26 November 2017, Writing
- part x324, Novel Form, Secrets in Novels, Sister of Light
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.
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.
For novel 30: Lady Azure Rose Wishart, the Chancellor of
the Fae, supernatural detective, and all around dangerous girl, finds love,
solves cases, breaks heads, and plays golf.
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
release part of the scene development cycle is similar to a punchline. This is the point at which the tension of the
scene is released. The complete tension
is never released until the climax of the novel, but the tension of the scene
is released to some degree at this point.
I’m
still addressing conflict and release from the standpoint of scenes, but I
thought it might provide a good example to look at secrets in my novels. If you remember, there are two basic types of
secrets in a novel. The first is the
plot revelation. The revelation of the
plot and the protagonist are secrets until they are revealed in the novel. This is the number one basic element of
secret in a novel. This secret is
unknown to the characters and the readers until it is revealed.
The
second type of secret is the secrets of the protagonist or other major
character. These are secrets known to
the readers, but not known to other characters in the context of the
novel. These are revealed (or not
revealed) through the plot. I write not
reveled because these secrets may remain secrets from no one, a few, or all in
the context of a novel. The writer uses
the revelation of these secrets to create tension and release and to drive to
the climax.
I’m
moving on to my currently not published novels.
I’ll start with the two that are on contract. These are novels in the Ancient Light series. They
follow Aegypt.
Sister of Light is the second in the Ancient
Light novels. These novels are
series novels. The reader can pick up
any one and not worry about missing anything because each novel is standalone. At the same time, the novels follow
characters and their children based on the great secret introduced in Aegypt.
Without
providing any real spoilers, the great secrets of the Ancient Light novels is that there are gods and goddesses still on
the earth who have a roll in human history.
The novels fit within a Christian context, by explaining that before the
event (the coming of Christ) gods and goddesses were used by the God to help
humans understand about God within the context of the world. Following the event, gods and goddesses have
either come to the side of God or oppose Him.
The
specific secret from Aegypt is that
two unbound goddesses were unleashed on the world. The novels afterward account for their lives
and existence.
The
novel, Sister of Light explores the
life of Leora and Paul Bolang. They face
prejudice in Europe and in the USA because Leora is Egyptian and African. They have children. The plot secret concerns the Goddess of Darkness,
who is committing mischief in Germany.
The reader gets to experience the historical times in France, the USA,
Britain, Tunisia, and Germany. The
characters secrets have to do with who Leora is and what the Goddess of
Darkness, Leila, intends.
There
is much more to his novel, but as I noted, I’d rather not introduce
spoilers. This is a fun novel that was
supposed to be released a while ago—let’s hope with the improving economy it
will be soon.
More
tomorrow.
For more information, you can visit my
author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
- http://www.centurionnovel.com
- http://www.thesecondmission.com/
- http://www.theendofhonor.com/
- http://www.thefoxshonor.com
- http://www.aseasonofhonor.com
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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