Writing - part xx673 Writing a Novel, Plots and My Novels, Sister of Darkness

 7 August 2021, Writing - part xx673 Writing a Novel, Plots and My Novels, Sister of Darkness

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'm writing about Sister of Darkness 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 Darkness might be the first novel I wrote based entirely on a protagonist instead of a plot.  In any case, it was a transition novel for me.  I finished Sister of Light and Hestia and my publisher was looking for more in the Ancient Light (Aegypt) series.  Sister of Darkness just completes, in a large measure what Sister of Light begins.  It also brings up a host of other problems that need solving.  In fact, I wrote eight total novels in the series and of that one was published, two were on contract, and the other five haven’t seen the light of day—yet.  I’m still hoping.  These are awesome entertaining novels about history and the supernatural in the world. 

 

Here is some of the information on the novel:

 

A pall spreads over the world with the beginning of World War II. The darkness is both a physical and spiritual miasma. Colonel Paul Bolang, a special officer in the French Alpine Corps, is assigned, with his men, to support the Allied operations against the Germans in Norway. He leaves his wife, Leora Bolang and their children Lumiére, Robert, Jacques, and Marie in sunny Hyères, France.

 

 

Paul and Leora share a secret they have never divulged to their children or to their closest friends. Leora is the incarnation of the Goddess of Light, herself reintroduced into the world from a 4000 year old tomb. Paul, her warrior, has a power beyond that of normal humans. Unfortunately, when Paul released Leora, Leora’s sister, the Goddess of Darkness, Leila was also released into the world. Leila delights in darkness and the deaths of men. 4000 years ago, Leora and Leila were displaced with the entire pantheon of the Egyptian gods when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. Now Leila wants revenge—revenge against the people who displaced her and revenge against the world—“that is her purpose.”

 

 

Paul is still on assignment when Germany invades France. Leora and her children barely escape the clutches of German troops through the help of Major Lyons leading a British Special Forces Team. They are shipped to Britain with only the clothes on their back. In Britain, Matilda Hastings, Tilly, rescues them, and Leora discovers she was, weeks before, invited to a royal function. How did Lyons know the Germans were coming for them? How did Tilly know to help them? Why the predestined invitation? Who knows about Leora and Paul’s secrets, and who is helping them?

 

 

Worse, the Osiris Offering Formula, a small black tablet Leila desires, lay protected and safe at the house in Hyères—now it is missing. If Leila gets her hands on the offering formula, she will be able to influence the world a hundred fold greater with her evil. Leila controls men through their own dark desires. With the offering formula, her power will increase.

 

 

As war spreads, Leora must deal with Paul’s loss, her sister’s interference in the world, the violent world around her, and finally, her daughter, Lumiére’s strange dreams and desires. The novel, Sister of Darkness leads through the dark days of World War II from its beginning to a spiritual confrontation at its conclusion. Leora and Paul face enemies and threats throughout, yet they persevere to the bitter end—an end where they must directly confront Leila and their own daughter.

 

This novel brings in Paul and Leora’s daughter, Lumiére.  In the end, Lumiére is not saved from Berlin.  She was being groomed by Leila to become a Goddess of Darkness.  We see the continuation of her story in the next novel in the series.

 

Let’s evaluate the plots.

Overall (o)

1.     Redemption (o) – 17i, 7e, 23ei, 8 – 49%  Sister of Darkness is ultimately about the redemption of the world during World War Two.  That’s part of the overall theme.  Specifically, it is about the physical redemption of Lumie’re as well as her spiritual and moral redemption.  Paul and Leora with the help of the British Special Air Services work to fight Hitler and to save Lumie’re.         

2.     Revelation (o) –2e, 64, 1i – 60%  Because my background is in Special Missions and Special Operations, I love to interject an intelligence plot into my novels.  In this case, the intelligence plot (operations) is against the Third Reich, but Paul and Leora have a second reason for their actions, saving their daughter.  The great revelation has to do with British intelligence operations during the war.   

3.     Achievement (o) – 16e, 19ei, 4i, 43 – 73%  The main achievement is to stop the Goddess of Darkness and the war.  There are many other achievements that overlap in the novel.  Saving Lumie’re and escaping back to safety for example.

Achievement (a)

1.     Detective or mystery (a) – 56, 1e – 51% Paul and Leora’s daughter Lumie’re is kidnapped by Leila, the Goddess of Darkness.  The overall plot is to rescue Lumie’re.   

2.     Revenge or vengeance (a) –3ie, 3e, 45 – 46%  Leila has her revenge on Paul and Leora and Paul and Leora try to take it back with the rescue of Lumie’re and their opposition in the World War.  

