Writing - part x363, Novel Form, A New Novel, Meeting Example Initial Scene

4 January 2018, Writing - part x363, Novel Form, A New Novel, Meeting 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.  Since I am going to provide the first chapter as a teaser any way, I might as well show you the initial scene.

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:

Bea’s was on Theobalds Road and a brisk walk from the Bank of London.  Except for the possibility of tea, Chief Inspector La Cross would have been entirely put out by the meeting place.  He and Ms. Morris walked into the quaint storefront and found a seat inside at a table near the front.  They both ordered tea.

Bea’s was almost empty.  The only other customer was a very young woman who was wearing a spotless white overcoat over a preposterously elegant lace and silk white party dress.  At least it looked like a party dress to the Chief Inspector.  He didn’t get out much in society, so he really had very little idea about fashion of any kind.

The young woman sat near the back with a laptop computer before her.  The computer sprouted a couple of odd antenna. 

Ms. Morris also noted the lady.  She was astonished by both the youth of the woman and her clothing.  The dress did not look modern or fashionable at all.  It was peculiarly magnificent and completely out of place at this time of day and for an early tea.  The woman sat at the back of the tea shop with her head down, so Ms. Morris couldn’t get a clear view of her.

The Chief Inspector kept a watch at the front of the shop.  Ms. Morris couldn’t help observing the woman at the back.  She had a slight premonition, but she didn’t say anything.

After a few moments, the Chief Inspector’s phone, permanently kept in Ms. Morris’s large going out bag, rang.  She reached into the side pocket and answered the phone.  She handed it immediately to the Chief Inspector.

Inspector Corbyn’s voice came over the phone loud enough that Ms. Morris could hear it.  The inspector’s tone was almost giggly and completely out of character, “Hullo, Chief Inspector.  I just received an email from Neel Rhosyn.  Would you like me to read it?”

The Chief Inspector sneered, “You sound frivolous.  Of course I want you to read it.  I’m waiting.”

“Mr. Neel informs you that he doesn’t think much of your observational skills.  He asks that you turn around slowly and make eye contact with the person seated behind you.”

“Oh, bloody.”  The Chief Inspector handed the phone to Ms. Morris.  He slowly turned around.  When he did, the woman in white, at the back raised her head and smiled.  She took a blue rose from under her white overcoat and placed it on the table in front of her.

That’s when both Ms. Morris and Chief Inspector La Cross achieved a completely clear view of her.  The lights of the shop seemed to turn on a few notches brighter and the woman in white could be seen with great clarity.

Ms. Morris gave a start.  She was looking at a very young woman, a girl not of twenty years.  Her face was classically heart shaped and aristocratic.  Her hair was honey blond and long.  She had no, or very little makeup on, but she didn’t need any.  Her lips were delicately rose colored.  Her nose was small and delicate.  Her entire face was delicate and pale.  It wasn’t pale as if she had a pallor, but naturally pale as though she were cast of the finest porcelain, and the sun and wind could not touch her.  She looked like an aristocrat from one of Ms. Morris’ favorite BBC shows or one of her turn of the century books.  Her mouth flew open, and she had to consciously shut it.

The Chief Inspector swallowed nervously and took a long sip of tea to hide his discomfiture.

The girl just continued to smile.  After an extended moment, she made a sign with her white gloved fingers that was at once condescending and entirely fitting for a true aristocratic lady.

The Chief Inspector stood as if mesmerized and stepped slowly toward the very ladylike girl.  Ms. Morris followed right behind him.     

I’ll admit this is an experimental initial scene.  In how many initial scenes or novels does the reader get a secondary point of view (POV) description of the protagonist?  I like to do this near the middle of the novel to reacquaint the reader with the protagonist, but I’ve rarely seen it done at the beginning.

So, the reader, the Chief Inspector, and Ms. Morris get their first view of Lady Wishart.  I provided the description from the novel.  Part of the entertainment value of the character of the protagonist is her youth and look.  She looks like an aristocrat.  We will find that she also acts like an aristocrat only tempered or enhanced, based on your point of view, by her bad habits.

I do have some real but obscure references in the text.  The antennas on the computer are references to the SIM card devices that many computers of the period had to allow networking when not every location had WiFi.  Lady Wishart’s computer is obviously equipped and this is how she continued to send emails to Jack at headquarters.

The description of Bea’s is correct for the time and times.  I didn’t need to get into their menu.  I do want you to note that I use real places in their real locations.  I use real people as well.  Real people, real places, real events, real things all add up to historical accuracy in a novel.

I’ll show you a little more of the initial scene so you can get to know Lady Wishart, and see how I approached this novel.

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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