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.
Here are my rules of writing:
1. Entertain your readers.
2. Don't confuse your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
A scene outline is a means of writing a novel where each scene follows the other with a scene input from the previous scene and a scene output that leads to the next scene. The scenes don't necessarily have to follow directly in time and place, however they generally follow the storyline of the protagonist.
A storyline outline is a means of writing a novel where the author develops a scene outline for more than one character and bases the plot on one or more of these storyline scenes. This allows the scenes to focus on more than the protagonist. This is a very difficult means of writing. There is a strong chance of confusing your readers.
Whether you write with a scene outline or a storyline outline, you must properly develop your scenes. All novels are developed from scenes and each scene has a design similar to a novel. Every successful novel has the following basic parts:
1. The beginning
2. The rising action
3. The Climax
4. The falling action
5. The dénouement
Every scene has these parts:
1. The setting (where, what, who, when, how)
2. The connection (input)
3. The tension development
4. The release
5. The output
There are lots of approaches to scene setting. That means there are about a million plus ways you can set a scene. The main point is you have to clearly get across the where, when, who, what, and how.
Here is another example of scene setting from the novel, Aksinya. I'm giving you examples from the book so you can see different ways of introducing and writing a scene. In each snippet, you get the scene setting, the tension and release, and the input and output. This isn't true of every example, but the pieces should be there, and I've been trying to identify for you when all the pieces aren't evident. You can use these ideas to guide your own writing. Make sure you set the scene properly, then make everything come to life through the narration and conversation.
Here I use scene setting as part of the humor and the tension and release in the scene. In descriptive narration, I move the scene from the morning and Aksinya's bedroom to the school and her classes. The reader is already familiar with Aksinya and Natalya's day, so moving through it is accomplished via highlights and unusual events. This is where the humor comes in. Then comes dinner.
In
the morning, Sister Margarethe
and Natalya would not allow Aksinya to sleep late. They woke her and poured strong coffee down
her and dressed her. With one on the
left and the other on her right, they half carried her to chapel where she lost
the coffee and breakfast they had fed her.
They both took her to the dining room and served her tea and a half a
roll. