Writing - part xx248 Writing a Novel, Protagonists Plots and Theme Devon Rathenberg

7 June 2020, Writing - part xx248 Writing a Novel, Protagonists Plots and Theme Devon Rathenberg

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 21^st 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 we have filled our mind with all kinds of information and ideas, we are ready to become creative.  Creativity means the extrapolation of older ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form.  Literally, we are seeing the world in a new way, or actually, we are seeing some part of the world in a new way. 

So, modern characters must look like the reader’s impression of the protagonist.  This is an interesting problem as culture and society change as does the impression of the readers.         

Here is the list of characteristics for great protagonists (this is based on the concept of a Romantic protagonist):

1.     Hero, independent, and individualistic – characters who truly risk their lives for others.

2.     From the common ilk – as opposed to the nobility and wealth.

3.     Educated – both seeking education and study and loving to read and learn.

4.     Focus on the inner world of the protagonist – the mind and motivation of the protagonist.

5.     Celebration of nature, beauty, and imagination – the expression of the mind of the protagonist.

6.     Rejection of industrialization and social convention – from urban to rural.

7.     Idealization of woman, children, and rural life.

8.     Inclusion of supernatural or mythological elements.

9.     Inclusion of historical elements.

10.  Frequent use of personification.

11.  Emphasis on individual experience of the sublime.

12.  Discovery and skills—the protagonist finds his or her special skills and abilities and uses them to resolve the telic flaw.

13.  The readers agree with the mind (thoughts and decisions) of the protagonist

I added the last statement, but really this last statement is a direct reflection of 4, 11, and 12. 

My ultimate point is that first I develop a great protagonist and the plot and theme of the novel I want to write comes directly out of that protagonist.  Every great protagonist comes with his or her own telic flaw.

Yesterday, I gave you an example of Azure Rose from my novel, Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective.  I showed how she was a Romantic protagonist and how she herself resulted in a plot and theme for the novel.  In other words, I didn’t develop a plot or a theme first, I developed a great protagonist and found the telic flaw, plot, and theme from her revelation.  Azure Rose came with a plot and a theme.  I’ve done this before and at the risk of repeating myself, I’ll do this a couple of more times or more.  Here is a list of my completed novels and protagonists:

A Season of Honor (Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox III), published, Shawn du Locke

The Fox’s Honor (Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox II), published, Devon Rathenberg

The End of Honor (Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox I), published, John-Mark

Antebellum, not published, Heather Sybil Roberts

Aegypt, published, Paul Bolang

Centurion, published, Centurion Abenadar

Athelstan Cying, not published, Den Protania

Twilight Lamb, not published, Den Protania

Regia Anglorum, not published, Nikita Protania

The Second Mission, published, Alan Fisher

Sister of Light, not published, Leora Bolang

Hestia: Enchantment of the Hearth, not published, Angela Matheson

Sister of Darkness, not published, Leora Bolang

Shadow of Darkness, not published, Lumière Bolang

Shadow of Light, not published, Lumière Bolang

Children of Light and Darkness, not published, Kathrin McClellan

Warrior of Light, not published, Daniel Long

Shadowed Vale, not published, Nikita Protania

Warrior of Darkness, not published, Klava Calloway

Dana-ana: Enchantment and the Maiden, not published, Byron Macintyre

Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon, not published, Aksinya

Khione: Enchantment and the Fox, not published, Khione

Valeska: Enchantment and the Vampire, not published, George Mardling

Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer, not published, Lilly

Escape from Freedom, not published, Scott Phillips

Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si, not published, Essie

Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse, not published, Shiggy

Deirdre: Enchantment and the School, not published, Deirdre Calloway

Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective, not published, Azure Rose

The Fox’s Honor is currently published, but my regular publisher went out of business.  The Fox’s Honor is the second novel in the Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox novels.  This is what my publisher called them.  The Dragon and the Fox are tactical nicknames of the protagonists.  The protagonist of The Fox’s Honor is Devon Rathenberg.  Let’s see how good an example Devon Rathenberg is of how a protagonist defines the telic flaw, plot, and theme.  Devon Rathenberg is one of my early protagonists, and he was crafted with the novel. 

