Writing - part x609, Developing Skills, How to Suspend Disbelief, Protagonist, Plot, and Telic Flaw

7 September 2018, Writing - part x609, Developing Skills, How to Suspend Disbelief, Protagonist, Plot, and Telic Flaw

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but my primary publisher has gone out of business—they couldn’t succeed in the past business and publishing environment.  I'll keep you informed, but I need a new publisher.  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 29^th novel, working title, Detective, potential title Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective.  The theme statement is: 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 cover proposal for Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I am continuing to write on my 30^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29^th novel, working title Detective.  I’m planning to start on number 31, working title Shifter. 

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 30:  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 31:  TBD 

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:  Suspension of disbelief is the characteristic of writing that pulls the reader into the world of the novel in such a way that the reader would rather face the world of the novel rather than the real world—at least while reading.  If this occurs while not reading, it is potentially a mental problem.  To achieve the suspension of disbelief your writing has to meet some basic criteria and contain some strong inspiration.  If you want to call the inspiration creativity, that works too.  Here is a list of the basic criteria to hope to achieve some degree of suspension of disbelief. 

1.      Reasonably written in standard English

2.      No glaring logical fallacies

3.      Reasoned worldview

4.      Creative and interesting topic

5.      A Plot

6.      Entertaining

7.      POV

The telic flaw is the problem the protagonist must resolve.  The expectation of most writing and especially romantic fiction is that the protagonist uniquely is the only person, at least in the worldview of the novel, who can resolve the telic flaw.

However you look at the telic flaw, it is the problem of the protagonist.  In the most simple and immature novels, the telic flaw is the external problem, like a mystery or crime that the protagonist must solve.  In a mature and complex novel, the telic flaw is both an internal and an external problem for the protagonist.

This is what Aristotle meant when addressing the telic flaw as a problem of the plot and the protagonist.  Of course, the telic flaw must be a problem of the plot and the protagonist, but Aristotle wanted to make very clear the fact that the telic flaw can and should be both an internal and an external problem for the protagonist.

Just take a look at any Greek drama and especially tragedies for this very specific point.  In Oedipus Rex, the external problem is achieving a kingship—the internal problem is that Oedipus kills his own father and causes his mother’s madness.  In Antigone, the protagonist wants to bury her brother, but he must overcome the law and edicts of the king.  The strife is internal as well as external in both these examples.

This is the kind of telic flaws that mature and complex novels strive to develop.  It isn’t enough that the detective solve the crime, the detective must resolve internal problems and especially those that deal with internal conflicts.

Thus, the development of the telic flaw in the plot is from the internal and external strivings of the protagonist.  We are back to the entire concept of the protagonist.  Antigone brings the telic flaw to the plot.  Oedipus brings the telic flaw to the plot.

In my unpublished novel, Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective, Azure Rose, the protagonist, brings both internal and external telic flaws to the plot.  Azure Rose must resolve the supernatural crime presented in the novel, but to be able to solve the crime, she must resolve her own internal problems.  She brings these problems into the fight (the plot) simply by existing. 

For example, Azure Rose has been banned from British intelligence because of her family and connections.  She has problems with the Queen and British security for the same reasons.  She is skating under the radar by working with New Scotland Yard.  You can see that to resolve the crime and mystery problem, she must resolve her own problems.

I’ll go back to my point—the protagonist defines the telic flaw of the plot.  To properly develop a plot, you must start with a protagonist.  Well, I will say this, you can begin with a plot idea, but the telic flaw of the plot must define the protagonist.  You can start with a plot telic flaw—a supernatural crime, but then you must design a protagonist—the only protagonist in the world of your novel who can resolve that telic flaw.  I guess that means we must begin with deigning a 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  

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