07 October 2023, Writing - part xxx464 Writing a Novel, Building a Protagonist, Love Interest
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 31st
novel, working title, Cassandra, potential title Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors. The theme statement is: Deirdre and Sorcha
are redirected to French finishing school where they discover difficult
mysteries, people, and events.
I finished writing my 34th
novel (actually my 32nd completed novel), Seoirse, potential
title Seoirse: Enchantment and the Assignment. The theme statement is: Seoirse is assigned
to be Rose’s protector and helper at Monmouth while Rose deals with five
goddesses and schoolwork; unfortunately, Seoirse has fallen in love with Rose.
Here is the cover
proposal for Seoirse: Enchantment and the Assignment:
|
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 finished writing number 31, working title Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warrior. I just finished my 32nd novel and
33rd novel: Rose: Enchantment and the Flower, and Seoirse:
Enchantment and the Assignment.
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 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.
For novel 33, Book girl: Siobhàn Shaw is Morven McLean’s savior—they
are both attending Kilgraston School in Scotland when Morven loses everything,
her wealth, position, and friends, and Siobhàn Shaw is the only one left to
befriend and help her discover the one thing that might save Morven’s family
and existence.
For novel 34: Seoirse is assigned to be Rose’s protector
and helper at Monmouth while Rose deals with five goddesses and schoolwork;
unfortunately, Seoirse has fallen in love with Rose.
For novel 35: Eoghan,
a Scottish National Park Authority Ranger, while handing a supernatural problem
in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park discovers the crypt of Aine and
accidentally releases her into the world; Eoghan wants more from the world and
Aine desires a new life and perhaps love.
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:
Let me tell you a little about writing.
Writing isn’t so much a hobby, a career, or a pastime. Writing is a habit and an obsession. We who love to write love to write.
If
you love to write, the problem is gaining the skills to write well. We want to write well enough to have others
enjoy our writing. This is
important. No one writes just for
themselves the idea is absolutely irrational and silly. I can prove why.
In
the first place, the purpose of writing is communication—that’s the only
purpose. Writing is the abstract
communication of the mind through symbols.
As time goes by, we as writers gain more and better tools and our readers
gain more and better appreciation for those tools and skills—even if they have
no idea what they are.
We
are in the modern era. In this time, the
action and dialog style along with the push of technology forced novels into
the form of third person, past tense, action and dialog style, implying the
future. This is the modern style of the
novel. I also showed how the end of
literature created the reflected worldview.
We have three possible worldviews for a novel: the real, the reflected,
and the created. I choose to work in the
reflected worldview.
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.
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.
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.
With that said, where should we
go? Should I delve into ideas and
creativity again, or should we just move into the novel again? Should I develop a new protagonist, which, we
know, will result in a new novel. I’ve
got an idea, but it went stale. Let’s
look at the outline for a novel again:
1.
The initial scene
2.
The rising action
scenes
3.
The climax scene
4.
The falling action
scene(s)
5.
The dénouement scene(s)
The initial scene is the most important
scene and part of any novel. To get to
the initial scene, you don’t need a plot, you need a protagonist.
My main focus, at the moment, is
marketing my novels. That specifically
means submissions. I’m aiming for agents
because if I can get an agent, I think that might give me more contacts with
publishers plus a let up in the business.
I would like to write another novel, but I’m holding off and editing one
of my older novels Shadow of Darkness.
I thought that novel would have fit perfectly with one potential agent
who said they were looking for Jewish based and non-Western mythology in
fantasy. That’s exactly what Shadow
of Darkness is, but they passed on it.
In any case, I’m looking for an agent who will fall in love with my
writing and then promote it to publishers.
That’s the goal.
The dependency I’d like to present in a
new novel is similar to Valeska but one where the protagonist falls
romantically in love with the focus. The
question is the focus.
Now, I’m looking and researching for a being
or character who would fit the needs of the book I’m proposing.
Don’t modify known settings, people, or
history unless you are writing alternate history. Modify, at will, those things that are not
known or recorded in history. That comes
to a very important point about historical fiction, even reflected worldview
historical fiction. That is that history
doesn’t record much of the mundane we wish to include in our novels.
If I’m going to develop a protagonist,
I need to bring out the protagonist outline.
I’ve got it somewhere in my writing—I just have to find it.
I
guess I’ll start with the Romantic part of the protagonist. Then I’ll move to the more specific pieces of
the protagonist. Most precisely, I’m
looking at the list of potential characters from my list of characters in my
other novels.
Here
is my list for the characteristics of a Romantic protagonist. I am
not very happy with most of the lists I have found. So, I will start
with a classic list from the literature and then translate them to what they
really mean. This is the refined list. Take a look.
1.
Some power or ability outside the norm of society that the character develops
to resolve the telic flaw.
I have
Áine as the potential focus of the novel.
