Writing - part xx670 Writing a Novel, Plots and My Novels, more on Sister of Light

 4 August 2021, Writing - part xx670 Writing a Novel, Plots and My Novels, more on Sister of Light

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

    Since I am writing about Sister of Light, here is the cover:

 

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. 

 

For Novel 32:  Shiggy Tash finds a lost girl in the isolated Scottish safe house her organization gives her for her latest assignment: Rose Craigie has nothing, is alone, and needs someone or something to rescue and acknowledge her as a human being.

 

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. 

 

I’ve worked through creativity and the protagonist.  The ultimate point is that if you properly develop your protagonist, you have created your novel.  This moves us on to plots and initial scenes.  As I noted, if you have a protagonist, you have a novel.  The reason is that a protagonist comes with a telic flaw, and a telic flaw provides a plot and theme.  If you have a protagonist, that gives you a telic flaw, a plot, and a theme.  I will also argue this gives you an initial scene as well. 

 

So, we worked extensively on the protagonist.  I gave you many examples great, bad, and average.  Most of these were from classics, but I also used my own novels and protagonists as examples.  Here’s my plan.

 

1.      The protagonist comes with a telic flaw – the telic flaw isn’t necessarily a flaw in the protagonist, but rather a flaw in the world of the protagonist that only the Romantic protagonist can resolve.

2.      The telic flaw determines the plot.

3.      The telic flaw determines the theme.

4.      The telic flaw and the protagonist determines the initial scene.

5.      The protagonist and the telic flaw determines the initial setting.

6.      Plot examples from great classic plots.

7.      Plot examples from mediocre classic plots.

8.      Plot examples from my novels.

9.      Creativity and the telic flaw and plots.

10.  Writer’s block as a problem of continuing the plot.

 

Every great or good protagonist comes with their own telic flaw.  I showed how this worked with my own writing and novels.  Let’s go over it in terms of the plot.

 

This is all about the telic flaw.  Every protagonist and every novel must come with a telic flaw.  They are the same telic flaw.  That telic flaw can be external, internal or both.

 

We found that a self-discovery telic flaw or a personal success telic flaw can potentially take a generic plot.  We should be able to get an idea for the plot purely from the protagonist, telic flaw and setting.  All of these are interlaced and bring us our plot.

 

For a great plot, the resolution of the telic flaw has to be a surprise to the protagonist and to the reader.  This is both the measure and the goal.  As I noted before, for a great plot, the author needs to make the telic flaw resolution appear to be impossible, but then it happens.  There is much more to this. 

 

I evaluated the plots from the list of 112 classics and categorized them according to the following scale:

 

Overall (o) – These are the three overall plots we defined above: redemption, achievement, and revelation.

 

Achievement (a) – There are plots that fall under the idea of the achievement plot. 

 

Quality (q) – These are plots based on a personal or character quality.

 

Setting (s) – These are plots based on a setting.

 

Item (i) – These are plots based on an item.

I looked at each novel and pulled out the plot types, the telic flaw, plotline, and the theme of the novel.  I didn’t make a list of the themes, but we identified the telic flaw as internal and external and by plot type.  This generally gives the plotline. 

 Overall (o)

1.     Redemption (o) – 17i, 7e, 23ei, 8 – 49%

2.     Revelation (o) –2e, 64, 1i – 60%

3.     Achievement (o) – 16e, 19ei, 4i, 43 – 73%

Achievement (a)