3.     Zero to hero (a) – 29 – 26%  Lumie’re becomes a hero in this novel.

4.     Romance (a) –1ie, 41 – 37%  This novel continues my own plot that I call romance in marriage.  Although Paul and Leora are married, they show how a couple can still be in love.    

5.     Coming of age (a) –1ei, 25 – 23%  Yes, this has a very strong coming of age plot with Lumie’re.  Lumie’re has a terrible situation of captivity and abuse.

6.     Progress of technology (a) – 6 – 5%  Not really.

7.     Discovery (a) – 3ie, 57 – 54%  The discovery plots revolve around the intelligence operations.  Paul and Bruce Lyons as well as Leora work to uncover the German plans while Paul and Leora seek Lumie’re.

8.     Money (a) – 2e, 26 – 25%  Not really.   

9.     Spoiled child (a) – 7 – 6%  Not really, but some.  Lumie’re is by no means a spoiled child, but she is confronted with horror and difficulty that some might not be able to bear.  She does have a child’s problems that cause her to discover maturity.

10.  Legal (a) – 5 – 4%  Nope. 

11.  Adultery (qa) – 18 – 16%  Nope.

12.  Self-discovery (a) – 3i, 12 – 13%  More of coming of age, but yes, self-discovery.

13.  Guilt or Crime (a) – 32 – 29%  Yes, this becomes a huge problem for Lumie’re.  She is constantly told by Leila and in her own thoughts that her use of the dark tablet and of the powers of a Goddess of Darkness will defile her.  Lumie’re believes this and that causes deep seated guilt and fear.   

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

15.  Reason (a) – 10, 1ie – 10%  Yes, the resolution as well as Lumie’re’s opposition all come through reason.

16.  Escape (a)  – 1ie, 23 – 21%  Yes, Lumie’re fights for escape and her parents are seeking to rescue her.

17.  Knowledge or Skill (a) – 26 – 23%  Knowledge and skills are the tools that are used and that Lumie’re is unconsciously learning.

18.  Secrets (a) – 21 – 19%  This novel is filled with secrets and revealed secrets.

Quality (q)

1.     Messiah (q) – 10 – 9%  Nope.

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

3.     Rejected love (rejection) (q) – 1ei, 21 – 20%  Yes, rejected familial love is a strong concern in the novel.

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

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

6.     Betrayal (q) – 1i, 1ie, 46 – 43%  Yes, there are multiple levels of betrayal in the plots.  Leila betrays Paul and Leora.  Lumie’re tries to protect others from Leila and that is a betrayal.  Paul, Bruce, and Leora are all spies in Germany, a type of betrayal.

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—Leila, Leora, and Lumie’re all have spiritual powers but it isn’t magic in the normal sense.

10.  Mistaken identity (q) – 18 – 16%  Yes, Paul, Bruce, and Leora are playing parts are spies.

11.  Illness (q) – 1e, 19 – 18%  Yes, a small part of the plot.

12.  Anti-hero (q) – 6 – 5%  Nope.

13.  Immorality (q) – 3i, 8 – 10%  Yes, the Goddess of Darkness is trying to force Lumie’re to commit immoral actions and crimes.

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

15.  Camaraderie (q) – 19 – 17%  Yes, Paul, Bruce, and Leora work as a team against the Germans.

16.  Curse (q) – 4 – 4%  Yes, there is the idea of a curse against Lumie’re as a potential Goddess of Darkness that drives much of the plots.

17.  Insanity (q) – 8 – 7%  Nope.

18.  Mentor (q) – 12 – 11%  Yes, in a negative sense, Leila becomes the mentor for Lumie’re.

Setting (s)

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

2.     War (s) – 20 – 18%  Yes, World War Two.

3.     Anti-war (s) –2 – 2%  Nope.

4.     Travel (s) –1e, 62 – 56%  Yes, travel all over Germany, Vichy France, and England.

5.     Totalitarian (s) – 1e, 8 – 8%  Yes, with Hitler’s Germany.

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, with Paul and Leora’s children and Lumie’re’s lost childhood.

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

9.     School (s) – 11 – 10%  Nope.

10.  Parallel (s) – 4 – 4%  Nope.

11.  Allegory (s) – 10 – 9%  Nope.

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

13.  Prison (s) – 2 – 2%  Yes, Lumie’re is imprisoned in the same place as her father in Sister of Light.

Item (i)

1.  Article (i) – 1e, 46 – 42%  Yes, the black table (Osiris Offering Formula) is a key item in the plot of the novel.

 

Next we’ll look more in depth at Sister of Darkness.

 

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  

fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic