19 January 2019, Writing - part
x743, Writing a Novel, Power of Settings, New Years
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 29th 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 30th novel, working
title Red Sonja. I finished my 29th 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.
For
Christmas, I gave you scenes from my writing that were set during
Christmas. I hope this was enlightening
and entertaining to you. I just wanted
to entertain you for the Christmas season.
I also wanted to show you how important real events and settings are to
novels.
There
are three ways to create a setting or a world: real, reflected, and
created.
A
real worldview comes directly from the real world. A reflected worldview comes from a historical
and real basis but from a fictional or mythic basis. A created worldview is developed from a real
base, but is either fantasy or futuristic.
I
should have covered New Years with Christmas.
New Years is really a full on secular holiday where all kinds of people
get together. This is the party day for
the USA and most Western cultures. There
are other cultures that celebrate it well, but not quite as a party day. For example, in Asian cultures, New Years is
a time of family celebration and religious execution. Many if not most Japanese go to a temple for
the first visit of the year, and there are numerous traditions centered around
that visit and the day.
In
the West, there are region based celebrations and food, but New Years isn’t a
religious holiday in the West. The power
of New Years for the author is that it is a continuation of Christmas—that’s
what I use it for.
I
flip my characters from the religious Christmas to the secular New Years as a
continuation of time just like it is in the real world. By this I mean that I usually have a party or
celebration coming up to Christmas, the actual Christmas Eve and day, and then
a party at New Years. That’s for the full
gamut. I haven’t done the whole thing in
every book, but a few.
The
point for the author is to realize the opportunities that exist base on the
holidays. If I based my novels on my own
life, there would be one or two parties every week of December until Christmas
and then Christmas Eve and Day followed by a party at New Years Eve. If this is the focus of your novels, and you
need that many get-togethers, go for it.
I’ve just never needed that many—the point is you could, and it wouldn’t
be unusual.
I’ll
look finally at the Fourth. More on this
weekends, weeks, months, and why Christmas is an expression of the real world.
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
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