Writing - part xx685 Writing a Novel, Plots and My Novels, Warrior of Darkness

 19 August 2021, Writing - part xx685 Writing a Novel, Plots and My Novels, Warrior 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 Warrior of Darkness, here is the proposed 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

 

Warrior of Darkness is the last in my Ancient Light series of novels.  This might be the last of that series, but it isn’t the last of the characters.  I wrote my Enchantment series to allow me to go off as I desired with my novels and my characters.  Let me recap a little.  Here is the historical times covered by the novels:

 

Aegypt – 1926 foreign legion and early archeological period following World War 1 - Tunisia

Sister of Light – 1926 to 1935 ascent of Hitler and Nazi Germany – North Africa and Germany

Sister of Darkness – 1935 to 1945 World War II – Vichy France and Germany

Shadow of Darkness – 1945 to 1953 end of World War II to the death of Stalin – USSR

Shadow of Light – 1953 to 1960 death of Stalin to end of Mao’s leadership of the CCP – China

Children of Light and Darkness – 1970 Cold War – Britain

Warrior of Light – 1974 to 1976 Cold War – China

Warrior of Darkness – 1980 to 1981 Northern Ireland

 

These novels cover an incredibly important period in history.  Much of the purpose, other than pure entertainment was to document and place in context much of the history.  I like to think that with my novels, readers can live in the time and minds of my characters.  Warrior of Darkness is one of these novels.  It covers the Northern Ireland problem and the world politics that drove it.     

 

Here is some of the information on the novel:

 

Klava Diakonov is the Agent Director for the British MI organization’s Division Stele in Belfast Northern Ireland. She is also the Goddess of Darkness. She can use her unique powers to absorb and redirect the force of terrorist bombs when they go off. The redirection of those bombs rightly kills those who made, set, and placed them. Unfortunately, it sometimes results in the death of innocents. When Klava uses her power, it devastates her body and spirit. When innocents die, it touches her soul and injures her. Afterward, she wanders the streets in a daze, sometimes for days, until she can recover.

 

This is a problem for “the organization” for whom Klava works and for herself. Luckily, Klava recruits a young woman, Scáth, to help her. Klava gives Scáth a place to stay, a purpose in life, and shares her dependence in the Catholic Church. Klava’s faith is the only thing that allows her to continue living, and Scáth is the one who picks Klava up, counts her chains for her, takes her to confession, and cares for her. The links in her chains are the proof of Klava’s success, those she saved, and her failures, those who died.

 

Klava has drawn the attention of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, PIRA, and they are determined to prevent her interference in future bombings. She was observed by Red Donald, a PIRA bombing cell leader and Niul. They have no idea she is a goddess, but Donald wants to kill her and Niul wants to meet her.

 

When Klava deflects the next two incendiary bombs, Scáth tags along. Scáth is assassinated, innocents are killed, and this drives Klava over the edge. She uses her power to bring back Scáth as an undead creature, and Klava is dazed much more than usual. Niul prevents Donald from killing Klava.  Niul takes her to his flat, and there, although he helps her, unable to control himself, he rapes her.

 

An unbound goddess becomes bound to her warrior through sex. Now for good or ill, Niul has become her warrior. Klava’s life spirals out of control. Scáth is now her undead servant and Klava is foresworn to allow her to exist, she is bound to a man who raped her, and she has been recalled to London for reassignment. Under the laws that bind her and the ancient Celtic courts of the land, Klava has broken three great commands. She has created Scáth. She has murdered mortals. She has had sex before marriage and bound herself to a man without the permission of the courts. If she tells the courts she was raped, Niul must die. If he dies, she will lose her warrior.

 

Klava’s only hope is to win Niul’s heart and mind so he can prove himself, prevent the courts from condemning her, and uphold her promise to Scáth.

 

Let’s evaluate the plots.

Overall (o)

1.     Redemption (o) – 17i, 7e, 23ei, 8 – 49%  Warrior of Darkness has multiple redemption plots.  The obvious one is can a rapist be redeemed?  In this way, the novel fits with my Enchantment novels.  We also must ask, can Klava be redeemed, and additionally, can Scath be redeemed.  This is a very dark novel, but still entertaining with worthy questions.              

