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Thursday, August 18, 2022

Writing - part xxx050 Writing a Novel, We are Refining the Protagonist, Powering Through, more Release in the Scene

18 August 2022, Writing - part xxx050 Writing a Novel, We are Refining the Protagonist, Powering Through, more Release in the Scene

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

 

I could easily write: if you develop a great protagonist, the writing will come.  That’s basically what I do, but I know that doesn’t work for the inexperienced and the young writer. 

 

Writing is really exhausting when you are first starting.  The problem, as I see it is getting into the rhythm of the writing.  When a writer is in the rhythm, the writing seems to come easily, when they aren’t, who knows what you might get. 

 

When I was a younger writer, I found many times I had no idea where I was going or what was going on in my writing.  Today, I realize the problem was with my protagonist, and also with my plot development.  Let’s lump those together and call them writing development. 

 

Below, I’ve left up the outline for the protagonist.  This is what you need to develop to build a proper protagonist.

 

1.     Define the initial scene

2.     At the same time as the above—fit a protagonist into the initial scene.  That means the minimum of:

a.      Telic flaw

b.     Approximate age

c.      Approximate social degree

d.     Sex

3.     Refine the protagonist

a.      Physical description

b.     Background – history of the protagonist

                                                  i.     Birth

                                                ii.     Setting

                                              iii.     Life

                                               iv.     Education

                                                v.     Work

                                               vi.     Profession

                                             vii.     Family

c.      Setting – current

                                                  i.     Life

                                                ii.     Setting

                                              iii.     Work

d.     Name

4.     Refine the details of the protagonist

a.      Emotional description (never to be shared directly)

b.     Mental description (never to be shared directly)

c.      Likes and dislikes (never to be shared directly)

5.     Telic flaw resolution

a.      Changes required for the protagonist to resolve the telic flaw

                                                  i.     Physical changes

                                                ii.     Emotional changes

                                              iii.     Mental changes

b.     Alliances required for the protagonist to resolve the telic flaw

c.      Enemies required for the protagonist to resolve the telic flaw

d.     Plots required for the protagonist to resolve the telic flaw

e.      Obstacles that must be overcome for the protagonist to resolve the telic flaw

Now, if you slavishly follow this outline for the protagonist, it will not guarantee you a great or even a good protagonist.  What it will give you is a protagonist detailed enough to write about.  I’ve covered the idea of the great protagonist before.  I’ll state again, and you should review what I’ve written, you need a good Romantic protagonist. 

The protagonist is developed simultaneously, in my mind with the initial scene.  There are other means to begin your writing development, but I don’t, and I’ve shown you the pitfalls I’ve discovered when using other methods or starting places.  That doesn’t mean you can’t come at this writing development from another standpoint.    

Here are the four, in order of precedence, means of approaching the initial scene.  I have used all four in published works.  I recommend only the first two.  The others can work, but they are not as good at producing a great initial scene.  This is the first step, in my book, to writing development.  As I wrote, it doesn’t matter how you got to this point, this is where writing development begins.  The list:  

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

 

I think the proper organization and approach to the writing itself is the best solution to writer’s black.  That’s why I spend so much time on the protagonist, scenes, and novel development.  I’m not an outline writer—that is, I don’t like to write from an outline.  You don’t have to be that organized.  We aren’t writing technical papers here—we are writing fiction.

 

So, the proper organization from my standpoint is the organization that allows you the greatest latitude to write something really good.  That’s what writing development is all about.  Couple that with the understanding of how to put together a scene, and you have enough organization to write a great novel.  Add to that the protagonist, and you have everything.

 

If you remember, the novel is the revelation of the protagonist, that’s really all you need—along with the organization.

 

If you are organized in this fashion, I see potential success in the future.  However, I know everyone gets to the point where they say, “I can’t get any further.”  Yeap, that happened to me why I was a younger, less experienced writer.  It doesn’t happen anymore.  The reason is this: I fix or blow through problems with writing.

It doesn’t matter what the problem is.  In writing, if you know the tricks, you can always fix or blow through your writing problems.  This isn’t a great single sentence description, but I’ll try to explain just what I mean. 

 

What I will do is look at the writing development and especially, the scene development.  We will apply that to the protagonist development to get into the writing.

 

If you are stuck at the beginning, in other words, you haven’t written anything yet, that is definitely a problem of protagonist development and the initial scene.  I won’t go back over everything we have explored before, but we will start at the beginning, and figure out how to solve the problem of writer’s block from the initial creativity.  Let’s use an outline like this (this is a type of technical paper).

 

1.     Initial ideas (protagonist, initial scene, and telic flaw)

2.     The scene

3.     Review and editing

4.     Notes

5.     Exercises

6.     Ideas

7.     Picking up the pieces

 

We are moving on from the very beginning.  I’m going to assume you have an idea with a protagonist, an antagonist, a telic flaw, an initial setting, and an initial scene.  This is all you need to start a novel.  I showed you how to get to the initial scene.  I will also help you to write it.  I hope you have made it this far.  Usually, people get an idea for a book and start writing.  The problem isn’t necessarily at the beginning but rather as the novel unfolds, they lose the strength of their initial enthusiasm.  The muse is gone.  I want to get the muse moving.  To kick it in the backside and keep the creative and writing process going.  That’s how we will get rid of writer’s block.  The next stage is the scene.

 

We need to power through the scene writing process.  By this, I mean, we must use the scene development outline to force the writing to continue—that is a means to get rid of writer’s block. So, here is the scene development outline repeated:

 

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

 

If you are writing the initial scene, you don’t technically have a scene input.  You are totally dependent on creativity here.  That is what I took so much time with the initial scene, both past and present.  You gotta have an initial scene.  Most writers don’t have a problem with this.  They might have a lame or bad initial scene, but they have an initial scene.  That’s why I tried to give careful help on how to get to that scene.  The rest is gravy—kind of.

 

You can have writer’s block at any time, but if you follow the scene outline, you should be able to power through especially with a good initial scene.  You don’t have to have a great initial scene—you just need an initial scene.  Further, you don’t have to have it written—yet.  Let’s go through the scene outline and see how to write the initial as well as all the other scenes in your novel.

Write the release

We have the following elements, or we are planning to use the following elements.

1.     Scene setting – setting elements

2.     Output – comes from the input

3.     Creative elements – promoted from the setting elements

4.     Plot – promoted from the creative elements

5.     Telic flaw – basis of everything

6.     Tension and release – the creative nature of the scene

You don’t have to have everyone of these to start writing, but with these you can easily write a scene.  I have, in every case shown you how to generate these, but the real trick and the end result is writing the scene.  This is where people’s writer’s block seems to kick in. 

We have the basic pieces we need to write the scene—all the elements or parts of the elements above.  We have reviewed our notes, the previous scene, and our ideas for this scene.  As we can see, we have the general outcome (output) of the scene.  Now, we need to write it in such a way that it is entertaining and exciting.  Entertaining and exciting requires some degree of conflict.

I’ve written about this before, and we are truly moving into the creative action in writing.  Not to say all the parts of writing aren’t creative, but the other parts are self-evident, writing the tension in the scene is imagination and creativity, and that’s about it. 

What I wanted to show you with this example is that tension can be subtle and still effective and release can be subtle and yet effective.  I love intellectual and situational tension with a similar release.  I also like more action oriented tension and release as well.  I should show you an example of that kind of tension and release. 

Usually, we save the really powerful tension and release for the climax, but an action oriented or a really powerful novel can have scenes filled with strong tension and release.  I’ll give you an example from a novel I haven’t completed yet.

This example comes from a novel I haven’t finished or even edited much.  The working title is called Rose.  This isn’t the climax, but it is very action oriented.

Finally one night, Rose sensed Shiggy before she felt a sudden shake of her shoulder, “Rose, dear, it’s time.”  Shiggy was standing over her bed.  She wore a black sweater, pants, and watch cap.  She held out a dark pair of pants, sweater, cap, and blouse, “Put these on, and come down with your boots and coat.”

