Writing - part xx026 Writing a Novel, Name Example

29 October 2019, Writing - part xx026 Writing a Novel, Name Example

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 websites 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:  Deirdre and Sorcha are redirected to French finishing school where they discover difficult mysteries, people, and events. 

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. 

To start a novel, I picture an initial scene.  I may start from a protagonist or just launch into mental development of an initial scene.  I get the idea for an initial scene from all kinds of sources.  To help get the creative juices flowing, let’s look at the initial scene. 

1.     Meeting between the protagonist and the antagonist or the protagonist’s helper

2.     Action point in the plot

3.     Buildup to an exciting scene

4.     Indirect introduction of the protagonist

Perhaps I should go back and look again at the initial scene—maybe, I’ll cover that again as part of looking at the rising action.  The reason is that I’m writing a rising action in a novel right now.

That gets us back to the protagonist—complexity makes the protagonist and the telic flaw one and the same. 

I wrote that I don’t use outlines, and I told you I would tell you what I use instead of an outline, but I forgot to tell you.  So let’s look at that today.  This is all related to the protagonist and the telic flaw.

The novel is a revelation of the protagonist.  The telic flaw is connected directly to the protagonist.  The plot is the revelation of the telic flaw.  This connects the protagonist to the plot and the telic flaw.  The point is that to plan a novel, I simply need to plan the revelation of the protagonist.  To accomplish this, you need to develop a protagonist.

When I write you develop your protagonist, you write notes about:

1.     Name

2.     Background

3.     Education

4.     Appearance

5.     Work

6.     Wealth

7.     Skills

8.     Mind

9.     Likes

10.  Dislikes

11.  Opinions

12.  Honor

13.  Life

14.  Thoughts

15.  Telic flaw

I usually start with the physical description before I put on a name.  In fact, I accomplish a lot of character design before I give the protagonist a name.  The reason is that as a classical writer, I try to match the name to my characters.  There is much more than just matching the name.

I’ll give you a couple of other examples on how I’ve chosen names for my characters.  Let’s look at Lady Wishart: Enchantment and the Detective.  Lady Wishart is an unusual novel and character.  I developed the novel as an example of a detective telic flaw.  In this sense, it is a classic detective novel.  Lady Wishart must resolve the mystery of an actual supernatural crime.  Here’s where everything becomes interesting.  Lady Wishart isn’t everything she seems.

Actually, Lady Wishart is precisely whom she seems, but she has a handful of identities and personas.  That is not to say she has multiple personalities, she just has multiple identities. 

In the beginning of the novel, she is a detective named Neel Rhosyn.  Neel Rhosyn means blue rose in Welsh.  We quickly discover that she identifies herself for the first time to Scotland Yard as Miss Azure Rose which also means blue rose.  She calls herself a supernatural detective.  You should notice a pattern here. 

At home, she is Lady Azure Rose Wishart which, by the way, is her full and actual name.  There is more to this, but I should explain how I came about this particular name.  I researched the name of a noble family from the southeast portion of England near London.  The specific family name I wanted had to have a certain sound, and when I found Wishart, I knew it would fit my character.  The actual Wishart family has no story like Enchantment and the Detective, but the name fit and sounds correct for my character.  I think it also sounds like a lost name in nobility.  Her other names Azure Rose were not a whim, but rather intentionally chosen because it sounds somewhat displaced and archaic.  It also sounds somewhat pretentious while presuming the qualities exactly opposite from my protagonist. 

Lady Azure Rose Wishart is not a gentle soul.  She is a dangerous and well trained woman who is if she is a rose of any kind, she is a thorny rose.  She wears white wherever she goes as a trademark which directly clashes with her name.  This is purposeful.  The reason I chose Azure Rose was to match her appearance and not her personality or capabilities.  I intended this as a creative element in the novel.  Her other names are also important.

She is known to the British government by her hereditary assignment as Lord Chancellor of the Fae in which position she is known as Lady Rose, Keeper of the Book.  Another persona, and another name.

At school, she is known as Miss Azure Wishart, but her nickname is AR for Azure Rose.  In any case and every case, the name fits her position and her persona, and there is more to this.  The example of Lady Wishart is to fit the person to the name.  I suppose another example would be worthwhile.   

Why not look at Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.

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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