Development - Tension and Release in the First Scene

11 March 2012, Development - Tension and Release in the First Scene

Introduction: I realized that I need to introduce this blog a little. I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. The working title was Daemon, and this was my 21st novel. Over the last year, 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.

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 website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The picture that began the creative process for the novel Aksinya is complete, but to write the first scene requires the tension development and the characters' voice.  The obvious tension device is the conjuring (calling) of the demon.  This is the action in the first scene and the main tension device.  Within the first scene, I use many other means to develop tension.  We can make a short list of them.

1.  The room is in darkness--darkness is a means of building tension.
2.  Aksinya's clothing doesn't fit her well and she is over exposing herself--this is a means of creating embarrassment and sexual tension.  It also becomes a means of release as a joke in the text.
3.  Sorcery that is making magic can be considered a tension builder.  We will see how the elements of this play out.
4.  Threat of injury--the sorcery is couched in terms of injury if it fails or if it is done incorrectly.
5.  The threat of the demon--this is also a multifaceted tension builder.
6.  The confusion of the demon--he can't believe Aksinya called him.
7.  The sealing of the agreement--Aksinya must give a part of her body as a surety.
8.  The threat of death and hell--the demon threatens and promises her.
9.  The threat of injury when Aksinya takes up the dagger to cut off a body part.
10.  The threat of the death of Aksinya's family.
11.  The beginning of the demon's temptations--this concludes the chapter.

Each of these tension builders also have their own release (the resolution).  The darkness is resolved by movement to another location.  The sorcery is resolved by the completion of the spell (the surety).  The sexual tension caused by Aksinya's clothing is not resolved in this chapter--it continues for quite a while in the text.  The threat of injury in every case is resolved when the contract is concluded with the demon.  The confusion of the demon is fully resolved by the contract.  The threat of death for Aksinya's family is resolved in their death.  Finally, we don't see the resolution of the demon's temptations.  This carries over into the second chapter.  This is the major theme of the novel--that is, the temptation of Aksinya.

We'll look more at the first scene in the creative process in Aksinya tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Themes and Subthemes plus a little on Sexual Tension

Anyone who has read Boccaccio, Chaucer, or Shakespeare knows that most themes have been used multiple times by multiple writers. That doesn't mean there are or can be new themes to be delved or powerful themes that have not been explored enough. The purpose of artistry in writing is to package these themes in new wrappers so the message and the ideas are fresh.

One of the most powerful themes and subthemes is sexual tension. This theme is easily observed in works like Romeo and Juliette. This theme is incredibly powerful and is exploited in most non-juvenile novels where men and women interact. The interaction of adult men and women almost always requires some degree of sexual tension. Sexual tension can be developed in three separate spheres of thought: natural, ethical, and moral. Moral use of sexual tension is a classical theme and revolves around licit and illicit sex defined by the boundary of legal, acceptable, customary, or promised marriage. Marriage is the general goal and the theme is propelled by the promise or hope of marriage. This is the classical theme in much of English literature especially in the Victorian Era, but is a theme and subtheme in much if not most of English literature. Examples are easy to come by--the Bronte sisters, Shakespeare, Jane Austin, and all. A variant of this theme is breach of marriage and or adultery. Examples here are well known, The Scarlet Letter is just one.

In the Twentieth Century and following, the sexual theme has morphed into one of ethical or natural sexual tension. These themes and subthemes are pervasive and generally intellectually crippled. Instead of marriage, the end of the theme is sex itself or a sex act. This theme is usually simply a subtheme, but focuses in sexual longing and desire driven by various romance based ideas culminating in the sex act with or without marriage or a promise of marriage. Ethical sexual tension, by definition, culminates with a stated or implied promise of some type. Natural sexual tension, by definition, simply ends in sexual congress. There is not a lot an artist can do with natural or ethical sexual tension--it certainly cannot really drive the theme of a novel although many have tried.

The moral sexual theme is one that is still well used in literature and should be--successful reproduction is the focus of human existence. Without it there will be no people to read all that great literature. The main point here is this theme is both critical and essential to literature and I recommend using the moral sexual theme or sub-theme to appropriately propel your writing.

Now, I will provide one of my real writing secrets. One theme that has not been used much is sexual tension in a successful or positive marriage. In fact, I know of only a few novels that successfully exploit this theme. You can see examples, amazingly, in some movies. Most of the time, in literature, movies, and theater the theme of marriage focuses around failed or broken marriage with an end of the change of spouse.

I am writing novels www.ldalford.com to exploit the sub-theme of sexual tension in successful marriages. Generally, the first portion of the tale is one of moral sexual tension with the result of marriage. Following marriage, usually authors ignore the concept of human sexual tension as though it didn't exist at all. As though sex or moral desire after marriage was nonexistent. In The Fox's Honor www.TheFoxsHonor.com, Sister of Light, Sister of Darkness, Twilight Lamb, and Regia Anglorum, I exploit the subtheme of moral sexual tension in successful marriages. I attempt to do this with class and without any salacious detail. This is a theme that is not new, but underused and I think the modern world needs to see this as a positive example in literature.