1.     Detective or mystery (a) – 56, 1e – 51%

2.     Revenge or vengeance (a) –3ie, 3e, 45 – 46%

3.     Zero to hero (a) – 29 – 26%

4.     Romance (a) –1ie, 41 – 37%

5.     Coming of age (a) –1ei, 25 – 23%

6.     Progress of technology (a) – 6 – 5%

7.     Discovery (a) – 3ie, 57 – 54%

8.     Money (a) – 2e, 26 – 25%

9.     Spoiled child (a) – 7 – 6%

10.  Legal (a) – 5 – 4%

11.  Adultery (qa) – 18 – 16%

12.  Self-discovery (a) – 3i, 12 – 13%

13.  Guilt or Crime (a) – 32 – 29%

14.  Proselytizing (a) – 4 – 4%

15.  Reason (a) – 10, 1ie – 10%

16.  Escape (a)  – 1ie, 23 – 21%

17.  Knowledge or Skill (a) – 26 – 23%

18.  Secrets (a) – 21 – 19%

Quality (q)

1.     Messiah (q) – 10 – 9%

2.     Adultery (qa) – 18 – 16%

3.     Rejected love (rejection) (q) – 1ei, 21 – 20%

4.     Miscommunication (q) – 8 – 7%

5.     Love triangle (q) – 14 – 12%

6.     Betrayal (q) – 1i, 1ie, 46 – 43%

7.     Blood will out or fate (q) –1i, 1e, 26 – 25%

8.     Psychological (q) –1i, 45 – 41%

9.     Magic (q) – 8 – 7%

10.  Mistaken identity (q) – 18 – 16%

11.  Illness (q) – 1e, 19 – 18%

12.  Anti-hero (q) – 6 – 5%

13.  Immorality (q) – 3i, 8 – 10%

14.  Satire (q) – 10 – 9%

15.  Camaraderie (q) – 19 – 17%

16.  Curse (q) – 4 – 4%

17.  Insanity (q) – 8 – 7%

18.  Mentor (q) – 12 – 11%

Setting (s)

1.     End of the World (s) – 3 – 3%

2.     War (s) – 20 – 18%

3.     Anti-war (s) –2 – 2%

4.     Travel (s) –1e, 62 – 56%

5.     Totalitarian (s) – 1e, 8 – 8%

6.     Horror (s) – 15 – 13%

7.     Children (s) – 24 – 21%

8.     Historical (s) – 19 – 17%

9.     School (s) – 11 – 10%

10.  Parallel (s) – 4 – 4%

11.  Allegory (s) – 10 – 9%

12.  Fantasy world (s) – 5 – 4%

13.  Prison (s) – 2 – 2%

Item (i)

1.     Article (i) – 1e, 46 – 42%

Here is a list of my novels:

 

1*	SF	A Season of Honor (Honor III)	1986	P 08
2	1		30-Oct	Nov
2*	SF	The Fox’s Honor (Honor II)	1989	P 08
3	2		2-May	Oct
3	SF	The End of Honor (Honor I)	1995	P 08
9	3		13-Jul	Jul
4	HF	Antebellum	1991	*
4	4		7-Feb
5*	F	Aegypt	1992	P 08
5	5		16-Jun	Jan
6*	HF	Centurion	1995	P 08
8	6		1-Feb	Jan
7a*	SF	Athelstan Cying	1992	A
6	7		26-Sep
8 15	SF	Twilight Lamb	2007	A
7b*	8		8-Aug
9 16	SF	Regia Anglorum	2007	A
7c	17		23-Nov
10*	SF	The Second Mission*	1996	P 03
10	9		13-Nov	Aug
11	Fan	Illidin	1977	I
1			Sep
12	F	Sister of Light	1997	C
11	10		16-Aug
13	F	House	1994	I
7			23-Dec
14	F	Hestia: Enchantment of the Hearth	2006	*
13	11		28-Dec
15	Fan	Aramis	2006	I
12			27-Apr
16	HF	Japan		I
14
17	F	Sister of Darkness	2008	C
17	12		3-Jun
18	F	Shadow of Darkness	2008	A
18	13		14-Sep
19	F	Shadow of Light	2008	A
tt5t	14		24-Oct
20	F	Children of Light and Darkness	2008	A
20	15		1-Dec
21	F	Warrior of Light	2009	A
21	16		1-Feb
22	HF	Praetorian
22
23 23	SF	Shadowed Vale	2009	A
	18		10-May
24 24	SF	Ddraig Goch	2009	W
			25-Aug
25	F	Warrior of Darkness	2009	*
25	19		29-Oct
26	F	Dana-ana: Enchantment and the Maiden	2010	*
26	20		10-Jun
27	F	Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon	2010	A
27	21		1-Nov
28	F	Khione: Enchantment and the Fox	2011	*
28	22		1-Mar
29	F	Valeska: Enchantment and the Vampire	2013	*
29	23		26-Nov
30	F	Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer	2014	*
30	24		1-May
31	SF	Escape from Freedom	2014	*
31	25		2-Oct
32	F	Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si	2015	*
32	26		1-May
33	F	Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse	2016	*
33	27		1-Mar
34	F	Red Sonja	2016	W
34	XX		1-Mar
35	F	Deirdre: Enchantment and the School	2016	*
35	28		1-Jul
36	F	Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective	2018	*
36	29		1-Jul
37	F	Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors	2018	*
37			1-Jul
38	F	Rose: Enchantment and the Flower	2021	*
38			1-Mar

