Writing - part xx116 Writing a Novel, Organizing

27 January 2020, Writing - part xx116 Writing a Novel, Organizing

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

Ideas.  We need ideas.  Ideas allow us to figure out the protagonist and the telic flaw.  Ideas don’t come fully armed from the mind of Zeus.  We need to cultivate ideas. 

1.     Read novels. 

2.     Fill your mind with good stuff—basically the stuff you want to write about. 

3.     Figure out what will build ideas in your mind and what will kill ideas in your mind.

4.     Study.

5.     Teach. 

6.     Make the catharsis. 

7.     Write.

The development of ideas is based on study and research, but it is also based on creativity.  Creativity is the extrapolation of older ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing.

If creativity, especially in writing, is caused by writing—then we better get writing.  Write-on.  Yes, so what does this writing for creativity look like? 

Developing creativity is all about writing.  Well, there are the other six actions you should accomplish.  Then write.  Many ask, what should I write about?  I understand this.  If you don’t know what to write about, then what do you write about?  Random stuff?  Nah.

Let’s write about stuff that will help us both write better and that will build up our writing portfolio. 

We started with descriptive paragraphs and then turned them into action scenes.  The next step is to take two of the characters you described and bring them together for a conversation.  This is called dialog. 

In the beginning, organizing was logical, singular, losable, and many times lost.  I know I have a notebook filled with a few chapters of my first novel attempt somewhere.  I really do.  I’m not certain where it is.

In the electronic era, organizing is logical, multi-location, requiring backups, and sometimes hard to find if you don’t already have a backup and organization.  I can say, I’ve never had my mother accidently throw out my computer files, but I have almost had my son delete a backup on my server.

Let’s start with organization.  First, you need a computer.  You can use the old typewriter, pen, and paper method, but I don’t recommend it.  That’s why I told you to get your portfolio into electronic format.  Buy a computer for goodness sakes.  You can get an inexpensive laptop.  Learn to use it.  You also need a word processor program.  I use Word, but there are freebees everywhere as well as internet based programs.  My only warning is save your files on your computer and somewhere else.  The somewhere else is a backup—we’ll get to that.

Save your files on your laptop.  I recommend a laptop and another computer, another laptop or a desktop at home.  Computers are so inexpensive and ubiquitous today, you might as well.  With a laptop, you can take it with you everywhere.  I am writing to you at this moment from the cockpit of a Beechcraft Baron.  That is a twin engine piston powered aircraft.  You can literally write almost anywhere with a good laptop. 

On your laptop, you need a folder to place your writing files.  If you don’t understand about folders and storage, you need to get a quick lesson.  I’m not certain I can express it to a neophyte without pictures plus if you own an Apple laptop, it will be different than a Windows laptop.  You might even write on a tablet, but I don’t recommend it.  In any case, on my Windows laptop, I place a folder named Writing under the Document folder in the Windows file structure.  In the Writing folder, I have a folder for each of my novels, my presentations, my classes, and a general folder for Essays, Papers, and Aircraft writing.  I label the folders so I can find my files easily, and I use this folder structure like you would use paper folders for writing on paper.  For example, all my aircraft stories are in my Aircraft folder.  I also keep all related material in the proper folder.  For example, submission letters and synopsizes for a novel are found in that novel’s folder.  This is one way to organize.  If you have a better or more reasonable method for your organization, use it.  You must have a means of organization.  Also, there are parts you need to write down.

I don’t have an organizational plan for my writing folders on my computer, but you could.  What I do have is a list of my novels and which folders they are in.  I also should have a list of all my writing (essays, papers, and such) and which folders they are in.  This is called a publications list for your publicized works and a works list for those that aren’t.  I tend to keep up my publications list but not my other works list except for novels.  In any case, you do need a means to keep your writing straight and organized.  Don’t think you can get away with just your memory.  It’s clear as a bell when you write it.  Five years later, you’ll be hard pressed to remember what you actually wrote. 

Once you are organized and putting your works on a computer, you must have some means for backup.  I’ll get to this next.      

The most important step in creativity may be to just write.  This begins another chapter in this discussion of creativity—notes, records, and documenting.

I need to get to the point of extrapolating creativity, and also finish the thought about event horizon and worldview.  

The beginning of creativity is study and effort.  We can use this to extrapolate to creativity.  In addition, we need to look at recording ideas and working with ideas.    

    

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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