22 December 2021, Writing - part xx811 Writing a Novel, Using Historical Setting Plots in Scenes, Example Two
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 29th 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 30th novel, working
title Red Sonja. I finished my 29th 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 becomes inevitable in the climax.
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%
So, what is it about writer’s block? Many if not most authors and writers will
complain about writer’s block. When I
was a younger author, I would get writer’s block very often, but I’ve
discovered something very important about writer’s block. Writer’s block is a function of the plot and
not the protagonist. The correction or
resolution of writer’s block comes from centering our writing on the
protagonist instead of the plot. This is
what I’d really like to get into as a topic.
Here is an outline of how we will approach this.
1.
Problems
with a plot focus
2. Correcting with a protagonist focus
3. How to figure out a plot with a protagonist focus
4. Writing development
5. Fixing or blowing through problems with writing
6. How to write to prevent writer’s block
7. The Scene Outline
8. Exercises
9. Examples
10.
Conclusions
The novel is the revelation of the protagonist and the scenes,
not the plots, are the process of that revelation. In fact, the plots are really part of the
scenes. Now, some plots interact beyond
and between one scene, but this is the real point we should address. What really is the plot and how is the plot
connected to the scene and the telic flaw.
I didn’t want to address the scenes yet, so let’s start with
the plot(s). In the first place, we have
a telic flaw. This is the problem the protagonist must resolve. In a comedy, the protagonist overcomes the
telic flaw, while in the tragedy, the telic flaw overcomes the protagonist. Where is the plot? That’s a great question.
Almost every novel is a revelation of the protagonist. The author uses various plots and nudges the
novel toward the telic flaw resolution. What
about these plots, and how can we create, invent, and/or use them?
Except for the protagonist, the telic flaw is the most
important point of any novel. It’s so
important that most people don’t even know what it is, yet it is the key point
of every novel, and as I’ve noted over and over, the telic flaw is a
characteristic of the protagonist. The
protagonist owns the telic flaw. Just
like Harry Potty and Voldermort. Voldermort happens to be the overall
antagonist as well as the telic flaw of all the Harry Potty novels. Then there are the plots.
Now, the plot or plots are the means of the telic flaw
resolution and they are the means of tension and release development in the
scenes. They are also the means of the
development of the rising action to the climax of the novel. They are parts, but look at the other parts.
Mainly, we have the scenes.
The scenes are cohesive parts of a novel. They are the building blocks of a novel. Yes, scenes are made of paragraphs,
sentences, and words, but you can’t have a novel without scenes. As I noted in the outline of writing 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
So, I have a telic flaw, and I know there are scenes. Each scene is filled with tension and
release. The tension and release are the
plot(s). In fact, the tension and
release are the plots. This is the
trick, and this is where we want to go.
We need to develop tension and release in the scenes and this happens to
be the plots.
In the development of a scene, we start with the output of
the previous scene. The author then
needs to design the output of that scene.
For example, in the Harry Potty travel scenes, the output of the
previous scene is that Harry Potty must go from London to Hogwarts. That becomes the input for the travel
scene. The output for the travel scene
is that Harry arrives at Hogwarts.
Anything else is purely for tension and release. The author then provides other plots in the
scene to create tension and release.
The focus of writing any novel is the scene. The scene is all about tension and
release. The tension and release comes
from the plots. This is how we bring the
plots into the scenes and into a novel. This
means that as an author, we have the scene input and output of the scene, we
need to choose plots to then write and install in the scene.
We have five types of plots: overall, achievement, setting,
quality, and item. From these plots, we
note that, in the scene, achievement, quality, and item can be set into many
scenes. Setting can be used as the
setting of the scene, however, there is generally less control over these
plots. In other words, when we move into
the scene, the setting is usually already set.
The other types of plots give us the opportunity to build
tension and release in a scene. In
general, it is difficult to demonstrate this without delving deeply into
examples. Instead, let’s review the
potential plots and see how we might use them.
We choose plots based on three things.
First, is the input and output of the scene. Second, is the telic flaw resolution. Third, is the tension and release of the
scene.
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%
Achievement plots are easy to apply
to scenes and to overall novels. Some
quality plots lend themselves very well to scenes and some do not. Still, just like the achievement plots, we
can pick and choose them based on our overall plot(s) to power the novel and
our scenes. Then, there are setting
plots.
As I mentioned before, we want to
pick our plots first based on the input and output of the scene, second, the
telic flaw resolution, and third, the tension and release of the scene.
Setting plots are based on the
setting of the novel or the scene. Now,
here we have a slight conundrum. There
are obviously some setting plots we might not be able to use in a scene. I will try to place each of them in a scene,
but I can’t guarantee we can be successful.
Let’s look at the historical
setting plot. The historical setting
plot may be the most important setting plot in all of literature. What is surprising is that only 17 percent of
all classics include it. To me this is
interesting, and you might say, how it that possible?
I’ll explain exactly how this is
possible. Most classics and many modern
novels are written in the current event horizon—that is, they are written in
the “now.” In fact, many Victorian
writers as well as writers up into the Twentieth Century carefully hide their
places and times. You should know exactly
what I mean—they had dates like 21 September 18XX and such, and places like
somewhere in London. This is the
opposite of the historical setting. This
is an ahistorical setting.