 

Sister of Light is the second novel in the Ancient Light series.  The first novel is Aegypt.  It was on contract with Oaktara, but Oaktara went out of business and that’s that.  I’m looking for a new publisher. 

 

I’ll write more about Sister of Light and give you some details about the novel.  The most important point is that after Aegypt I had a wonderful protagonist, a great protagonist’s helper, and a perfect antagonist.  I wrote Sister of Light to explain what happened to the characters following Aegypt.  Remember, this novel came inches and seconds close to publication, you can still see information about it on line.

 

Here is some of the information on the novel:

 

Leora Bolang is a goddess. Not an imaginary being, but a real flesh and blood goddess awakened from  death out of a 4000 year old tomb. In ancient Egypt, Leora was known as the goddess of light. Unfortunately, Leora’s sister, Leila is the Egyptian goddess of darkness, and it was the goddess of darkness who forced Leora into the tomb and an early death. In 1926, Paul Bolang released Leora from her tomb, but Leila was also released. Leila is absolutely evil, and Paul Bolang with Leora fought her earthly being and defeated her. Leila’s spirit, her ka, was released into the world and now the goddess of darkness wants revenge, revenge and power over the lives of men.

 

 

Paul Bolang is an officer in the French Cavalry—a hero of the Great War and France’s colonial expeditions. For Leora’s sake, Paul accepts an exchange tour with the Americans—Leora, the goddess of light, requires the sun for her power and being. In America, they find purpose and bear children—four beautiful and precocious beings who absorb languages and learning like a sponge. But in 1933 Paul is recalled to Paris and to a special assignment. Leora saw a future much different than this, but for her family and her children, she returns with Paul to France. Leora always faced tension in European and American society because she is dark skinned and African. The cloud blanketed skies of Northern Europe entice her sister, Leila, but rob Leora of her full power. When Paul departs, Leora tries vainly to hold onto her strength, but without Paul she looses hope and vitality. Paul is captured during a military operation and Leora receives another blow. Before he vanished, Paul sent her a package--an antiquity the Germans and Leila desire. A blackmailer from Leila threatens Paul and Leora’s honor and Paul’s military commission.

 

 

The events of Leora and Leila’s release caused the destruction of Paul’s command and men. The official record marked Paul a hero—his blackmailer threatens to release information that will show Paul was a coward and traitor. He further threatens to reveal Leora as a primitive tribeswoman and whore. Leora rejects the threats and finds herself quickly at Paul’s court martial. The trial rules against Paul, and Leora’s name and picture are splashed across every paper in Europe.

 

 

Now Leora must discover the strength to fight her sister and find her husband. Beaten down at every turn, Leora’s family and friends come to her rescue—they support her and Paul. Leora has only one chance, she seeks out Paul’s British friend, Sir Barot Cheston. Only Sir Barot possesses the money, connections, and friendship that might give her a chance of finding Paul Bolang. With Sir Barot’s impetuous and overly refined graduate student, Tilly Hastings, they begin a breakneck mission to discover the origins of the antiquity Leila desires, the source of information that dishonored Paul and Leora, and ultimately, the rescue of Paul Bolang.

