09 January 2022, Writing - part xx829 Writing a Novel, Using Item 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.
We looked at all the setting types
of plots we identified from the classics, and low and behold, we found that
them can in most instances be used in a scene.
I think this, in itself is very interesting.
Now, about the most versatile of
all the plots, the item plot. Item plots
are all Chekov’s Guns. In fact any item
you bring up directly in a scene is a Chekov’s Gun. What does that mean? As Chekov pronounced: if you introduce a gun
in the first act, you must use it in the second. His point is one of the most important
dictums of modern writing—nothing is extraneous in a play, and by extension
nothing should be extraneous in a novel.
Everything the author brings into the setting, scene, and storyline
should have some purpose in the resolution of the telic flaw. Items are special in this way.
For the author both caution and yet
generous use are in order. Just look at
Harry Potty. Rowling is throwing in all
kinds of item plots. A magic item here,
a magic item there, and magic item on the stair. This use of items is a great means of
entertainment. Generally, she weaves
these items into the telic flaw resolution.
Sometimes we are left hanging and most of the times, she can’t or won’t
explain enough about them, but that’s her style and the writing usually can’t
handle the rigors of a close look, especially where magic is concerned.
I use item plots all the time. They are an excellent means of entertainment,
and they can spice up or just entertain like few other plots. Although we don’t need to for this type of
plot, take a look at that scene development outline again.
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
Again, notice in step two, items
(stuff) is part of the scene setting.
Perhaps this is the best time to talk about scene setting. Scene setting doesn’t mean the author barfs
all the stuff, people, and descriptions on the stage all at once. Just as the author shouldn’t tell us anything
or everything about our protagonist or any other character all at once. We need to see what is on the stage of the
novel in the scene setting. Show the
readers what the protagonist cam see (or the characters). Definitely don’t tell us about anything on the
stage of the novel. Show us what we can
see.
An old pistol weathered beyond
apparent use sat on the table.
A 9mm parabellum Baretta pistol
with a slight sheen of gun old lay on the sideboard.
A large sharp edged Buck knife
lay on the kitchen table.
For the magical crowd:
A long ebony wand lay on the
counter.
Notice none of this tells you anything about the items. These are descriptions. They show you the items, but nothing
more. If we want anything more about
them, we need to use dialog or narrative to show more about them. Then we use them in the second act.
Okay, novels don’t have acts. The
point is that then once we introduce them we use them. Chekov was making a point. That’s why he used the example a a gun and
shooting. This is the obvious
expectation to your viewers for introducing a gun—you shoot it. What Chekov meant to express is that you use
it.
That’s the point. If the gun can’t
fire or appears to not be able to fire, perhaps you do shoot it, but a gun that
can’t fire can’t be shot. Perhaps that’s
the point of the use of the gun. The
classic comedy skit is that the gun is used as a hammer and goes off. The classical modern silliness is the
character can’t fire the gun, so he or she throws it.
Perhaps a better and less obvious use would be to build showing like this:
Fred sat as far away from the
pistol as physically possible. Shiggy
sat directly in front of it and lifted her eyes, an obvious gesture asking
permission. She punctuated her look
with, “May I examine it?”
Grant nodded.
Shiggy picked up the pistol as
though it was the most normal thing for her in the world. She carefully kept her finger away from the
trigger, checked the safety, ejected the clip, then pulled back the slide to
ensure it was unloaded. When she was
certain of the safety of the weapon, she lifted it up in a professional firing
stance and aimed down the sights at the side wall, “Very nice. The sights are those modern iridium
ones. How accurate is it?”
Okay, that’s enough, but do you get the picture that Shiggy is very
proficient with pistols? On the other
hand Fred has no desire to get near a pistol.
The purpose of the pistol may be just to show this little truth about
Fred and Shiggy. Notice also, I didn’t
tell you anything about the pistol or the people. Their actions and worlds told you all kinds
of information.
I guess I should close out this section with some examples of the item
plot. I’ll see what I can do.