Rose nodded half asleep.  She got up and put on the clothing, then came down the stairs.  Shiggy was sitting at the table while Airgead, looking slightly frazzled set eggs and bangers down for two.

Rose nodded to Airgead.  She sat and ate.

Shiggy pronounced, “Rose, do not let any of your Fae friends attend us.  You must keep them away.  It’s for their own good and yours.  The merfolk will be active, and I don’t want any of them caught up in our work either.”

Rose nodded.  She glanced at the clock in the kitchen.  It read two in the morning, “I’ll do what I can.”

“You will do.  There is no might.  We will confront some very desperate humans, and I don’t wish any Fae encounters or difficulties.”

“Yes, Ms. Tash.”

Shiggy smiled, “I’ll brief you on the way.”

After they ate, Shiggy led Rose out to her old Triumph.  She carried a black pack on her back, and placed it in the back seat, “Get into the passenger’s side.”

Rose complied, and Shiggy started the car and headed out of the drive onto the B9064.  She turned right toward the port, but continued past the ferry dock and the buildings.  When they were well away, Shiggy started, “The freighter is in the channel at this moment, and the Russian ships are approaching from the east.”

“How do you know this?”

Shiggy grinned into the darkness, “Surveillance from British and American satellites.  I get the feeds directly.  Here’s what we shall do.  I’ve a rubber raft in the boot.  We’ll fill it and use it to get to the freighter.  We have plenty of time before the Russian ships arrive.  Before they do, we shall be in charge of the freighter.  You handle the crew, and I’ll take care of the captain and his officers.  Your job is to prevent any untoward accidents.  Once I have control of the ship, I’ll contact the British Navy and the Coastguard.”

“Why not just alert them to come now?”

“Silly child.  The moment the crew sees any sign of the British government, they’ll drop their cargo overboard and high-tail it out of here.  You promised the merfolk.  I don’t want any environmental issues.  That is, the Crown doesn’t want any issues, and I want to capture and stop the Chinese and the Russians.  Surely you understand why.”

Rose nodded.

“I can’t see your response.”

“Yes, Ms. Tash.”

“Very good.  If there are any problems, you return to the shore and contact Robyn’s parents.  Just so you know, the Navy and the Coastguard are already on alert.  Robyn’s parents will receive a message in the next hour.”

“What if you have troubles?”

“You just handle your job.  I’ll take care of myself.”

“What if I have any troubles?”

“I trust you, Rose.  That’s your test.”

Rose settled more deeply in the hard Triumph’s seat.

They traveled around the island road.  There was no moon at all and the clouds lay close and dark.  In the faint glow of the horizon and the sea, Rose could just make out a large ship in the channel between Rousay and Egilsay.  The ship must have had a very shallow draft, it sat in the deepest part of the channel and appeared to be unmoving.

Shiggy brought the Triumph to a point just between the large turn at the Rousay primary school and the Brun of Cruar.  She turned down a hardball road that led to a farmhouse.  Before she cut down the road, Shiggy shut off the car’s lights and continued in nearly absolute darkness.  Rose noticed, she had put on a pair of googles that glowed a faint white.  Before the farmhouse, Shiggy turned off the engine, but the car continued to move nearly silently in the darkness beside one of the large barns.  At the end of the barn, the ground became fields, and there, Shiggy stopped the car and got out.  The lights inside the car didn’t turn on when she opened the door.  Rose quickly got out on her side.  Her eyes slowly became acclimated to the darkness.

Shiggy whispered, “I know you can see in the dark Miss Tash.  Use your skills or you will be at a great disadvantage here.”

Rose licked her lips, but applied a bit of glamour to her sight.

Shiggy whispered again, “I saw you lick your lips, but I shall ignore it for now.”  Shiggy went to the boot and pulled out a black rectangular object and a couple of paddles, “Grab the other side.”

