30 April 2018, Writing - part x479,
Developing Skills, Build a Protagonist, Idea
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. I’m just finishing number 30, working title Detective.
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.
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
Today: Many people would
like to write, but writing is hard work.
I’ll express again, if you want to be a skilled and potentially a
published author, you need to write about one million words. That equates to about ten 100,000 word
novels. When you look at it this way, it
is a daunting goal especially if you haven’t written a single novel.
To
become a good writer, you need two specific skill sets first reading and then
writing. Without these skill sets, I
really can’t help you much. I provide
advanced help and information on how to write great fiction.
Characters
are the key to great writing.
Entertainment is the purpose of fiction writing. The key to entertainment is character
revelation, and specifically revelation of the plot and protagonist telic flaw
(the same thing). If we want to be a
successful writer, we must aim for great protagonists, and a great protagonist
means a great or compelling telic flaw.
In
moving to mechanics, you have to start with something. The something I recommend is the protagonist. As I noted for you, the protagonist owns the
telic flaw and the telic flaw is the catalyst for the plot. The resolution of the telic flaw is the plot
of the novel, so obviously, the best place to start any novel is with the
protagonist. I hate to do this because I
usually end up writing a new novel—let’s develop a character.
I
happen to have a list of great protagonist characteristics.
1.
Skilled or becoming skilled—they are
competent.
2.
Even though these characters are
unique and uniquely different, they feel like real people.
3.
Intellectual.
4.
Pathos building.
5.
Action oriented.
Here
is a list of ideas from yesterday.
1.
Detective
2.
Were-creature
3.
Vampire
4.
Musical
5.
Arts
6.
Special person or being
I was contemplating a character who
was isolated and somehow mystical.
Perhaps a character who is intentionally isolated but allowed so degree
of freedom in a school or area. We can
become more detailed as we develop the character, but we might as well start up
with that idea. This character might be
the protagonist or the focus of the novel.
Let’s start with description.
An isolated or protected individual
would be assumed to not be outside very often. I want to make the setting in England or the
USA, so I want a fair character. I hate
to write this, because I have had black and dark skinned protagonists and
characters, and I don’t need to defend myself.
I always match the characters to the setting and culture. I intend this character to be mystically based. In England such a character might be the fae
or some derivative of the fae (faery or fairy).
Such a character, based on the setting would be fair. If I use a god or goddess the same is true. On the other hand, if I set the novel in the USA,
a god or goddess or an indignant being would be Native American and copper
colored. I’ve written about these
characters too. In any case, the setting
will determine the culture and the characters.
I’m initially setting this novel in
England. I’m not sure of the time
period, but I’m thinking of modern and perhaps late Twentieth Century or early
Twenty First Century. I would like to
set the novel initially in a girl’s school.
This might mean I need to move it in time to the late Twentieth
Century. I could make up the school, but
I like to use real places. I’d like an
isolated school.
A girl’s school means I will make
the focus character a girl and the protagonist a girl. I’ve written about this, but a girl is almost
always pathos building. I might perhaps
reuse Deirdre and Sorcha from my previous Deirdre novel. They were expelled from their school in
England and went to France. Perhaps I’ll
set the novel in France. This would be
interesting—that is a character banished from England for some particular
reason—just like Sorcha and Deirdre.
So, based on the setting and
cultures, we have a girl in a girl’s school.
She has a great secret that perhaps she doesn’t know about herself. She is from a mystical background, again a
great secret.
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
