10 January 2022, Writing - part xx830 Writing a Novel, Using Item Plots in Scenes, Example Three
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, Regia Anglorum. This is a science fiction novel, and part of
my Ghostship Chronicles. Alex caused
Nikita’s injuries, and she is getting him back for the problems he caused
her.
During the third shift, Alex was a
little morose, but he did his work and trained on the shuttle well. He was almost getting the basics of the
simple first shuttle mission. Nikita
took him through it slowly. That was
Master Larsen’s advice. Alex wanted to
learn, but the shuttle was not an easy thing to study very quickly at thirteen.
The
Protania cabin was lonely and quiet for Nikita.
She really missed Natana and Den.
They wouldn’t be back for a sevenday, so she thought, she better get
used to it. This was a real change of
mind for her. She had never been lonely
before. It was an unusual feeling for
her. Then, she realized, that for the
next two ship’s days her best friends would also be gone, and that really put
her in the dumps.
At
the next second shift, when Nikita stepped into the classroom, she was not in
the best of moods. Alex slinked in right
behind her. The classroom was being
surveilled from Training Master Shear’s office.
Nikita and Alex prayed, said the pledge, and sang the ship’s anthem. After that, their assignments began to
download to their computers.
Nikita’s
first assignment was to use the holo interface to input a complex navigational
solution she had worked on for most of her cabinwork. She set up the holo interface and started to
input the problem. She couldn’t do
it. The problem and its solution
required two hands, and she couldn’t make the necessary manipulations with only
one hand. That made it impossible for
her to complete the assignment. She
couldn’t complete it. She became more
and more frustrated. Finally, Nikita
searched around the classroom and strode over to Alex’s desk. Her chest heaved, and her cheeks were
flushed. She stood there unmoving until
Alex looked up.
Alex
took one look at her and gulped, “Wh…what do you want?”
I
can’t input my assignment with one hand—it’s impossible, and it’s your fault. I want you to make me a holo input that will
allow me to use one hand to input the solution.”
“Wh…what? You think I can put something together just
like that?”
“I
don’t care how long it takes you to do it.
I can’t complete my first assignment of the day. If I can’t complete the first one, how can I
get to any of the others?”
Alex
shrugged.
“You
caused this, Alex. I don’t deserve
this. You need to make this right, for
me.”
“I’ll
try to do it, for you, Nikita, but I can’t build it here. I’ll have to try to make it during the next
shift.”
“We
have a reduced shift today.”
“Okay,
okay, when school lets out, I’ll start work on it, but you’ll have to help
me. I’ve never designed a holo interface
before.”
“What
am I supposed to do until then?”
“I
don’t know.”
A
voice came across the intercom, “Nikita Protania. You are not allowed to speak to other
students during this assignment period.”
Nikita
stepped back toward her desk, “Please, Training Master Shear, I can’t
physically complete the first assignment.
I have a solution, but I can’t input it.
Would you please cue the next assignment for me?”
“Oh,
yes dear. Your current first assignment
will move to the next shift. Please
continue.”
“Thank
you, Training Master Shear.”
“You’re
welcome, dear.”
School
ended at lunch. Alex and Nikita left
together and went to the mall to eat.
They had some fun kid’s food at one of the shops and then Alex led her
to his cabin. The cabin was one corridor
level below Nikita’s. Alex opened the
door for her, “My dad is on watch at the bridge, and my mom is out. My little brother is still at school….”
“You
have a little brother?”
“Yeah,
Nathan. Looks like he’ll be in Command
too.”
“That’s
great. Oh sorry. I mean sorry about that.”
“It’s
okay. Come on to my room.” Alex led Nikita to his small cabin. It was like hers but filled with boy stuff
and every type of electronic and mechanical component imaginable. It was like a small lab. In fact, Alex told her, “This is my lab. I can build almost anything here. How much money do you have?”
“I
don’t know, some.”
“Well
I hope it’s enough. The components for
what you want cost quite a bit.”
“My
parents left me a whole lot in a special account. I can use that.”
“Good. I’m going to pull a regular holo interface
from the library supply. I hope your
account can stand it.”
Nikita
gave him her parent’s special account information. The cost of the holo interface almost cleaned
it out.
“Told
you it was expensive,” Alex smirked.
“I’ll
just eat with you for the next sevenday.”
Alex
stared at her.
“You
can’t let me starve, can you?”
His look said he might. They went down to supply pickup and returned
with the regular holo interface. When
they were situated again in Alex’s room, Alex took a deep breath and broke into
the guts of the holo interface and its programming. Nikita tired her best to explain exactly what
she needed, and Alex seemed to understand her explanations right away. He couldn’t do it himself. He had no idea exactly what Nikita had to input,
but he understood exactly her requirements.
He had to make some fundamental changes to the device to force it to
work the way Nikita wanted, and he had to nearly rewrite the devices entire
programming. Nikita could help a lot
with that part. After the end of the
second shift and the first half of the third, Alex had rewired, redesigned, and
reprogrammed the holo input device more times than he wanted to count, but it
was finally working the way Nikita thought it should. He watched with fascination while she
manipulated the mathematics with her one good hand. She input her skipped morning
assignment. It took her a while, but
eventually the shape turned green.
Nikita smiled, “Thank you very much, Alex. This will work. I know it will.”
They
left his cabin for shuttle maintenance.
There they ate lunch and Nikita supervised Alex’s work. She trained him in shuttle for the last part
of the watch.
At
the beginning of their next second shift, the school day began as usual. Nikita set up the holo interface Alex had
built for her. In moments she had the
solution input. It turned green and she
began to run simulations. She almost
danced around her desk. She yelled to
him across the room, “Thanks Alex, you are the best inventor. You really are.”
Alex
colored. No one had told him that
before. He wondered if his skills might
have some purpose after all. He returned
slowly to his current assignment.
This is not a children’s novel though some of the characters
and the protagonist is a child. The
situation is very complex including the tension between forward and aft of
cargo crewmembers. Perhaps I should
mention the ship is a family trader which means a very large ship where the
crew members all work at interstellar trade.
The class gets to go planet side, but Nikita is injured, and Alex is
being punished. This is a super fun book. The single handed holo interface is the item in
the item plot.
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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