This example comes from my novel, Sister of Light. This was one of two novels in my Ancinet
Light series that were on contract when my publisher went out of
business. The characters are searching
for Paul Bolang. They are also looking
for items of power from ancient Egypt.
The setting is in Egypt and all the places and information is real
although with additions for my novel.
The next
morning, by motorcar and with their equipment packed in open trucks, they made
their way toward the ancient ruins of the city of
They
approached the Osiris temple enclosure at the north of the city and crossed the
end of the procession route from the temple to the royal tombs. They passed these and headed toward the
famous Seti I tomb and temple complex.
Leora smiled. Here was exactly
where her temple and the temple of her sister once stood. The building was “L” shaped now with
individual rooms dedicated to each of the late pantheon of Ptah, Ra-Harakhty, Amun-Ra,
Osiris,
Sir Barot
directed the motorcar toward an excavation just north of the Seti I
temple. The hole made a shallow cut into
the tomb area. In the center of the area
was a new dig. There, a wooden structure
overtopped a stone lined hole, and a set of ladders led into the ground. The structure supported a system of pulleys
and supports above a two-meter square opening.
“Our
destination,” Sir Barot pointed.
No one
else was within sight.
“Where
are all the workers?” Tilly asked.
“Sunday,
my girl. That’s the reason I wanted to
make sure we arrived yesterday. We
should rightly have had more than one day of exploration, but unfortunately the
train was late getting off,” he shrugged.
They
stepped out of the car and walked toward the wooden supports.
“Just
what is that place?” Tilly pointed at the hole.
Sir Barot
indicated the larger excavation, “This is the, so called, tomb of Osiris. You know the chap, the God of the Dead, whose
body was chopped to bits and put back together again.”
“The tomb
of a god?”
“Yes,
well he was supposed to be a god.” Sir
Barot lit a cigarette, “His actual name was Djer. He was a first dynasty king who somehow
became identified with Osiris. No one’s
sure why.”
Leora
snorted, “He cut off his own manhood.”
“We’ll
that’s as good a theory as any other,” Sir Barot chimed in.
Leora ran
her hands down the sides of her body.
Her long hair turned up at the ends as though charged with static
electricity, “It is no theory. He cut
off his manhood and that is why we disdained him. Seti made him a god. I was…”
Sir Barot
raised his hands, “Leora!”
She
pressed her fingertips against her temples, “Forgive me Sir Barot, my mind is
suddenly muddled.” She turned around and
her shoulders rose and fell.
“Leora,
are you all right,” Tilly stepped close to her but stopped an arm’s length
away.
Leora
took a deep breath. Then another. Very, very quietly she breathed, “All
right. I’m all right.”
Maurice
le Boehm stepped right beside Leora.
Without a word, he took her arm and laced it in his own.
Leora
tried to smile at him, but couldn’t. She
couldn’t raise her eyes.
Then
Maurice whispered, “The word Madam?
There was a word Paul said would protect those in the tomb. What was the word?”
Leora
gaped in astonishment unable to respond for a moment, “Yes, Maurice—it is my
name. Call on Leora, that name will
provide me strength, but it is not me—it is the Aton God.”
He said
under his breath, “Leora.”
“Thank
you, Maurice.”
He smiled
quite amused, “No. I thank you, Madam.”
Sir Barot
studied Leora closely. He snubbed out
his cigarette then lit a kerosene lantern, “As I said, this is the tomb of
Djer.” He stretched out his arm, then he
pointed to the hole in the center, “We are not sure just what this is, but it
is much more ancient. Is it a tomb? Who knows?
This is what Paul discovered.”
With another warning look at Leora, he started down the ladder into the
chambers beneath the tomb of Pharaoh Djer.
Tilly lit
another lantern and followed Sir Barot.
Leora drew in a shaky breath and gripped Maurice’s arm. He lit two lanterns, one for her and one for
himself. When he tried to hand it to
her, she shook her head. Leora
reluctantly released his arm. She
stepped down the ladder and waited at the bottom for him. Sir Barot and Tilly waited not very many
steps beyond them.
Maurice
lifted his lantern up, and Sir Barot led them off. The tunnel was entirely lined with stone and
headed directly to the west. Sir Barot
began a running commentary, “Apparently Paul noted similarities in the sites
the Germans chose to excavate. The
hieroglyphics and the markings on the tombs—their dating as well, were all analogous. Paul chose this site based on the Egyptian
myth cycle—he concluded that the articles the German’s were seeking were related
directly to the ancient Egyptians’ ideas of death. Above this place is the actual tomb of the
supposed Osiris—the God of Death and dying.
There may be other reasons, but whatever they were, he was right. This center entrance within the tomb had
never been opened since the time it was sealed.
This tunnel leads directly to a single chamber. The chamber was filled with antiquities. It had all the trappings of a royal tomb, but
no mummy and no sarcophagus.”
They
entered a large chamber. The walls were
covered with brightly painted Egyptian carvings and hieroglyphics.
“Beautiful,”
exclaimed Tilly.
Sir Barot
pushed back his hat, “It is exquisite. I
am astonished, and I had been told all about it, seen photographs.”
Leora
turned around as though reading all the markings with a single glance. She walked over to Sir Barot, “I know this
place.”
“Keep
your voice down,” Sir Barot cautioned her, “Tilly is already at a peak of
curiosity. A curiosity, I do not desire
to attempt to satisfy.”
Leora
whispered to him, “This is my sister’s place.
It is the chamber of rebirth.
Every evening, my sister would come here and invoke the Osiris Offering
Formula for all the ka of the dead. She
would seal them or release them from their bodies. Osiris enacted her will in his kingdom. I know exactly what my sister seeks. She wants the Osiris Offering Formula.”
“Why?”
“Just as
my province was to call in the light, hers was to seal up or open the place of
darkness. As I oversee light, she
oversees darkness. She holds those dead
in their graves. This is why in the tomb
in
Sir Barot
stared at her, “Just what is the Osiris Offering Formula?”
“It is a
tablet of black metal. It was supposed
to be gold, and it is heavy, but it is black.
The tablet is covered with hieroglyphics and other markings.”
“Is this
the thing Paul found?”
She
licked her lips, “That is very likely.”
“Where
was this tablet? Those with Paul never
saw anything like that.”
“I have
no idea, Sir Barot. This was my sister’s
place—I never was allowed to come here.”
Sir Barot
shook his head, “What about Paul?”
“I will search,
but I don’t think we will find anything here.
Paul was not here long or he would have found the secrets.”
“What
secrets?”
“There is
another entrance to this chamber. It
hasn’t been opened yet.” Leora pointed
toward the south wall, “There lies my sister’s entrance. You must open it with caution. There are wards. There is also the votive chamber at the rear. I don’t think it is warded. Both are stone doors that open on balanced
pivots. You may tell your archeologists
these things, the doors are marked, but you must promise me that you will warn
them.”
“They
won’t believe the idea of a three thousand year old curse.”
Leora
shrugged. She started a careful search
of the floors, walls, and ceiling.
“Wait,”
Sir Barot took her arm, “Can you really read all these hieroglyphics?”
She
smirked, “I already have. I knew where
the doors were supposed to be, but I read their markings on the walls.”
“Is there
anything in the votive chamber?”
Leora
paused, “I don’t think there would be anything important or my sister would
have sent her men to retrieve them.”
“Perhaps
we should have a look.”
Leora
followed Sir Barot to the back of the large chamber. He apprised the wall, “Where is the door?”
Leora
pointed.
“There
are no wards?”
“Call on
the name of the Aton God. After you have
done that, call on my name, Leora. It
still has power in this place. It
increases my power and will allow me to protect you.”
Tentatively
Sir Barot murmured, “Leora.”
“Push
here, the door will open.”
Sir Barot
began to press where Leora showed him.
Maurice came forward and helped.
Slowly the block of stone began to move.
The dust and sand of ages gummed up the easy motion of the balanced
stone, but slowly and with a grinding sound, the stone pushed back and into the
left hand wall.
“Astounding,”
Sir Barot gazed into the darkness beyond the door, “Hand me my lantern.”
He shined
the feeble light into the black shrouded room.
In the darkness a reflection gleamed back, and Leora gasped.
Sir Barot
froze, “What is it?”
“Nothing,
I think, to be alarmed about.” She
smiled, “I believe I see my articles of power.
I wondered where my sister put them—they were here all along.” Leora stepped into the small room. It was square, almost a perfect cube. A low table with lamps and bowls sat against
the west wall. From the center of the
table, Leora picked up a tablet of beaten gold and a scepter. Sir Barot held up the lantern to see them
better. The scepter was made of a white
metal, unblemished by the ages. At its
top sat a large crystal in a plain setting.
The tablet was small only about ten by fifteen centimeters and one
centimeter thick. On its surface,
hieroglyphics rose like the images of the sun and Sir Barot could make out a
figure. He stared astonished, it was the
image of Leora. He gazed in amazement at
the Egyptian figure that appeared exactly like the woman who stood next to him.
Leora’s
lips twitched, “For now, I would like to take these two things. I will not harm them.”
They lay
in her hands like objects wedded and mated perfectly to her person. Sir Barot nodded, “I will eventually have to
make a report, but for now… but hide them.
Quickly, now.”
Tilly
poked her head around the lintel, “What did you find?” Her voice was full of eagerness.
Sir Barot
spun around to face her, “Ah, a table, lamps, and bowls.”
“Yes
magnificent. And hidden here for how
long?”
“Three
thousand years perhaps.”
If Tilly
noticed Leora drop the scepter and tablet in her bag, she gave no indication.
“Where
did you get the idea to push on the wall?”
“Leora
read it in the hieroglyphics.”
“Astonishing. Any evidence of Paul?”
“None,
but we haven’t finished searching the place.
No one could have been in here.
Come on Leora, I want to make a complete examination of the floor of the
main chamber.”
Tilly
cocked her head, “Why the floor?”
Sir Barot
began to answer, but Leora stepped forward before he could respond, “Because,
Tilly, Egyptians like to hide things under stone floors. They believed the articles placed above them
were endued with power and the items below were protected by those above.”
“Ah, I
see.”
They all
searched for a couple of hours. After
that, Sir Barot climbed up top to get them lunch and to give directions to
their drivers and guides. He returned
with a basket full of food, drinks, and a quirky smile on his face, “This isn’t
exactly a wood along the
After
they laid out the food on a cloth at the bottom of the open shaft into the
Osiris chamber, Sir Barot asked them, “Any luck?”
They all
shook their heads.
“The only
time we’ll have alone in the chamber is today.
If we can’t find anything, I’ll have to rely on plan B.”
Leora
asked “What do the British say happened to Paul?” Maurice turned his head and leaned closer.
“He
directed the excavation and found the chamber as I described it. They removed everything and reconstructed it
all up top. It was then that Paul
noticed something amiss with the reconstruction. He said the measurements didn’t look right
and returned repeatedly into the chamber.
He didn’t speak of it again with his compatriots. The British believe he may have removed
something from the chamber, but they couldn’t figure out what he noticed that
was wrong in the reconstruction or what he might have found.”
Leora
gazed knowingly at Sir Barot.
He
returned her look with a warning frown.
Tilly
twisted her lips and touched her face, “What could be different between the
original and the reconstruction? Do you
have diagrams we can compare?”
Sir Barot
shook his head. We can go look at the
reconstruction, but I don’t want to take the time to view it now.
Tilly
raised her hands, “That may be the only way we can tell a difference.”
“Paul’s
companions have still not determined what attracted his attention.”
“I know
how we can tell where the furniture was.”
“Yes,
Tilly, tell us.” Sir Barot opened his hands in impatience.
