8 January 2018, Writing - part
x367, Novel Form, A New Novel, more Investigation 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 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.
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.
Number
one—once I’ve introduced the protagonist, I must reveal the protagonist in all
her glory. This isn’t the full glory of
Lady Azure Rose Wishart, but it’s pretty close, or at least, her detective
persona. Here I continue the initial
scene for Lady Wishart:
The
Chief Inspector turned red then blasted out, “Very well, Miss Rose, solve the
crime.”
Miss
Rose moved back slightly from the desk, “You will find that Ms. Marjory
Phillips did not come to work this morning because she didn’t leave last night.”
“Ms.
Marjory Phillips? Who is she, and how do
you know this?”
“When
I first heard about your case, I knew you would be in a tizzy and ask for my
help. I simply reviewed the list of bank
employees. Ms. Marjory Phillips was a nurse prior to seeking employment with
the Bank of London. She wasn’t a very
good nurse in any sense of the word. She
was caught up with some narcotic improprieties, but fired from her last
position for other improprieties. Mr.
Price was also known for his discrete or indiscrete activities. That’s why he had a bolt lock installed on
his door. Mr. Price hired Ms. Phillips
himself even though he knew of her indiscretions.”
“Really,
Miss Rose. How do you know all this?”
Miss
Rose brought her eyes up to La Cross’, “Really, La Cross, the real question is
why the Bank President didn’t tell you about this before I did.”
La
Cross puffed out his cheeks again.
Miss
Rose rolled her eyes, “Ms. Phillips was not entirely pleased with Mr.
Price. He apparently coerced her
attentions and had a few other women on the side. Last night, Ms. Phillips who had finally
achieved a secure position, decided to remove the source of her coercion and
put an end to his blackmail.”
“This
is all conjecture on your part.”
“Conjecture? Ms. Phillips served Mr. Price a cup of tea
containing a sedative. When you analyze
the tea, you will find in it a large enough dose of barbiturates to quickly put
out a man of Mr. Price’s size and weight.
I know exactly what it will be because Ms. Phillips had a prescription
for sleeping pills. She renewed the
prescription early this week for just this purpose.”
La
Cross put out his hands, “We will analyze the brown liquid, but you are simply
guessing, Miss Rose.”
The
lady’s eyes flashed, “I am not finished, La Cross.” Miss Rose moved a little further toward the
back of the office. A large window
looked out on the London cityscape. The
blinds were closed and little light came in from the outside. She opened the blinds and inspected the floor
near the back, “Mr. Price drank the drugged tea and laid his head on the
desk. That’s when Ms. Phillips murdered
him.”
“Murdered
him with what?”
“Ah,
our little drug aware nurse knew something about modern science as well. She once worked in hospital with liquid
nitrogen and carbon dioxide ice. If you
will note the burns at the edges of the puncture marks on his neck. They were caused by carbon dioxide ice. Two splinters of ice attached to a surgical
tool and rammed into his neck. Our
little nurse made a little mistake. She
meant to puncture his veins, but she accidentally put her murder tool through
his artery. In any case, Mr. Price bled
out, and she was drenched in blood. She
also meant to place a towel under the door to mask the carbon dioxide fog and
give herself time to escape. Two small
mistakes. She was covered with blood
with no way to clean up and suddenly Mr. Price’s secretary was banging on the
door. At that point, she might have
tried to escape, but she had a better idea.”
La
Cross raised an eyebrow.
Miss
Rose felt along the wall and made a slight noise when her hand ran over a knob,
“If you look closely, the lever to open the coat closet has blood on it. Your forensics and investigators missed this
last night. In addition, there are bare
footprints leading from the pooled blood into the closet.”
La
Cross crossed the room with a stride. He
stood towering over Miss Rose.
Miss
Rose motioned him back, “At the moment, there is nothing to concern yourself
about. I haven’t finished my
investigation.”
La
Cross took a step back, “But there could be some danger.”
“There
was a while ago, but not at the moment, because Ms. Phillips made a third
mistake. Criminals, especially the
unprofessional ones, tend to be sloppy in their planning and their
execution.” Miss Rose unlatched the coat
closet door. A gout of carbon dioxide
fog flowed into the room, and a small panel opened to display clothing arranged
on hangars. “You should have realized
that modern offices always have closets.