Rose grasped a canvas handle on her side of the object and Shiggy, with her backpack made a jogging run toward the dark sea.  Rose was compelled to follow.  At the rocky beach, Shiggy put the object into the water and pulled a handle.  Rose stepped back as the raft began to inflate.  It made a slight hissing sound while it filled, and Shiggy threw her one of the paddles.  Shiggy’s head came up, “They are gathering.  I can feel them.  Tell them to get lost, or I’ll bring out some iron.”

Rose had felt the Fae before that.  She sent out a warning, and sensed them back off.  They didn’t like the dark or the sea, but they were always curious about strange goings on—especially in the dark.  They were land based Fae.  Rose also felt some of the sea folk.  She sent them a casting as well, but they were all too willing to stay away from the ship and from them.  She felt only assurance and relief from the sea. 

When the raft was fully inflated, Shiggy pushed it the rest of the way into the water.  She whispered, “Get in.”  Rose stepped into the raft, and Shiggy pushed it off into the water.  With a couple of quiet steps, she got in herself.  Shiggy must have been very accomplished and familiar with these kinds of operations, Rose felt barely any motion when Shiggy jumped in, while it had rocked and tettered until Rose could get to the front and sit. 

When Shiggy settled at the back of the raft, she hissed, “Paddle toward the ship.  I’ll guide us, you just give me a little help.  I’ll tell you when to change sides.  Give us a little cover with your glamour, and seek ahead for anyone on the ship.”

All this was new to Rose, but she gamely paddled trying to make as little noise as Shiggy did.  The raft glided out into the deeper water, and quickly approached the large shadow in the channel.

Rose whispered back, “Couldn’t they see us with their night equipment?”

“Duh, that’s why you need to give us some cover.  They aren’t usually as well equipped as we are, but just make certain.”

Rose felt that surely Shiggy didn’t need her help that much.  She cast out and ahead, and covered them with a little glamour darkness.

“Don’t forget to paddle.”

Rose dipped her paddle back into the water.

“What do you sense?”

“There are ten crew members on the other side of the ship.  On the side with the cranes.  There are four in the high part at the back.  They are all looking toward Egilsay.  There are four others inside the ship, below.”

“You are good.  I like having you about, Miss Tash.  You’re better than radar—perhaps Rose radar.”

Shiggy steered them to the side of the ship where an aft anchor chain ran into the sea.  She used a magnetic device she placed against the hull to hold the raft in place.  Shiggy whispered, “Hold tight.  I’ll climb up and let a ladder down for you.”

Rose nodded, but Shiggy couldn’t see her, and she was already scaling the anchor chain.  Rose swallowed.  She knew Shiggy was very adept and strong, but climbing like that almost seemed miraculous to her.  After a very short time, a canvas black rope ladder with loops set about every two feet came snaking down the side of the ship toward her.  Rose took a deep breath and began to climb.  It wasn’t very difficult, but she hadn’t ever done this before.  She reached the top of the ship more quickly than she thought possible, and Shiggy grabbed her by the back of her pants and hauled her up over the gunwales.  Shiggy knelt in the shadows.  She had an automatic weapon on her back, and still wore the goggles.  She put her mouth close to Rose’s ear, “I’m going to the bridge.  That’s where you sensed the officers.  Are they still there?  Don’t speak, just move your head.”

Rose nodded.  Shiggy was touching her head, “I’ll leave you.  Move to where you can take care of the crew.  Keep them from using the cranes or any other action that might be suspicious.  I’m for the bridge.  They shouldn’t be armed.  Not the crew.  The officers possibly.”

Then Shiggy was gone, and Rose was left kneeling at the side of the gunwale.  She wondered if Shiggy really needed her at all, but she crouched and began to move toward the center of the ship.  Shiggy was invisible to her eyes even with Fae sensitivity and glamour, but she could sense her as she moved toward the high area at the back of the ship. 

Rose wasn’t entirely sure what to do.  She knew generally how to do what Shiggy desired, but she hadn’t tried it on so many or with such direct effort.  She cast forward toward the crewmembers.  The ones on the deck were all straining into the darkness looking for something—the approaching Russian boats, she guessed.  Shiggy would likely have used explosives and some physical means to stop the cranes or the cargo operations, Rose didn’t have anything, but glamour and her mind.  She let out a touch and allowed her glamour to contact the crewmen at the controls of the cranes.  She didn’t want to hurt them, so she made their hands go numb.  She hoped they would think it was from the cold.  The others stood around large boxes of the cargo.  They had brought them up on deck to allow a quick transfer.  Rose touched their thoughts and made them to feel warmth from the boxes.  She placed in their thoughts that the boxes were breached and possibly radioactive.  She heard and felt them move unconsciously away from the cargo.  At that moment, a cry came from the bridge of the ship, and all the crew members turned their attention there.  They were not armed, but Rose felt men with weapons on the bridge.  She sensed only two there who were still active.  Shiggy must have knocked out, or Rose swallowed, killed, two of them.

The crewmen began to mummer when they heard the shout from the bridge.  They began moving in that direction.  That was away form the cranes and the cargo, so Rose felt good about that, but then a shot rang out from the bridge.  Only one of the men at the back were still moving and sensible.  Suddenly, a cry in Chinese came from the bridge, and a man staggard from there toward the middle of the ship.  He fell.  The men tried to move toward the bridge, but Rose sent a cast of fear at them all.  They moved back.  Boats were approaching the ship first from the east and suddenly from all directions.  Rose could feel them.  They were too many people to note individually, but she realized that they were many and of different nationalities.  She could detect the strangeness of some and the familiarity of others. 

Without any warning, lights blazed from many of the smaller boats around them.  A loud number of claxons began to go off.  Rose heard her name, “Rose, Rose, get over here immediately.”

Rose felt Shiggy near the back of the ship, and still in a crouch, she moved back down the gunwale toward the place they entered the ship.  Shiggy was crouched by the side of the gunwale, “Stay down Miss Tash.  This is most dangerous part of our operation.”  Shiggy pushed her head down.  Suddenly, gunfire erupted from below.  She heard bullets ricochet off the sides of the ship and then the cries of men.  In a few moments, it was all over.

Shiggy was trembling, and Rose thought that odd.  Shiggy’s voice was a little strained, “Just sit tight, Miss Tash.  It’s not quite over yet. 

Rose felt a sticky wetness on her face when Shiggy moved her hand.  She moved a little.

Shiggy whispered, “Don’t move.” 

There was a sudden hail from below.  It sounded like Chinese.  Then another hail in English, “This is the British Navy.  Put down your weapons and raise your hands.  We are boarding your ships.”  That was followed by a hail in what sounded like Russian.

Shiggy yelled, “Two British subjects are on board.”

Rose asked, “Are you injured?”

“Just a little.  Stay down until the excitement is over.”  Then Shiggy without any warning, collapsed into Rose’s arms.

Rose didn’t know what to do.  She started to snivel, just a bit, then bit her lip.  She touched wetness, and felt up Shiggy’s arm until she came on a deep flowing wound.  Blinded by the lights and the shadows, she put her hand over the cut and pressed.  That wasn’t very effective, so she pulled off her cap and placed it over the spot and held even tighter.  She though she noted the blood flowed less.  Then a couple of armed British marines swept over the gunwale.  When they spotted the two of them and turned their weapons on them, but Rose cried out, “Please don’t shoot.  We’re the ones who called you.”

The men were armed with automatic weapons and wore googles like Shiggy’s but pushed up on their foreheads.  One of them, ordered, “Down on the deck.”

Rose wailed, “I can’t she’s injured and bleeding.”

A British officer came over the gunwale with a couple of more marines.  He wore no rank, but Rose could tell by his demeanor, and she recognized it in his presence.  He flashed a powerful torch on Shiggy and Rose, “Men, move toward the crew.  These are the ones we were told to look for.”

“Yes, sir,” almost in unison, and they jogged toward the crew who were now laying flat on the deck.

Rose’s voice sounded desperate, “Please sir, Ms. Tash is injured.  We need help right away.”

The officer made a call on his radio, then headed forward.

One of the marines remained back beside Rose and Shiggy.  He flashed his torch up and down Shiggy, then handed it to Rose, “Keep pressure against that wound, and shine the light here.”

She did.

       The soldier brought out a heavy bandage and cut the sleeve off Shiggy’s arm while Rose still held her cap tightly against Shiggy’s arm.  The soldier ordered, “Let go of her arm, now.”

       Rose let go and dark blood began flowing down Shiggy’s arm again.  The soldier applied something to the open wound then pressed his thick bandage to it.  He tied it very tightly.  Then sat back and took back his torch.  He flashed it again up and down Shiggy.  Then up and down Rose.  He moved it back to the bandage and noted the amount of blood saturation. Rose could feel in the smile in his voice, “I think she will be okay.  If I’m not here when they pick her up, tell the doc or the medic that I applied CELOX with wound seal and cyanoacrylate.  They won’t be able to remove the bandage without an unsealer, and they might need to use an anticoagulant.  Can you remember that.

       Rose stammered, “Yyyes.”

       The man gave a nod, “I didn’t see any other wounds, and you seem okay.”

       “I’m alright.”

       “Then wait here until they can evacuate your friend,” he turned and ran to the center of the ship.

       When the marine left, Rose grasped Shiggy and held her close.  Shiggy felt cold.  Rose was cold.  All around her, she saw the soldiers putting zip ties on the captured crewmembers.  A couple of officers or at least one officer and one sergeant were overseeing the men.  She counted ten of them total on the Chinese freighter.  Below, she heard more British voices, and she heard Russian voices.  The men on the other small ships were being secured.

       When the action was over, the soldiers all stood back with their weapons trained on their prisoners.  The lights all around the freighter and from the ships below came on and moved upward so they illuminated everything.  As her eyes became accustomed to the brightness, Rose could see all around them.   

       A man dressed in a dark blue British naval uniform stepped on board with a small group of sailors and another officer.  He sent the other officer toward the bridge and the sailors to their stations.  The marine officer noted each with a nod.  That officer came immediately over to him and saluted, “Skipper, this ship is secured.”

       “Very good lieutenant.  Where is Major Tash?”

       “Major Tash?”

       “Yes, lieutenant.  You were instructed to secure and protect Major Tash and her assistant.  Where are they?”

       “Do you mean the two operatives we were alerted about, sir?”

       “Just so.”

       The lieutenant pointed to where Rose and Shiggy lay next to the gunwale, “The last I saw them, sir, they were at the gunwale when we came aboard.  One of them was injured.”

       The skipper grasped the lieutenant by his tactical harness and dragged him to where Rose and Shiggy sat, “You took care of the situation, did you not?”

       The lieutenant’s voice sounded a little strained, “My medic treated her wounds.  They should be safe right here.”  He flashed his torch toward Shiggy and Rose.  The torch was really unnecessary, the lights all around them were bright enough to illuminate everything.  The officer went to one knee beside Shiggy and Rose, “Are you Major Tash?”

       Rose bit her lip, “No sir, I’m Rose Tash.  This is Shiggy Tash.  She’s hurt.”

       The skipper looked around at the deck, “She’s lost a bit of blood.”  He stood, “Lieutenant, these women are the first off.  Get a stretcher immediately.  I want Major Tash in the sick bay, now.  He called on his radio.

       It didn’t take very long at all.  Four sailors ran across a boarding ramp from the largest British ship now connected to the freighter.  They carried a stretcher.  One of the men was an officer and other a medic of some kind.  The officer directed them and they took Shiggy from Rose’s arms and gently laid her on the stretcher.  With a simple order, the sailors lifted the stretcher as thought they were perfectly trained and moved quickly back across the boarding ramp.  Rose trailed them across the ramp.  She kept following.  No one really talked to her or asked her any more questions.  Everyone seemed as if they weren’t supposed to say anything or ask anything.  She wished Shiggy was conscious.  Rose wondered what was going to happen to her.

       When they arrived at the sick bay.  At least it looked like a sick bay to Rose, she opened her mouth, “The soldier told me.  He applied CELOX with wound seal and cyanoacrylate.  You won’t be able to remove the bandage without an unsealer, and you might need to use an anticoagulant.”

       The officer, he seemed like a doctor to Rose, nodded, “Very good.  Just what I needed to know.”  He looked over Shiggy’s wound and checked out the rest of her.  “I think she can travel safely.  Heart and blood pressure are good.  No signs of shock.  Just this wound and some trauma.  I’m going to give her a sedative and a pain killer.”  He gave Shiggy a couple of injections, then he wrote a note that he put in a folder and then attached another to her sweater next to the wound.  After that, he leaned back and glanced at Rose, “You seem pretty young to be involved in this kind of work.  Are you alright?”

       Rose sucked on her lower lip, “I am, sir.”

       “Do you need anything?  Food, drink, a bunk.”

       “No, sir.  I’ll just wait with Ms. Tash.  If that’s alright with you.”

       “We are at your service, Ms.?”

       “Miss Tash.”

       “Really?”

       The skipper came in at that moment, “No more questions, Doc.”

       The doctor’s brow rose.

       The skipper continued, “Is Major Tash able to travel?”

       The doctor nodded, “Yes, she’s stable.”

       The skipper raised his chin, “The helicopter’s ready.  Let’s get them both up on deck.”

       The stretcher crew came back for Shiggy.  Rose followed them up to the back deck of the ship.  The sun still lay well below the horizon.  They lifted Shiggy on her stretcher into the back of a grey camouflaged Westland Super Lynx helicopter.  The medic came on board and began strapping the stretcher down.  He sat on the side with Shiggy.  One of the sailors lifted Rose up into the helicopter and the helicopter crewmember in the back took a moment from strapping the stretcher down at his end, to point at a seat on the other side for Rose.  He tossed her a headset.  When he was finished with the stretcher, he came over and helped Rose strap in.  He plugged in Rose’s headset and asked, “Can you hear me?”  He showed Rose how to press the talk button.

       Rose responded, “I can hear you.”  She smiled.

       “I’m Leading Rate Davies.  Welcome aboard.”  He turned forward, “Pilot, our guests are strapped down and ready to go.  The ship is secure.”  He turned back around, “What’s your name?”

       The pilot called over the intercom, “No questions allowed, Davies.”

       “Yes, sir.”  He gave Rose an apologetic grin and shrugged his shoulders.  He took a seat between the pilot and the copilot.  The helicopter rose up from the ship’s aft deck. 

       Rose finally got a view of all the action and ships below.  She saw a large British warship.  She wasn’t sure of the class, but she had seen pictures before in her training.  It looked like a frigate.  The helicopter they were riding in wasn’t a passenger helicopter at all.  It looked completely like a war machine.  The frigate was attached to the freighter.  From above, Shiggy could see part of the reason they had to attack it the way they did.  The freighter was a hydrofoil.  She could make out the side wings.  That’s why it could safely enter the channel, and why Shiggy was worried it could get away before the British Navy could stop it.  All around the freighter lay smaller fast boats.  The black ones where all pulled together into a ragged clump.  Rose guessed they were the Russian ships.  Around them floated camouflaged small fast ships and some larger ships decorated in orange and white.  Rose guessed they were part of the British Navy and Coastguard contingent.  Then the helicopter began to move back and then up.  In a few moments, it was moving fast across the Orkneys and toward Scotland.   

 I’ll identify the tension and the release for you next.

All of this can and will reduce writer’s block.  I do all these things as a matter of course in my writing.  This is just some of the basics of writing.  It’s the kinds of ideas they never taught me in school. 

We will continue to move along in the list of how of get rid of writer’s block.

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.

F or more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:

http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com  

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

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