I do completely otherwise in my
writing. As a matter of fact, in one of
my first published novels, my publisher recommended putting in dates and places
at the beginnings of the chapters. I
thought that was a great idea, so I continued it with every novel. At the top of every chapter, the first
paragraph, I identify the time of the year and the year like October 1993 and
the place, Saint Malo, France. In this
way, I set every chapter, scene, and point in my novels in history. Even if they are novels written in the “now,”
they are historically placed. In fact,
with the way technology and time is changing in the modern world, the reader
really needs a historical setting for the novel.
Now about scenes. Let’s start with the scene outine.
Here is the scene 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
Generally, we’d just say the scene
is part of the overall novel. With a
novel historical setting, aren’t the scenes in a historical setting too—yes, but
there is more to this problem and this question.
I want to set my novels in history
and in time. That means I use real time,
history, and places for my scenes and settings.
What I do is I use real places set in real time. You might ask how do you accomplish
this? I’ll show you an example tomorrow,
but the answer is easy.
Let’s say I need a restaurant for
my characters to dine. I find a real
restaurant in the real place I have put them.
Thus, if they are in Saint Malo, France, I find them a restaurant in
Saint Malo, France that existed at the time and in the place my characters
happen to be visiting. Then I use that
restaurant, its menu, its specialties, its description, its people, its
uniforms, its everything to the utmost of my ability. If possible, I’d like my readers to be able
to go to that place and have the same or a similar experience in dining that my
characters did. Obviously, we aren’t
writing a travel log. The point of the
characters dining isn’t just for the sake of the restaurant. The purpose for the meal is to get the
characters together for conversation about the resolution of the telic flaw of
the novel. The point is to make it a
historical setting by using a real dining facility in time and place.
By doing this, we are immediately
casting our novel into a real historical space.
You can do this with less mundane circumstances as well. I’ll also show you an example of this. What if your characters and their adventures
happen to overlap with actual historical peoples and events—that is the use of a
historical setting in a scene. In the
case of many of my novels, the characters happen to meet with leaders, both famous
and infamous. This is, again, the use of
the historical plot setting. Even if the
overall novel isn’t necessarily an historical novel, the scenes can be
enveloped in history. I’ll give you an
example of this.
This is an example of a historical
setting scene from my novel, Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse. In this scene the protagonist, who is a spy
in training, is going out with her mentor/trainer and their muscle. You might ask why is this a historical
setting? Read it, and I’ll explain at
the end.
When they finally walked out of Rosewood
House, Shiggy sported a fairy clinging to her hair. She felt completely frazzled. The black Bentley waited for them. Captain Cross opened the door for Sorcha then
Shiggy. Shiggy hoped he didn’t see
Angel. Apparently he didn’t, and neither
did anyone else. They drove back to
London City Airport and boarded the Hawker 200.
Major Easom took off, and they landed back at Retford Airport. They followed the same protocol as before at
the airport, and they all four stopped at The Co-Operative Food for
groceries. That felt especially
comfortable and friendly to Shiggy.
Afterward, instead of heading directly back to Sherwood House, Sorcha tapped
Major Easom on the shoulder, “Major, let’s share dinner at Launay’s.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Covert, please.”
“Yes, Sorcha,” the Major responded with
much greater exuberance than Shiggy thought necessary.
Shiggy noticed Captain Cross’ cheek twitch
a little.
The Major turned into the parking for a
large white twin peaked house. The sign
at the street read, Launay’s Restaurant and Bar. The Major went to Sorcha’s door and opened
it. She jumped out and took the Major’s
arm. Captain Cross came to Shiggy’s side
and opened her door. She stepped out and
lightly took the Captain’s arm.
The Major led them to the front, and they
entered a very modern looking restaurant.
The overall colors were white and pink.
Shiggy liked that very much.
Sorcha and the Major went directly to the Maitre d’. Major Easom spoke, “We’d like a table for
four.”
Sorcha added, “The heart table if
possible.”
The woman nodded and led them to the back
and a semi-private room. They entered a
room that contained no other patrons.
The floor was flagstone and the walls light fieldstone. Two tables backed to a huge ancient and now
unused fireplace—it held antique decorations inside. A mirror-heart decorated the wall behind the
corner table. The Maitre d’ directed
them to the table. Sorcha sat in the
corner across from Major Easom. Captain
Cross sat Shiggy next to Major Easom and sat across from her. Major Easom passed a large pound note to the
Maitre d’, “As usual, ma’am—if you could endeavor to not sit anyone else in
this room tonight.”
“I will plan on it, Mr. Easom.” She spoke as though she knew them well. She handed the ladies menus, then the
gentlemen, “Your server, as usual, is Emma.”
After a few moments, a young woman came
by, “Good evening. What can I get you to
drink tonight?”
