Writing - part xx075 Writing a Novel, Protagonist and Mind

17 December 2019, Writing - part xx075 Writing a Novel, Protagonist and Mind

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. 

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 design a protagonist around the initial scene.  This is the way I write a novel.  This isn’t the only way to write a novel, but it is the way I have discovered to write well-conceived and powerful novels.  This goes back to the initial scene. 

Above, I gave you four options for developing the initial scene.  Yesterday, I told you to take two off.  Authors have used three and four, but they don’t produce the kinds of exciting initial scenes we want.  Here’s the list again.

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

Let’s plan to put one and two together.  Let’s also focus on the other characteristics of the initial scene.  Notice that first, the initial scene must include the protagonist.  This should be obvious, but let’s go down the list. 

What is in the mind of the protagonist?  This is definitely something that must be shown and not told.  No telling.

The author defines the mind of the protagonist in his or her notes, but never tells what is in the mind of the protagonist or any other character.  That is unless you allow mind reading in your novel.

What is the mind, and what kinds of characters should an author develop?  In a simple sense, the mind is what your characters like and dislike.  The innermost thoughts and ideas.  I’m not a proponent of the idea that people do things for no reason or are uncontrolled in their actions.  To me, that is mental illness.  I do think people have deep seated desires and ideas and that they act consciously on them.  People do act in ways that are unfathomable to others, but the author can’t present that in their writing.  One of the most important attributes of all writing is that there is a logical framework your readers and the author understands.  The logical framework is what the mind is all about.

So here is where we are.  The reasons for your characters actions must fit some logical framework.  Stuff just can’t happen to them without some reason.  That’s not to say you can’t have weather events or catastrophes or any other kinds of events the protagonist and characters must overcome or contend with.  These are logical and expected in the context of the real world.  I wouldn’t have a hurricane in the middle of the Midwest or a tidal wave in the mountains—that is illogical. 

                                                                                                                     

The world that creates the setting must be logical and the actions and reactions of the characters must be logical.  How the characters respond to their setting and circumstances is defined by their minds. 

The action oriented character might immediately react with an attack or defense against an outside stimulus.  The studios character would attempt to understand the circumstances to control or impede them.  Each character based on their minds and their way of thinking will face situations and circumstances differently.  This is why the author must define these characteristics for their characters.

Just as a tidal wave in a mountain is illogical, certain responses by certain characters are out of character.  Now, you can set up a character through your writing to eventually have some type of out of character response, but that’s a development with logic that defines a plot or a storyline.

So what is in the mind of the protagonist?  In most modern novels we are writing about romantic characters.  The romantic character is always introspective and thoughtful if not thought filled.  This means they approach the world from a scholarly position.  They don’t have to be a scholar, but beware presenting character who are not.  I’ve written about this before. 

Your readers are readers.  They see the world from the standpoint of reading the knowledge.  Imagine if you have a character who is not attracted to reading or who acts entirely without thinking or who is motivated by athletics more than books.  You can have side characters who are athletic and not studious.  You can have studious book lovers who are great athletes.  You tread a thin line with an athletic protagonist who isn’t studious or a reader.  I’ve read romantic novels where the athleticism or the physical prowess of the protagonist are major skills, but never one where the protagonist is a dope.

Your readers are readers.  They expect your characters to have minds and use them.  They expect your characters to love to read and to read.  This means your characters use logic, are bright, and figure out problems using their intellect.       

It’s all in the mind of the protagonist. I should clarify, the mental power of the protagonist defines the 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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