She’s a Celtic goddess. This
focus isn’t set yet, but I need a protagonist, and I need to develop and design
one. I’m contemplating a son of the Stuarts
and the Calloways. Here’s the
information from my notes.
Elaina actually Evir Elisabeth Stuart, Gaelic:
Eamhair Ealasaid Stiùbhartach – The girl: she was blond with grey-blue
eyes and a very Nordic or Norman look.
Her long hair was tied in a tight French weave. She was tall and looked mature—much more
mature than Sorcha or Deirdre.
Old Raleigh
bike with a basket and a bell - an old Raleigh welded-steel frame girl’s
bicycle
Elaina actually Evir Elisabeth Stuart, Gaelic:
Eamhair Ealasaid Stiùbhartach g. Oxford
b. 1975 late to Wycombe Abbey a special student of Luna’s was being groomed for
work in Stela and the Organization. He specialty
is with the Fae. They are bound to her
because of her nobility and background.
She is not Fae but commands the Fae to some degree.
m.
James (Seumas) Donaidh Calloway b. 1971
c.
Eoghan (Owen) Ragnall Calloway/Stuart (Stiùbhartach)
c.
Aife (Eva) Eamhair (Evir) Calloway/Stuart (Stiùbhartach)
2. Set
of beliefs (morals and ideals) that are different than normal culture or
society’s.
He knows
the Fae, the creatures of the land, angels, the God, and the gods and goddesses
of the land. That gives him a moral
basis centered on an orthodox belief.
His family goes to church and practices all the strong tenants of
Christianity.
3.
Courageous
Still,
Eoghan and his sister gained some degree of training their mother and father
never expected. Eoghan is a park ranger
with the Scottish National Park authority.
He was taught at their special training in law enforcement and all its attendant
training. The British military taught
many of his courses, especially in hand to hand, weapons, and the
wilderness. He knows more than his
mother would like, and he is strongly attracted to this life and this
training. He would like to be part of
the military and has had overtures. He
is naturally courageous and naturally good.
Then he finds Aine, and she will give him a purpose for his special
skills.
4.
Power (skills and abilities) and leadership that are outside of the normal
society.
Just
be aware, it must have to do with the use of their powers of charm and
sensitivity in relation to leadership.
That’s the ticket.
5. Introspective
Eoghan
must be an introspective character. We
have a protagonist’s helper to aid him in expressing his mind, but he won’t let
out much or as much as Aine wants and that will help drive the novel. Remember, in writing a novel, secrets are your
best friend.
6.
Travel plot
I don’t
expect a really powerful travel plot like I provided in Rose and Seoirse, but
we need to get Eoghan and Aine into the regular world and into regular society—that’s
where the differences and the interactions with people and each other can
really play out. Plus, there is no way
after about 1500 or more years in a crypt that Aine wants to remain holed up in
a rural or wilderness area. She’s for
society and culture, plus part of the real fun in the novel is for them both to
have new and exciting experiences together.
The travel plot makes all this possible.
7.
Melancholy
Eoghan
is like his mother Elaina and his sister.
They are all touched by their mother’s and family’s depreciation of
their aristocracy. They lost all in the
game of promotion and house. They lost
in the game of thrones, so to speak, but they all have charm and sensitivity to
the Fae and beings of the land. That
makes them powerful in their own way, but powerless in society. This is what we will change in Eoghan. That’s one aspect of the novel’s telic flaw.
8.
Overwhelming desire to change and grow—to develop four and one.
This
is the desire that will consume and empower Eoghan. This is what will drive him and Aine forward
in the novel. He will have special
skills, but the reader will realize that it isn’t the skill but the dedication
and work behind the skill that leads to Eoghan’s success.
9.
Pathos developed because the character does not fit the cultural
mold. From the common.
I’m
sure there are other ways to develop this pathos in the novel. For Rose and in Seoirse, I used some other
methods and means based on Rose’s qualities and skills to develop pathos. In general, I used dependency and the
military situation in Seoirse to build pathos.
This is easy with females, but a little less easy with males. With females, the pathos becomes
situational. For men, the pathos is
dependency based. I’m planning and
building a male protagonist, so these are important considerations. With Seoirse, I could play off the female development
of pathos and the male pathos. I think
this is a great means of designing pathos.
I might be able to do this for Eoghan with Aine too.
10.
Regret when they can’t follow their own moral compass.
In the
end, Eoghan might regret some of his actions and the results of his
actions. This creates a situation that
provides tension and release. It also
continues the tension and release in what is called a sequel by some
writers.
11.
Self-criticism when they can’t follow their own moral compass.
In any
case, self-criticism will be a characteristic of Eoghan, and it will drive Aine
crazy. Aine will be from an era where
people made decisions based on life and death.
She isn’t used to second guessing.
I can imagine one of their discussions.
To solve
a problem, she says just kill someone or something. Eoghan says no, and that astounds her. Perhaps she will need to learn to be
self-critiquing.
12.
Pathos bearing because he or she is estranged from family or normal society by
death, exclusion for some reason, or self-isolation due to three above.
I will
point out that with many and normal Romantic protagonists, the exclusion and
self-isolation is intentional and permanent.
They desire it. The exclusion and
self-isolation caused by being an orphan or a partial orphan are also permanent
and tend to develop automatic pathos in the reader for the Romantic protagonist. I won’t use this for Eoghan.
13.
From the common and potentially the rural.
In any
case, we want our Romantic protagonist to be out of the common. We can work this in many ways, but the ultimate
point is to convince the reader that the Romantic protagonist is just like them
and not really special at all.
14.
Love interest
A love
interest isn’t a required piece of the characteristics of the Romantic
protagonist—it’s just a really nice one to include and a common one for any Romantic
protagonist. Of the list of characteristics,
many of them are optional, however, together, they produce an undisputed and
entertaining Romantic protagonist. In
fact an entertaining protagonist. The
entire point of this stream of development, that is for a Romantic protagonist,
is to produce an entertaining protagonist who can support a novel. I should go back over this before we get too
far into love interest.
I
assert, because I’ve written about twenty two or so novels this way—maybe more,
that the best way to write an good novel, an entertaining novel is with a great
protagonist. In my experience, the best and
more entertaining protagonists are Romantic protagonists. These are defined by the characteristics above. The Romantic protagonist is the most
entertaining protagonist, and many if not most great novels of the modern era
have a Romantic protagonist in some measure or degree. Those novels we hate to read have non- Romantic
protagonists or just terrible protagonists.
I won’t go over those books again, but if you look at the novels you
enjoy and the novels that become bestsellers as opposed to those picked to
become bestsellers, you will find a large number include Romantic protagonists.
I’ve
written this before. When I started
writing novels, I had no idea what I was doing.
I just got an idea and started writing.
The ideas were okay, but I discovered quickly that trying to write from
an idea, I used a question at the time, or from a plot was not just difficult,
but almost impossible. For my historical
novels that had to follow a general path based on history, the writing was
relativity straightforward, but for the other completely new novels, it wasn’t
at all. I struggled for a while and
wrote eight novels using the historical basis and the question method. In the end, I found a publisher who published
all of my early novels and wanted more when they went out of business. Oh well.
In the interim, I discovered an even better way to build and develop novels. That was what I call the protagonist
development model.
My
earlier novels were a success and one of them was a high end series
beginning. It produced a couple of
potential protagonists, in fact, the protagonist of the novel Aegypt was
Paul Bolang and the protagonist’s helper was, in the end, Leora Bolang. She was an ancient being revived from a tomb
who was called the Goddess of Light in ancient Egypt. Her sister, Leila, the Goddess of Darkness
was also revived. The characters who
could become great protagonists where Leora and Paul. I had created a new way for me to write.
My initial
trials were slow and not fully understanding the methods and ideas I had
found. I wrote Sister of Light,
which was on contract, and Sister of Darkness, which was also on
contract. These were both written with a
max of the question/plot method and the protagonist method, however, when I
finished Sister of Darkness, and it was on contract with my publisher
wanting more, I wrote Shadow of Darkness. This was the first novel I wrote beginning
only with the protagonist. It was Lumie’re. She was the daughter of the Goddess of Light,
Leora, and Paul Bolang. She was my Romantic
protagonist who I turned into a novel. Lumie’re
played an important role in Sister of Darkness, but she came into her
own in Shadow of Darkness. I was developing
all of these novels from a historical foundation but focused on the characters
and especially on the Romantic protagonist.
I discovered the best way for me to write a novel was to develop the
protagonist and a Romantic protagonist at that, then write to the telic flaw
brought by that protagonist. The result
was a series of eight novels that I’m certain would all be published today if
my publisher had not gone defunct.
This
method or style of writing a novel is what I’m offering you. It has worked well in writing about two
thirds of my novels, and I use it for ever novel I write now. It does have some drawbacks, but the question/plot
method has even more drawbacks. In fact,
I think the question/plot method of writing can produce a great novel, but not
as good a novel as the protagonist development method. I throw out the term method, but these aren’t
methods as much as approaches to writing.
The
other power of the protagonist development approach is that it allows the
author to strongly control the length of the novel. I found that 100,000 words is pretty easy
using this approach and the results are very positive. I’ll get to the love interest next.
Here
is the protagonist development list. We are going to use this list
to develop a Romantic protagonist. With the following outline in
mind, we will build a Romantic 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
I want to write another book based on
Rose and Seoirse, and the topic will be the raising of Ceridwen—at least that’s
my plan. Before I get to that, I want to
write another novel about dependency as a theme. We shall see.
More
tomorrow.
For more information, you can visit my
author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual
novel websites:
http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com
fiction, theme, plot,
story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel,
book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea,
logic
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