Writing - part x714, Writing a Novel, Fleshing Out Characters, Personal Pathos

21 December 2018, Writing - part x714, Writing a Novel, Fleshing Out Characters, Personal Pathos

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. 

You must have a protagonist and an antagonist. You may have a protagonist’s helper.  Then there are other characters.  Let’s talk about characters in general and then specifically. 

I’ve been writing about choosing and developing protagonists who are interesting and entertaining to your readers.  Readers like characters who they can intellectually identify with.  These are the characters who appeal to them.  If there is no intellectual connection, there is usually no connection.  We saw this by the many characters whom readers can’t share any or many characteristics, but the characters still appeal.

From the pathos setup for the Little Match Girl, we can take away a lot of information that allows us to develop these type of characters in our own writing.

I hit on youth and sex yesterday.  You can read into that defenseless or lack of strength if you like.  Basically, helpless or characters who appear helpless are appealing simply because readers want to protect them.  This makes these types of characters especially pathos developing and readers empathetic to them.  Then there are personal characteristics.

These may be directly related to the character or they may be inflicted on the character, but these are also pathos building.  For example, using the Little Match Girl as an archetype, any outside inflicted suffering on the protagonist or a character can build empathy.  These can’t be the direct fault of the character. 

Abuse is one of the most powerful.  A child who is punished for bad behavior is not abused.  A child who is punished for lack of success when they are working their hardest is pure and unadulterated abuse.  I’m not making a moral statement here, I’m making a pure reflection of the mind of the reader.  When Tom Sawyer gets whupped for being bad or not doing his chores, that’s Tom’s fault.  When the Little Match Girl is beaten for not bringing home the beer money, that’s abuse.  How do I know that is what is happening to the Little Match Girl?  I’ve read a lot of literature and history from this period.  Little girls were sent into the street to get the beer money.  If you don’t believe me, just pick up some of the more interesting novels from the Victorian Era.  The Little Match Girl was abused. 

In the modern era, the more you can show this the better.  For example, I have two characters in my novels who have scars on their backs from abuse.  Just the revelation of this point and this information is a drawn out process in the novels.  This becomes a revelation of the protagonist.  The slower and more drawn out the revelation the better.  You want your readers to baste in the horror.  You want them to get slight glances of the scars on the characters.  You want a climatic release during a scene where the character explains how they were abused.  This usually isn’t the climax of the novel, but a scene release.  The expectation of the revelation builds and excites the reader.  There are more ways to excite empathy.

Hunger and neglect are other typical personal characteristics that build pathos and empathy.  The Little Mach Girl is hungry, cold, and under clothed.  She is likely dirty and ill.  I’ve used this in some of my novels to really good effect.  In Valeska, I have a homeless vampire.  In Essie, I have an abused girl who is looking for food.  In Lilly, I have a computer genius living on the street.  I’ll admit that Lilly could take better care of herself, but she intentionally doesn’t wash, herself or her clothing, to keep the predatory males on the street away.  She continues until she finds a young man who is really interested in her as a person. 

You can see, I think, how this motif of abuse and neglect can be used to great purpose.  I’m intentionally introducing another semi-homeless vampire into my newest novel because it just seemed like a fun idea.  She will be different than Valeska and the entire novel is different than Valeska, but I thought the idea from a historical and an empathy standpoint was entertaining. 

In any and every case, introducing characters who show these characteristics, that is the characteristics of the Little Match Girl, can produce appeal, interest, and entertainment for your readers.  Matched with intellect, educational desire, and reading can make a very powerful character.              

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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