They usually have powder rooms too, but not this one. The door was hidden in the paneled wall.”
Miss
Rose pulled out a couple of hangars with lingerie on them, “Mr. Price liked his
play.”
La
Cross pushed past Miss Rose and pulled the coats and other clothing to the
side, “Where is Ms. Phillips?”
“Ah,
I told you, that was her third mistake.
Mr. Price kept more than clothing in his closet.”
“How
could you know that?”
Miss
Rose centered La Cross with her stare, “You don’t understand much about these
types of men, do you?”
Ms.
Morris tisk-tisked. She knew the Chief
Inspector wanted to say: more than you, girly, but he didn’t. He sucked on his cheeks.
Miss
Rose pointed to the floor, “There is the cooler, there’s still a bit of dry
ice, carbon dioxide ice to be exact in it.”
She pointed, “And, there is the towel poor Ms. Phillips wanted to use
for the door.”
“Why
didn’t she?”
Miss
Rose crinkled her eyes at the Chief Inspector, “I thought that might be
obvious. She was giddy with her
success. Mr. Price was lying insensate
on his desk. The closet was already
opened. She was wearing something
succulent from his collection. She
opened the cooler and the billows of carbon dioxide fog began to fill up the
room. She likely poured the remainder of
the hot tea on it—that would make it sublime faster. You can see the brown tea in the chest, and
there is the teapot.”
La
Cross looked like he wanted to grab Miss Rose by the arms and shake her. He kept his hands and arms stiffly at his
side.
“Ms.
Phillips was giddy with her success, and she wanted to end the man’s life as
quickly as possible. Reason left
her. She took the tool she had already
prepared for the deed—there is the plastic bag she placed it on top of the dry
ice to keep the dry ice nails from adhering to the block. She went to her blackmailing lover and forced
the nails into his neck. She was astute
enough to go for the pulse at his throat, but as I told you, that was a
mistake. You can see where the fan of
blood hit her and not the floor. I think
I pointed that out before. Dripping in
blood, excited with her success, she heard the secretary at the door. She ran to the closet and hid.”
“Then
where is she?”
Miss
Rose bent at her knees in a very ladylike fashion. She pressed a latch at the bottom of the
closet. The body of a young woman
dressed in provocative shear panties and bra and drenched in dried blood rolled
out onto the floor of the closet.”
La
Cross gave a startled gasp and stepped back.
The rest of the spectators gasped.
La
Cross stepped forward again and bent down.
Miss
Rose raised her hand, “If you hoped to save Ms. Phillips, you are many hours
too late. If you had called me right
away, she might still be alive.
Unfortunately, her third mistake killed her.”
“What
do you mean?”
“Carbon
dioxide is not poisonous, but it is heavier than air and when Ms. Price closed
herself in the cabinet at the bottom of the closet, the air was already
saturated. She drowned peacefully in the
gas because it displaced the oxygen.”
Miss Rose stood. She stepped back
from the coat closet, “Case closed.”
My
plan for introducing my protagonist and for bringing the reader directly into
the excitement of the novel is to show Lady Wishart solving a crime. The crime appears to be supernatural—that’s
Lady Wishart’s specialty.
I
thought long and hard to develop this little crime. I say little because I wanted Azure to solve
it quickly and decidedly such that the readers and the characters were amazed
by her feat. This isn’t as difficult as
it might seem. The author controls
everything in the world of the novel, therefore the development and the solution
to a crime are relatively easy. The trick
is, of course, to tie up the loose ends and to make the revelation exciting.
This
is also the point of the initial scene—excitement and entertainment. I think you will agree, this scene is both
exciting and entertaining. I’d like to
get my readers on it right away to catch any issues. If you see any logical errors, just pass them
to my.
As
I noted, I needed a crime that looked supernatural which Azure could
solve. This crime is not the telic
flaw. This crime will not really have
any foreshadowing of later effects in the novel, the simple purpose of this
crime and the solution is to reveal the protagonist and set up the rest of the
plot.
Here’s
the point. Novels are written to reveal
the protagonist—the ultimate point of revelation is the resolution of the telic
flaw of the protagonist. This is an
absolute. To write a novel means to have
a great protagonist who people want to find out about. It’s all about the protagonist. If you have a more interesting character than
the protagonist, you chose the wrong character as the protagonist.
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
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
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
No comments:
Post a Comment