Writing - part x305, Novel Form, Harry Potty Solving the Unsolvable, Expectation Management and Tension

7 November 2017, Writing - part x305, Novel Form, Harry Potty Solving the Unsolvable, Expectation Management 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.

 

For novel 30:  TBD

 

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.

 

The three types of scenes are serial, parallel, and interlaced.  Parallel and interlaced scenes are a natural setup for a secret or mystery. 

 

I’m trying to come up with examples of solutions to the impossible resolution to show how expectation management works.  Because the author controls the world of his own development, supernatural and science fiction novels may be the easiest to project an impossible resolution then design a solution that solves the problem.

 

Let’s look at a less successful example than Star Bores—Harry Potty.  The first novel will do.  The author, in this case did not make the resolution seem as impossible as she should have.  The resolution was a mystery with solvable puzzles.  The puzzles were not solvable by the protagonist.  Let’s put it this way, the puzzles were impossible for the protagonist to solve. 

 

This is a method of expectation management that allows the author to hedge a little on the impossible side.  If you notice, the characters really didn’t represent their own expertise.  The girl just has some knowledge the others don’t.  Ron, who could have guessed he was a chess master, wins a game of chess by an obviously incompetently programmed (spelled) chess set.  Funny how his chess expertise never plays a role anywhere else.  Finally, well almost finally, Harry uses his skill on the broom to get the key. 

 

There we are with the true impossible resolution.  The mirror with its hidden alchemist’s stone.  This was a great setup, except, there was no foreshadowing concerning the ability of the mirror or a spell to hold a stone.  The actual resolution, loosing of the stone, is not exactly comprehensible—how did it happen again.  The idea was there, but not the full execution.  Still, we accept it because it seems to make sense in the world the author has built.  This is why I relate that using this type of expectation management is easier in science fiction and supernatural (fantasy) novels (worlds).

 

Compared to Star Wars, Harry Potty, the first, is a breath of fresh air.  The resolution is strong with an expected, but unexpected and unpredicted, but predictable resolution.  In other words, as we see the unfolding of the resolution, the reader immediately understands how everything is coming about.  The reader thinks, if I was there, I could have figured out the same thing.  In the case of Luke in Star Bores, the reader (viewer) has no hope of having the force, being chosen to fly a front line fighter with farm boy experience, and couldn’t bomb an exhaust port.

 

On the other hand, the reader of Harry Potty can imagine him or herself as a wizard, confused, facing an incarnation of a deadly enemy.  The little bit of deus ex machina is the fact that Harry’s touch causes the foe to crumble.  There was no foreshadowing for this.  We had no idea—Harry’s a little invincible there, but although he could face real foes, the bad guy’s spirit knocks him out.  Clap now, the end, a little sloppy, but with a strong end game.  This is why it’s a kid’s novel and really not an adult novel.  Many adults like it because they don’t know anything better.

 

The author obviously had help with the other novels because they do a little better job of managing expectation.  In any case, you can see another example of how to build an unexpected but expected resolution—that is expectation management.     

 

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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