2.     Revelation (o) –2e, 64, 1i – 60%  This novel is all about the revelation of secrets.  There are Klava’s secrets, Scaith’s secrets, Niul’s secrets, the PIRA’s secrets plus a whole lot more.     

3.     Achievement (o) – 16e, 19ei, 4i, 43 – 73%  The achievement in this novel isn’t as obvious as the rest.  The achievement is directly the saving of Niul, Klava’s warrior, but there is much going on around this very difficult achievement. 

Achievement (a)

1.     Detective or mystery (a) – 56, 1e – 51% The mystery is initially about Klava and her work.  This shifts to Niul and the PIRA.  There are other mysteries that must be delved in this novel.    

2.     Revenge or vengeance (a) –3ie, 3e, 45 – 46%  The revenge of Klava against Niul is the power of this novel.  She must change him and his heart to have her revenge.  For that reason, I think this is a very powerful novel.

3.     Zero to hero (a) – 29 – 26%  We expect to move Klava from zero to hero, but there are a lot of heroes in this novel from Niul to Scath.

4.     Romance (a) –1ie, 41 – 37%  Yes, this has a very odd romance plot in it.  How can there be romance with rape?  This is a difficult subject and notion.    

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 many discovery plots in this novel.  As I noted, the mysteries are all about discovery.

8.     Money (a) – 2e, 26 – 25%  Nope.   

9.     Spoiled child (a) – 7 – 6%  Not really, I give the impression that Klava is considered spoiled or at least the black sheep of the family, but this is true of any of the girls of darkness.

10.  Legal (a) – 5 – 4%  Yes, this is a strong theme in this novel.  It has more to do with the Courts than pure law. 

11.  Adultery (qa) – 18 – 16%  To a degree.

12.  Self-discovery (a) – 3i, 12 – 13%  Yes, self-discovery for Niul.

13.  Guilt or Crime (a) – 32 – 29%  Yes, this is a major driver in the novel.

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

15.  Reason (a) – 10, 1ie – 10%  Yes, the resolution all comes through reason.

16.  Escape (a)  – 1ie, 23 – 21%  Yes, Klava must escape the CIA and rescue Niul, who must escape.

17.  Knowledge or Skill (a) – 26 – 23%  Knowledge and skills are the tools that are used and that they are 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, to a degree.  Niul must accept Klava’s love.

4.     Miscommunication (q) – 8 – 7%  Nope.

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

6.     Betrayal (q) – 1i, 1ie, 46 – 43%  Yes, this is very strong in this novel.

7.     Blood will out or fate (q) –1i, 1e, 26 – 25%  Yes, I set up a blood will out plot with the need of the goddess for her bound warrior.

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

9.     Magic (q) – 8 – 7%  I don’t call it magic, but Klava has powers of a spiritual and supernatural variety.

10.  Mistaken identity (q) – 18 – 16%  Nope.

11.  Illness (q) – 1e, 19 – 18%  Yes, Klava is injured more than once, plus the pregnancy morning sickness with Klava’s soul problem is all about illness.

12.  Anti-hero (q) – 6 – 5%  Nope.

13.  Immorality (q) – 3i, 8 – 10%  Yes, this is a strong plot in the novel.

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

15.  Camaraderie (q) – 19 – 17%  Yes, there is a large degree of moving camaraderie based on associations and groups.

16.  Curse (q) – 4 – 4%  Kinda, the curse that Klava must gain the love and trust of the man who assaulted her is a type of curse.

17.  Insanity (q) – 8 – 7%  Nope.

18.  Mentor (q) – 12 – 11%  Yes, Niul is mentored by Klava.  Scaith mentors and is mentored by Klava.

Setting (s)

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

2.     War (s) – 20 – 18%  Nope.

3.     Anti-war (s) –2 – 2%  Nope.

4.     Travel (s) –1e, 62 – 56%  Yes, travel to America and back.

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

6.     Horror (s) – 15 – 13%  Yes, to a degree this is a strong suspense novel.

7.     Children (s) – 24 – 21%  Yes, Klava is pregnant with twins.

8.     Historical (s) – 19 – 17%  Yes, very strongly with historical events and people all around.

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, both Niul and Klava are imprisoned.

Item (i)

1.  Article (i) – 1e, 46 – 42%  Yes, the stele items are very important in this novel.

 

Next we’ll look in depth at Warrior 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