Sorcha ordered a martini, Chopin very dry
shaken with blue cheese olives. The
Major and Captain Cross ordered martinis, but Shiggy noticed, they never took a
sip. Shiggy ordered a martini too,
Chopin very dry shaken with blue cheese olives.
She’d never dared drink something like that.
Shiggy studied the menu. When Emma brought their drinks, Sorcha
ordered from the Table d’Hote £38.
Shiggy ordered from the Table d’Hote £28—she wanted the lamb rump and
duck. Their gentlemen ordered from the Table
d’Hote menu as they desired. Sorcha also
ordered a bottle of wine.
Shiggy sipped her martini. She’d never tasted anything as strong as
that. Sorcha drank hers with gusto. Shiggy really didn’t like the taste. She just took a sip every now and then and
tried to look sophisticated. When the
wine came around, Shiggy found that much more to her taste, but she hadn’t
drunk much wine before.
At first, Shiggy just listened to the
conversation and didn’t add anything to it.
After the entrée came, Sorcha and Major Easom began a stirring
conversation about current politics.
Captain Cross smiled at Shiggy, “Ms. Shig…”
The wine and martini had loosened her
tongue a bit, “I’m to be called Ms. Tash now.”
“Ms. Tash…”
“But you may call me Shiggy.”
“Yes, Shiggy. That’s such a pleasant and fun name.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I do.
I see you like to read.”
Shiggy took a bite, “I do like to read,
very much.”
“What do you read?”
Shiggy smiled shyly, “I like to read
science fiction.”
Captain Cross leaned forward, “I like to
read science fiction too. That’s almost
all I read.”
“Me too.
You weren’t reading during our trip.”
“Never, ma’am. That’s during work.”
“Is that why you aren’t drinking now?”
“Yes.
Not a drop while we’re on duty.”
“Are you always on duty?”
The Captain smiled, “Nearly always while
I’m with you.”
Shiggy took another sip of wine then of
her martini. She made a face, “I haven’t
been entertained by many young men before.”
The Captain cocked his head, “I find that
surprising.”
“Why…why would you say that?”
“You are wondrously beautiful. I’d think many men would want to entertain
you.”
Shiggy blushed, “I’ve been very busy
without much opportunity for entertainment.”
Sorcha leaned toward them, “William, don’t
flatter her too much. She really is
inexperienced about such things.”
Captain Cross didn’t stop looking at
Shiggy, “I wasn’t flattering her. She is
beautiful and very well spoken.”
Sorcha replied, “Continue your
conversation…I won’t say anything negative at all. Not now.”
Sorcha returned to her conversation with the Major.
The Captain and Shiggy discussed their
favorite science fiction authors. They
shared titles and decided to read a new book and converse about it next time.
By the end of dessert, Shiggy felt a
little wobbly.
Sorcha gained the attention of the table,
“Dustin,” she looked at the Major, “We need escorts for a Christmas party in
two weeks.”
The Major nodded, “That’s Mrs. Long’s
party.”
“Exactly.
Mrs. Calloway will be attending.
You may escort me, and William can escort Shiggy.”
Captain Cross smiled, “It would be my
pleasure, Sorcha.”
Sorcha finished her wine, “That’s right,
covert during the party too.”
Dustin and William finished their coffee.
When Sorcha stood, Shiggy struggled to her
feet. Sorcha didn’t glance back,
“William, you might as well give Shiggy your arm. I’m not sure she can walk out on her own.”
Shiggy clasped William and held on. He felt very strong and lean. She smiled in spite of herself.
Sorcha didn’t turn around, “Don’t get too
comfortable, Shiggy.”
Shiggy surprised herself by responding,
“But he’s very strong, and he smells nice.”
Sorcha sighed, “I’m certain you will
regret every word of that when I remind you of it in the morning.”
Shiggy staggered. William held her tightly. When they arrived at the automobile, Shiggy
asked, “Can William sit with me?”
Sorcha stood still for a moment, “I don’t
see why not.”
Captain Cross opened the passenger door
for Sorcha. Captain Cross and Shiggy sat
in the back. Shiggy leaned on the Captain, and fell asleep.
They
arrived back at Sherwood House late.
Captain Cross helped Shiggy out of the back and Sorcha led them to the
house. Shiggy was not mobile by that
time. Sorcha opened the door and
motioned with her thumb, “Take her to her room.
You know where it is. If you want
to undress her, I don’t mind, but nothing else.”
Captain
Cross blushed, “I’ll not.”
“Didn’t
stop you before.”
“She was in need of it, and you directed
me.”
Sorcha shrugged.
Captain Cross laid Shiggy on her bed, took
off her heels, and pulled the covers up to her neck. He came back down Shiggy’s stairs.
Sorcha closed the front door behind the Major and
the Captain. She went to bed.
This is an historical setting
because all these places and the people in them exist. Not the spy types but the people who they
meet in the restaurant, Launay’s. This is a real restaurant. The airport is a real airport. The aircraft is an actual aircraft from the
time (modern). Everything in this scene
is real including the food and beverages.
This is applying a historical setting to a scene even if the novel isn’t
necessarily an historical novel—a modern novel in this case.
We’ll look at the next setting plot
tomorrow.
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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