“The
scars. You told us in class, Dr.
Cheston, after three thousand years, there should be stone scars where items
rested on the floor.”
“Very
good. If there were changes from the
reconstruction and the original, they might be found in the markings left on
the floor.”
“I’m
done,” Sir Barot put down his plate and stood. “We only have a few more
hours—longer, if we want to work through the night. I suggest we get back to our investigations.”
They all
stood up and headed for the main chamber.
Tilly
went back out to the entrance and brought down several more lanterns. She lit all of them and lined them on the
floor of the chamber. She slowly began
to walk the lanterns along the floor and carefully examined every centimeter of
the stone. After Tilly had traversed
half of the distance across the chamber she raced to get Leora, “Leora, come
look at this and tell me what you think.”
Tilly led
her to a point near the center of the room.
From the exact center, the place was about a half meter—an ancient royal
cubit—toward the west wall. Tilly knelt
and pointed at the floor, “Look here Leora.
Here is a scar from something heavy.
You can see four similar marks aligned with the compass—maybe a table.”
“It was
the empty funeral bier.”
Tilly
stared at Leora for a moment then cleared her throat and tilted her head,
“Look, this scar is lighter and the floor is raised slightly. Paul would have noted that one of the legs of
the bier must be shorter than the others.
The bier would wobble in the reconstruction and not on the original.”
Leora put
her face near the floor, “I think you have found something, Tilly. Look here.
See this hole? This is the way
we…the Egyptians hid things under a stone floor. Get me a heavy wire.”
Tilly
grasped a lantern and twisted the handle off it, “Here, try this.”
Leora
straightened the wire and poked it into the hole. She fished a little around and then pulled up
gently.
“Whatever
are you doing, Leora?”
Leora
pulled the wire out of the hole, twisted it a little more, and began to probe
again. “If I am right, Tilly, there
should be a lip to catch that will unlock the stone cover. “Ah, got it,” Leora pulled gently and the
stone began to move upward.
Tilly
clapped her hands and squealed, “We found it!
We found it. Sir Barot, Sergeant,
come look!”
The men
came running.
When the
stone was about five centimeters out of the floor, Tilly wrapped her hands around
the sides and helped lift. The entire
plug popped out. Under it was a
hole. At the bottom of the round opening
lay a rectangular pocket about twenty by fifteen centimeters and three
deep. A folded note lay in the
bottom. Leora put in her hand and reached
toward the small piece of paper. A look
of uneasiness crossed her features, and without touching the note, she
immediately pulled her hand out of the hole.
Leora glanced up apologetically at the three standing around her, “I
can’t put my hand inside. This is my
sister’s place.”
Maurice
knelt, reached down into the hole, and picked up the small note. He handed it to Leora.
Leora
unfolded the paper. It was new yet
flowing hieroglyphic script ran across it.
She smiled, “Paul wrote this.”
“What
does it say?” Tilly moved closer.
“It’s not
very helpful. It simply says. Found black tablet here. Looks like an Osiris Offering Formula. Her name and face are on it.” Leora glanced up, “That’s all it says.”
“Paul
didn’t expect us to be looking for him,” Sir Barot put his fist in his palm,
“He just wanted to document the find—smashing good archeologist. He knew he was taking it with him.”
“Whose
name and face are on it?” Tilly demanded.
“I can’t
tell you here and now, Tilly. Please,
don’t ask,” Leora pleaded.
“Will you
tell me later?”
“At the
right time, you will know. I promise,
I’ll tell you.”
Tilly
pouted, “Very well.”
Sir Barot
stood up and dusted his trousers, “Well, now we know what Paul found, and where
Paul found it. We still aren’t any
closer to finding Paul. Plan B it is.”
The items are both known and unknown. These are not McGuffins. These are real things of artistry and
power. That’s what makes them so entertaining
and exciting in the novel. We know they
have real power, we just don’t know what that power is. In fact, I wrote a whole series of novels to
describe and address just this point—the power of these people and these items.
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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