair and a straight military posture.  He appeared uncomfortable in his suit, “Good afternoon, Miss Kopylova.”

        Sveta smiled, only the Americans called her that, “Good afternoon, General Smith.”

        “Would you like refreshments?”

        “Tea please—with milk and sugar.”  The Harriman’s always knew what she wanted.  They had always served Sveta her favorite Russian tea.

        The general called his secretary and ordered tea and coffee.  He turned to Sveta, “Cigarette?  They are American.”

        “You know I don’t smoke, general.”

        “Sorry, forgot.” 

        The tea and coffee came quickly.  Sveta took a sip.  The tea was weak and not as fine of quality as the Harriman’s served, but such were the trials of her work.

        General Smith sat on the corner of his desk, “Miss Kopylova, I assume this is not a social visit.”

        “Are any visits by Soviet Party members social, General?”

        He appeared surprised.

        “I assure you they are not.  You know my office and my business.”

        “Miss, you are one sharp actor.”

        “Actress actually.  I do try to facilitate understanding between the Soviet state and your embassy.”

        “While spying on us whenever you can.”

        “Good, we do understand each other.”

        He bowed.

        “I have something for you.”  She pulled the manuscript out of her briefcase.  “I am delivering this for a friend.”

        He took the heavy package from her hands, “Is it anti-Soviet material?”

        “Not yet.”

        “What is it?”

        “It is the Black Book. It describes the witness of Fascist atrocities against the Jews in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.  I do not wish my name used in any way in relation with this book.”

        “Yes.”

        “Such attribution would prevent me from helping others.”

        “Who do you work for Miss Kopylova?”

        “If your intelligence can’t tell you that, then I won’t help you.  Not a word, yes?”

        “Not a word.  I do have one question.”

        Sveta raised her chin.

        “Where did you learn to speak such perfect American English?”

        “I really don’t know, General.  If your intelligence ever determines the answer to that question, please tell me—that is, before you tell the Soviet State.”  Sveta stood, “Did you have anything for me today, general?”

        “No, not today Miss Kopylova.”

        Sveta exited the office.  The chances were that General Smith’s office was bugged.  In the case the MVD became aware of Sveta’s activities, she had already outlined in a report her clandestine work at influencing the Americans with Jewish propaganda.  The report would be in her files and waiting for the moment she might need it.

How did the Black Book actually get out of the Soviet Union?  That story is likely full of secrets, excitement, and entertainment.  It is also mostly lost to us.  It could have been as simple as being smuggled out through one of the Soviet proxies.  That is the most likely source.  That story could be make entertaining and exciting, but in the long run, it’s just smuggling.  Lots of stuff was smuggled into and out of the Soviet Union.

 

The picture I give is simply to tie my characters into history.  I don’t think I did too much damage to the history of the Black Book.  Most likely I excited some readers to pick it up and read it.  Vasily Grossman’s life and stories are also interesting reading.  He is real as are most every other figure who could be identified in history. 

 

Part of my goal as a writer of historical fiction is to show the historical in a way that makes the history more real than real history.  I don’t intend to replace or fake history, but rather to interest and expose history.  In the future, I would hope that my writing would be read and used to look into the world of the times and the places in the novel.

 

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:

fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic

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