Writing - part x362, Novel Form, A New Novel, more Example Initial Scene

3 January 2018, Writing - part x362, Novel Form, A New Novel, more Example Initial Scene

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:  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.

With a protagonist, a telic flaw, a theme statement, and an initial setting, I’m ready to begin a novel.  I’ll move to the telic flaw for the novel. 

Here is the theme statement as a reminder:

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.

Here I continue the initial scene for Lady Wishart:

Ms. Morris was a fifty year or so matron of the police secretary assistants.  She would have been let go long ago with most of the other secretaries except she was uncommonly perceptive and unusually capable.  She looked down before she smiled, “It certainly appears like a Vampire to me.”

Chief Inspector La Cross snorted, “There is no such thing, and you know it Ms. Morris.”

Inspector Corbyn shrugged his shoulders, “This Neel Rhosyn has solved more than twenty of our unsolvable crimes.  Most of them were based in computer issues or thefts, but many had a somewhat supernatural flare to them.”

Chief Inspector La Cross stared at the inspector, “There was nothing supernatural about them at all…”

“Not after Mr. Rhosyn explained everything.”

“Yes, certainly.”

Inspector Corbyn rubbed his jaw, “It couldn’t hurt to ask Mr. Rhosyn to provide his opinion.  I know you kept the scene of the crime untouched for just that reason.”

“I did not keep it untouched to allow this Neel Rhosyn an opportunity to paw over the evidence.”

“It has you and forensics completely stumped.  Just ask to meet with him, take him to the scene, and see what he has to say.”

The Chief Inspector stared at his feet, “Very well.  I’ll take a chance only because he’s been so undeniably successful, but only a chance.  We’ve never seen this person or investigated him at all.”

Inspector Corbyn chuckled under his breath, “Actually, we’ve investigated him without any luck at all since he first turned up.”  A little louder, he asked, “Then I should send a request?”

“Yes, yes.  Send a request.  Ask Mr. Neel Rhosyn to come to Scotland Yard, and I’ll escort him to the Bank of London office.  I need to allow them to remove Mr. Lewis’s body today.  Untidy to leave these loose ends in any case.”

Inspector Corbyn grinned and pressed the send button.  He’d prepped the email before he broached the subject with the Chief Inspector.  Before the Chief Inspector had taken a single step toward his desk, an unusually stripped, but normal for Neel Rhosyn email came across the Inspector’s computer.  Inspector Corbyn glanced up, “Mr. Rhosyn replied that he will meet you at Bea’s of Bloomsbury for tea as long as you are buying.  What should I reply.”

Chief Inspector La Cross stopped in midstride, “Reply that I will meet him at Bea’s.”  He paused a moment, “Ask Mr. Rhosyn how we will know him.”  He mumbled under his breath, “Blast it all, since when does Scotland Yard request help from a ragamuffin internet detective?”

Ms. Morris picked up her pad and stuck a pencil behind her ear, “I guess we’re going to Bea’s for tea.”

Chief Inspector La Cross smiled a quick smile that turned into a deep frown, “It’s much too early for tea, but I’m reconciled to it.”

Ms. Morris looked out the very dirty window in the office, “The day is drear, but no rain yet.”

The Chief Inspector took his hat from the rack and squashed it on the top of his head, “Inspector Corbyn, inform the morgue that they may remove Mr. Lewis’s body after we had had another opportunity to inspect the scene of the crime.  Come Ms. Morris, we will go to Bea’s and then to the Bank of London.”

Ms. Morris was already pulling on her overcoat, “Yes, Chief Inspector.”

Inspector Corbyn leaned back toward the two, “Mr. Rhosyn replied that he will be wearing a blue rose in his buttonhole.” 

The Chief Inspector glanced around, but Ms. Morris was already out of the door and flagging a taxi.  He rushed out just in time to get in the black London cab directly behind his Assistant Secretary.     

Obviously, I need to get the protagonist involved in the initial scene.  Here is the setup.  With this information, I bring in that the mysterious Neel Rhosyn has already helped solve some crimes for the inspector.  I don’t need to go into much detail—the point is to produce the credibility for the reader.  The reader now knows that Mr. Neel Rhosyn is a very capable detective.  I also bring in the idea of the supernatural.  Mr. Neel Rhosyn has been able to show how crimes that looked supernatural were not at all. 

We have the setup.  The next is to make a meeting.  You can tell, the Chief Inspector is a little desperate because he agrees almost immediately to meet Mr. Rhosyn at a tea shop rather than at New Scotland Yard.  For not so obvious reasons, the Chief Inspector doesn’t want to meet the gentleman at the Bank of London.  La Cross wants to check out the detective before he allows him to invade the crime scene. 

I intentionally didn’t bring in the protagonist right at the beginning.  Instead I jumped into the initial scene at the pitch point where the Chief Inspector is preparing to go to a strange crime scene—a Vampire murder.  Here is my reasoning.  Right at the beginning, I figured an exciting scene would be the introduction of Lady Wishart to Scotland Yard.  Above is the setup for this introduction. 

This is a little different initial scene than I’ve written before.  I think it has potential.  I think it is exciting and interesting. I hope it grabs the reader and makes them want to continue reading.  You usually don’t get such a clear double (or more) mystery at the beginning of a novel.  This one bursts out with a great deal of excitement.

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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