 

Let’s evaluate the plots.

Overall (o)

1.     Redemption (o) – 17i, 7e, 23ei, 8 – 49%  Sister of Light is about physical redemption of Paul Bolang and the spiritual redemption of Leroa.       

2.     Revelation (o) –2e, 64, 1i – 60%  The revelation is all about the Goddess of Darkness and her nefarious deeds.  We see the history from 1926 until late in the 1930s played out in the novel. 

3.     Achievement (o) – 16e, 19ei, 4i, 43 – 73%  Leora seeks to rescue Paul.

Achievement (a)

1.     Detective or mystery (a) – 56, 1e – 51% The mystery is what happened to Paul Bolang.  He disappears during British/French operations prior to World War II.  Leora must figure out what happened to him and how to rescue him.   

2.     Revenge or vengeance (a) –3ie, 3e, 45 – 46%  All the Ancient Light novels are about the revenge of the Goddess of Darkness against the world and the true God.

3.     Zero to hero (a) – 29 – 26%  Leora must become a hero to save Paul.

4.     Romance (a) –1ie, 41 – 37%  It isn’t so much romance as love that must be born out through action with Leora seeking Paul.    

5.     Coming of age (a) –1ei, 25 – 23%  Nope.

6.     Progress of technology (a) – 6 – 5%  Nope.

7.     Discovery (a) – 3ie, 57 – 54%  Yes, there are significant discoveries that must be made while accomplishing the goals of the novel.

8.     Money (a) – 2e, 26 – 25%  The possibility that the Bolang family might be bankrupt is a theme and plot in the novel.   

9.     Spoiled child (a) – 7 – 6%  Nope.

10.  Legal (a) – 5 – 4%  I like legal plots, and Sister of Light brings in a trial of Paul while he in in captivity with the Germans. 

11.  Adultery (qa) – 18 – 16%  Nope.

12.  Self-discovery (a) – 3i, 12 – 13%  Leora must discover about herself in order to handle the problems besetting her.

13.  Guilt or Crime (a) – 32 – 29%  The Goddess of Darkness is all about crimes and guilt.  Paul Bolang is put on trial because of a false report due to the Goddess of Darkness.   

14.  Proselytizing (a) – 4 – 4%  Nope.

15.  Reason (a) – 10, 1ie – 10%  Yes, Leora must use reason to figure out the mystery of Paul’s kidnapping and captivity.

16.  Escape (a)  – 1ie, 23 – 21%  Yes, Paul must escape from the Goddess of Darkness.

17.  Knowledge or Skill (a) – 26 – 23%  Knowledge and skills are things Leora must use to confound the Goddess of Darkness

18.  Secrets (a) – 21 – 19%  Everyone has secrets in this novel.  Much of the story is about the secret actions and activities of the Goddess of Darkness.

Quality (q)

1.     Messiah (q) – 10 – 9%  Nope.

2.     Adultery (qa) – 18 – 16%  Nope.

3.     Rejected love (rejection) (q) – 1ei, 21 – 20%  Nope.

4.     Miscommunication (q) – 8 – 7%  Not really.

5.     Love triangle (q) – 14 – 12%  Nope.

6.     Betrayal (q) – 1i, 1ie, 46 – 43%  Yes, the Goddess of Darkness is betraying everyone, while she makes it look like Paul betrayed his French nation.

7.     Blood will out or fate (q) –1i, 1e, 26 – 25%  Nope.

8.     Psychological (q) –1i, 45 – 41%  This is a psychological novel on many levels. 

9.     Magic (q) – 8 – 7%  Not really—there is a touch of magic in the actions and activities of the Goddess of Darkness, but it’s mostly used to set off the evil of the Goddess of Darkness.