Devon Rathenberg is a prince who has found his princess, but he is about to lose his life.  Devon Rathenberg has determined that the best way to discover and stop the internal insurrection in the Human Galactic Empire is to lose his life in a duel against one of the chief insurrectionists.  The problem is that the head insurrectionist is the Prince Perod-Mark.  Devon Rathenberg’s plan will work and has great merit, but he is the head of the Empire’s Intelligence forces and the Empire and the court need him.  In addition, Devon Rathenberg is the third in line for the throne.  Due to the treason of Prince Perod-Mark, the problems with Prince John-Mark, then Devon Rathenberg is likely to become the face of the banned Houses and those opposing Perod-Mark.

There is a further problem for Devon Rathenberg.  He fell in love with Tamar Falkeep, a woman whom he will not be able to love or marry due to her lack of rank and stature in the Human Galactic Empire.  In the beginning, Devon Rathenberg plans to declare his illicit love, lose his life in a duel, and cause an early insurrection that will reveal the Empire’s internal enemies.  The problem is that Tamar Falkeep isn’t about to let him lose his life, and she is much more astute than he gives her credit for.  Let’s look at Devon Rathenberg as a Romantic protagonist.

Devon Rathenberg is a hero’s hero.  He is very independent and individualistic.  He is the head of the Empire’s intelligence services and an expert in hiding.  Few know who he is, and what he is about.  Devon Rathenberg is definitely not from the common, but he isn’t pictured as a man of privilege as a man of action and hard work.  Devon Rathenberg and Tamar Falkeep are both well educated in the Imperial system.  This is a major point of the novel. 

The inner world of the mind and motivation of the protagonist is the novel.  The entire reasons Devon Rathenberg would give his life and betray his love are wrapped up in his mind and conception of honor.  Devon Rathenberg is indeed an honorable man, but a man driven by reason and effectivity. 

The novel is oddly about a very individualistic and independent person in leadership—a person who is not seeking any attention or celebrity but who is propelled into both.  This makes it a rejection of social convention for the Human Galactic Empire, but like most science fiction, there isn’t much rejection of industrialization or the movement from urban to rural.

With Tamar Falkeep, there is some idealization of woman, but not of children or rural life.  This is hard science fiction, so no inclusion of supernatural or mythological elements, or historical elements.

The emphasis on individual experience of the sublime comes, like most science fiction with the physical.  Devon Rathenberg must resolve the problems he caused intentionally and those he caused unintentionally.  Here is a point of importance in the novel: the readers agree with the mind (thoughts and decisions) of the protagonist.  This is an important point of the novel.  The decisions and actions of Devon Rathenberg must be made palatable to the reader.  You’d have to read the novel to figure out whether I achieve this well or not.  Here’s the way I present it.  At the beginning, the reader gets Devon Rathenberg’s point of view.  He gets to present his reasons for his actions.  I think the reader is nodding their heads along with him, but then we get Tamar Falkeep’s point of view.  She is unwilling to give up Devon Rathenberg for principle or for honor.  He has dishonored her, and she will force him to make good on his declarations.  Since she brought him back to life, she has every right to that life.  Thus we have a beautiful dichotomy: the view of the man of action and the view of the woman of power.  What about the telic flaw, plot, and theme?   

The telic flaw of the novel is to resolve the problems Devon Rathenberg caused in the first chapters of the novel.  He caused an early insurrection and all the players are revealed, but the leader is the first in line to the Empire, Prince Perod-Mark.  In addition, Devon Rathenberg has caused problems for Tamar Falkeep.  He has to resolve those issues.  They are more personal.  The plot becomes a traveling and intelligence plot or vengeance and personal action against the leadership of the Empire that turns into a pilgrimage to affirm love and regain honor.  The theme is one of love compared to honor. 

I hope you can see that the entire plot, telic flaw, and theme came out of the development of this character.  This is exactly what I mean when I write that the plot, theme, and telic flaw comes directly out of the protagonist.

Ultimately, the point is that we need to keep our readers content and pleased with our characters while presenting the revelation of the protagonist and the plot.    

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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