Writing - part x290, Novel Form, Dénouement still more Inter-scene Tension

23 October 2017, Writing - part x290, Novel Form, Dénouement still more Inter-scene 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.  Aleksandr and Sveta are facing a hearing in the US State Department.  Their friends and relations (from the past) are seated outside waiting the results.  They could be sent back to the Soviet Union (likely as a prisoner exchange) to certain death.

 

This is another interlaced scene.  The style is simple and descriptive.  I think this is the best way to present such a scene.  There is no introspection.  There is no digression.  There is a fun outburst by the judge.  There is a discussion which the protagonist, protagonist’s helper, and the reader has no insight of.  This is a tension developer. 

 

If you notice, there is a very strong tension release in this scene.  Read the scene, and I’ll explain it to you.                                 

 

Here is the scene:        

 

        Inside the hearing room Sveta and Aleksandr were becoming restive.  Sveta had explained everything to him.  He glanced sadly up at her, “But Svetochka, they can’t send you back.”

        Sveta folded her arms, “I think they are going to do just that.”  She stared plaintively at him, “Are you sure you won’t stay here without me?  Sashechka, they will certainly kill you in Russia.”

        “They’ll kill you too.  What did Mother Marya say?  They can only kill you once.”

        Sveta blew out her cheeks, “But the MGB will make it feel like you died many times.”

        “I won’t stay here without you, and don’t start telling me you don’t love me.”

        Sveta pouted.

        The judge returned to the hearing room.  He stared angrily at Sveta and Aleksandr, “Just for the record, I received a call from the office of the President of the United States.  He had just received a call from the Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill.  Mr. Churchill reportedly told Eisenhower, and I quote, ‘Miss Bolang is a citizen of Britain and a stellar warrior for the West in the Cold War.  If you don’t give her asylum, the British Crown is immediately willing to.  Take your hands off our citizen.’  Apparently, Mr. Churchill received a similar call from the office of the Queen.  Who called the Queen of England?  I don’t know.”

        At the judge’s request, the other hearing officials came up to him and a quiet discussion ensued.

        After another thirty minutes, the judge stepped back to his desk, “Miss Kopylova and Mr. Diakonov, I would like nothing better than to send you both packing to the British Isles and let them figure out what to do with you.  However, as a result of political interference, the unhappy decision of this hearing is that you, Miss Kopylova and you, Mr. Diakonov are granted permanent asylum in the United States of America.  Bailiff, process their paperwork and remove them from my hearing room.”

        Sveta looked at Aleksandr and repeated what the judge said.  He smiled broadly.  Sveta stood up, “Thank you, Mr. Judge.”

        He just waved crossly at them as he exited the room.

        Aleksandr touched Sveta’s hand, “Now what?”

        She shrugged, “I don’t know where we will go.  I don’t have any money or any friends here in America.”

        The bailiff took a long time to put together their paperwork.  He had not expected this conclusion to the case and had not prepared anything.  Sveta and Aleksandr waited patiently for him to finish because they literally had no other place to go.  When he finally handed them each a packet of papers, Sveta asked, “Where do we go now?”

        The bailiff snorted, “Don’t ask me lady.  The Judge gave you a minimal release.”

        “Please, what does that mean?”

        “Defectors are sometimes given protection and a new name, money, a job, and a place to stay.  Your release includes nothing but identification and some other important paperwork.  You are not considered assets to the United States of America.”

        Sveta stared at him, “Does that mean we can’t get jobs with the State Department?  We want to work in China.”

        In answer, the bailiff snorted again.  He pointed to the side door, “There is the door to the outside.  In America, we say, don’t let it hit you on the way out.”

        “Where is my tablet?”

        “Your what?”

        “The things they took from me when I escaped.”

        “They belong to the State Department now.  You need to fill out a claim form.”

        Sveta shrugged angrily and repeated everything to Aleksandr.  He stood and gave her his arm, “Let’s go Svetochka.  We can fill out a claim later.  Maybe the British embassy will find us a place to stay for the night.  From what you said, they like us.  We haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

        They stood and with as much dignity as possible exited through the door the bailiff indicated.

 

If you remember, Mr. Lyons called someone and the result…  The result is in this scene.  Obviously, but not told (only shown), Bruce Lyons called someone in the office of the Queen of England.  This person called the office of the Prime Minister of England.  The Prime Minister, Mr. Churchill, called the President.  The President called the State Department.  If you knew much about Bruce Lyons and his organization as well as Sveta’s family, you would realize how all this was the expected unexpected.  You literally could have guessed that this was the only reasonable result.  Someone had to tell the State Department that Sveta was a citizen of Britain and under the protection of the Crown.  I mean, since this is the dénouement, there should not be an extended set of ending scenes.  The point is to complete the novel and get the characters off the stage.    

   

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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