10.  Mistaken identity (q) – 18 – 16%  Yes, just a small bit with Leora’s new friends.

11.  Illness (q) – 1e, 19 – 18%  Yes, Part of the story is about Leora’s problems with the European climate.

12.  Anti-hero (q) – 6 – 5%  Nope.

13.  Immorality (q) – 3i, 8 – 10%  Some with the Goddess of Darkness.

14.  Satire (q) – 10 – 9%  Not really.

15.  Camaraderie (q) – 19 – 17%  Yes, with Paul’s old comrades and Leora’s new friends.

16.  Curse (q) – 4 – 4%  Nope.

17.  Insanity (q) – 8 – 7%  Nope.

18.  Mentor (q) – 12 – 11%  Yes, Paul’s unmet mentor Sir Barot comes into play.

Setting (s)

1.     End of the World (s) – 3 – 3%  Nope.

2.     War (s) – 20 – 18%  That is coming.

3.     Anti-war (s) –2 – 2%  Nope.

4.     Travel (s) –1e, 62 – 56%  Yes, travel all over Europe in the search of clues and historical items..

5.     Totalitarian (s) – 1e, 8 – 8%  Nope.

6.     Horror (s) – 15 – 13%  Yes, there is a touch of horror in the novel it is a type of suspense novel.

7.     Children (s) – 24 – 21%  Yes, Paul and Leora’s children play an important role in the novel.

8.     Historical (s) – 19 – 17%  Yes, the novel is filled with historical information, events, and people.

9.     School (s) – 11 – 10%  Not really.

10.  Parallel (s) – 4 – 4%  Nope.

11.  Allegory (s) – 10 – 9%  Nope.

12.  Fantasy world (s) – 5 – 4%  Nope.

13.  Prison (s) – 2 – 2%  Paul is imprisoned by the Goddess of Darkness.

Item (i)

1.  Article (i) – 1e, 46 – 42%  Yes, the novel is a search for items all centering around Egyptian antiquities.

 

After writing Aegypt and its publication, I had a grand inspiration to continue the series.  It was a complete setup from the beginning.  At the end of Aegypt, the Goddess of Darkness was released as a spirit into the world of man.  She was malevolent, cruel, and seeking vengeance on the Jewish people who displaced her from godhood in Egypt.  This was in 1926, so you can see the direct connection, can’t you?

 

Like everyone during the Cold War, I was seeking the answer to what made the national socialists and the international socialists so evil and destructive.  My add in fiction is that it was the malevolent force of an ancient goddess manipulating the mind and heart of the leadership of Germany, Russia, and then China.  If you notice, these nations seem to have been taken over by the forces of evil during this time. 

 

At the end of Aegypt, Leila, the Goddess of Darkness escaped the tomb as a spirit and has headed into the world to wreak havoc.  Leora, the Goddess of Light and her warrior, Paul Bolang are also in the world and seeking to defeat Leila. 

 

Sister of Light starts out with the domestic actions of Paul and Leora.  They marry, are assigned to America, have children, and are reminded of their duty in the world—to defeat the evil of Leila.  I set them up as Romantic characters who are the only ones in the world who can face and defeat the power of Leila.  In Sister of Light, Leila takes the offense against them and almost destroys Paul.  I make the destruction subtle and beautiful.  Leila uses the press, the government, and the legal system to ruin Paul and his family.  This forces Leora to act for the family she has joined.  The rest of the story moves on from that. 

 

In the end of Sister of Light, Paul and Leora have won that round, but barely.  In the next, Sister of Darkness they are again forced to confront Leila, this time with more horrible consequences for their family and their lives.  I didn’t really plan for Aegypt to morph into multiple novels about the evil moving across the globe, but I did write eight novels about this family and their generational actions against evil.   

 

Next we’ll look at Hestia: Enchantment of the Hearth.

 

In the end, we can figure out what makes a work have a great plot and theme, and apply this to our writing.     

      

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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