Writing - part x255, Novel Form, Revelation and Tension

18 September 2017, Writing - part x255, Novel Form, Revelation 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 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.  The telic flaw of this novel is essentially who is Sveta.  This is an identity theme and plot.  The readers don’t know who she is.  She doesn’t know who she is.  The Soviets know something is up, but her paperwork is flawless.  I gave you some of this foreshadowing before and the build-up.  We are still building up to the answer.  As of yet, Sveta has no real idea of who she is.

 

If you remember, Sveta’s duties entail keeping tabs and friendly relations with the embassies.  She was especial friends with the Harrimans.  This is the setup because Marie Bolang is Sveta’s sister.      

 

Here is the scene:        

 

        In early 1947, Marie Bolang received a letter from Mrs. Marie Harriman.  

Marie Norton Whitney Harriman

Washington D.C., USA

 

23 January 1947

 

Dear Marie Bolang

 

      I remember with great fondness our conversation during the party last year in London.  I was reminded of it when Averell, our children, and I finally were settled again in our house here in Washington, and I was able to open our boxes from our stay in the Soviet Union.  There I found a picture of us with Svetlana Evgenyevna Kopylova.  The lady in question’s last name was Kopylova.  I included a picture in this package.  She is the young woman standing beside me.  You can see her unmistakable beauty, and the similarity of her features to you.  I wish you could hear her voice.

      I am not sure why this person is of such interest to you, but I hope this letter finds you and your family well.  The best to you in everything, and if you visit America, please come stay with us.

 

                                                                                                                                                      Your Friend,

                                                                                                                                                      Marie Harriman

 

Marie scanned the letter and yanked the picture out of the envelope.  She stared at the photograph and slowly brought her hand up to her face.  Looking at the woman in the picture was like looking in a mirror.  The girl’s face was thinner than Marie remembered her.  The smile was less bright, but she knew she looked at her sister, Lumière.  Marie gave a great sob.  She stood and stumbled out of her room—down the stairs like a zombie.  She held the picture and letter in front of her until she arrived at Tilly’s door and knocked.

“Come.”

Marie turned the handle almost reflexively and pushed open the door.

Matilda Anne Robina Acland Hastings Lyons turned around from her desk in her sitting room.  She was a thin and athletic woman with a round face and gentle eyes.  She could not keep from moving all the time.  Tilly stared, “Marie, you’re trembling.  What’s the matter?”

“Oh Aunt Tilly,” Marie cried, “I think I’ve found Lumière.”  She held the picture out before her.

“Lumière?  Alive?  Come here and show me, Marie.”

Marie walked over to Tilly and handed her the picture and the letter.  Tilly pointed at the chair beside her desk, and Marie sat down.  Tilly scanned the letter and glanced at the picture.  Then she stared at the picture for a long time.  She looked between Marie and the picture, “Marie, I think this is a picture of Lumière.”

“I know it is.  Mrs. Harriman told me the girl was injured in Berlin and brought to the Soviet Union.  She speaks multiple languages perfectly.  Mrs. Harriman thought she was fifteen years old.  Lumière could pass for fifteen then—she is only nineteen now.”

“Marie, Svetlana means light in Russian just as Lumière is light in French.”  Tilly put her arms around Marie and held her until she could speak again, “What will you do, Marie?”

“I don’t know.  Should I tell mama and papa?  Should I tell my brothers, Robert and Jacques?  What could they do?”  She wiped her eyes, “What could anyone do?”

“Marie, the way things are in the Soviet Union right now any attempted contact with this woman could bring suspicion on her.  If the Russians believed she was not Russian, the results might be disastrous for her.”

“It isn’t any woman, Tilly.  She is my sister Lumière.  How can I not do something to help her?”

Tilly pulled Marie closer, “I have no idea what we can do.  I’ll talk to Bruce tonight.  Of anyone in the world, Bruce will know what to do.  For now, don’t worry your mother, father, or your brothers.  There is no reason to get your mother worked up over this.  It is a terrible wound on her heart.  We don’t need to prick it open.”

“I know Tilly.  I know, but I can’t just leave Lumière—I love her so much Tilly.”

Tilly patted Marie’s back, “Let’s wait for Bruce.  Bruce will know what to do.”

At the end of World War II, Lumière was thought to have died in Berlin.  Her parents thought they saw her death and gave her up for lost.  As we know from this novel, Lumière survived but was injured and brought back to the Soviet Union.  Sveta (Lumière) doesn’t know much of this.  She has skills but no idea how she came about them.  Her knowledge of life begins in Berlin and her injury. 

 

The reality is more than I’ve shown you in these examples.  I left off the flashback scenes where Sveta is slowly learning about her time of captivity in Berlin.  Thus, we have Sveta learning through dreams (flashbacks) and Oba about her past, and Marie finding out about Sveta’s identity.  There are two climaxes in this novel.  Perhaps I will show them as examples.

 

What I want to express to you in this example is the way to create tension using a scene without the protagonist—this information scene provides a parallel development to the rest of the plot.  The tension rises for the reader and for Marie.  This doesn’t affect the protagonist directly.  The point is the parallel development of the revelation.  In both tension and release, we see the effects most readily in the characters in a scene, but the reality is the expression of tension and release is what we want our readers to reflect.  Although Marie and Tilly experience increasing tension in the scene, the real target is the reader more than Marie and Tilly.  The reader does capture the flavor of the tension from these characters, but ultimately, the reader is who we want to feel the burn of the tension and the relief of the release.

 

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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