Writing - part x699, Writing a Novel, more Fleshing Out Characters

6 December 2018, Writing - part x699, Writing a Novel, more Fleshing Out Characters

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:  Why don’t we go back to the basics and just writing a novel?  I can tell you what I do, and show you how I go about putting a novel together.  We can start with developing an idea then move into the details of the writing. 

The most important character in any novel is the protagonist.  The protagonist is the bearer of the telic flaw.  The protagonist is the reason for the novel.  The protagonist is the novel. 

I’m on my way to Florida and flying an aircraft.  That means I’m sitting in the pilot seat with the autopilot on and writing to you.  The protagonist in my newest novel is Sorcha, and the protagonist’s helper is Deirdre.  This is a reversal of the previous novel that featured these characters.  In Deirdre: Enchantment and the School, Deirdre was the protagonist and Sorcha the protagonist’s helper. 

I have more than one Sorcha in my novels.  This is an accident of character development.  I’ve written before that characters and character’s families beget characters.  Thus the first Sorcha was Kathrin McClellan’s sister.  Sorcha died before the event horizon of any of my novels.  The second Sorcha is this one.  This Sorcha so impressed Deirdre’s sister Flora, that she named her first and only child Sorcha both after this Sorcha and her deceased Aunt.  Each of the Sorchas are a problem on their own.

The original Sorcha died due to a magic spell gone awry.  The last Sorcha is a somewhat isolated person who works in military intelligence.  She is not very personable nor gentile.  The Sorcha of this newest novel is the child of an unknown father and an Unseelie Fae mother.  Her mother was Nightshade a particularly dangerous, morose, and poisonous fae being.  Sorcha was abandoned as a child and grew up in the British welfare system.  She was put upon in school and fought back, which got her sent to minor’s prison.  She learned to use the Fae power inherited from her mother and escaped.  Down the road from minor’s prison was Wycombe Abbey, a prestigious girl’s boarding school  Sorcha used her Fae power to hide in plain sight in this school.  All was well until Deirdre came to Wycombe Abbey.

Deirdre, the protagonist’s helper is the child of Ceridwen, the chief goddess of the Gaelic realms.  Deirdre doesn’t have any real power, but she is unusually gifted and can see through Fae power.  She also caused problems in schools and was banished to Wycombe Abbey.  Deirdre is a powerfully gifted person.  She is a professional singer at fifteen and a skilled artist.  This was what caused her problems in her family and with others. 

This is who Sorcha and Deirdre are—the question for the current novel is who are they now, and what about the telic flaw?        

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  

fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic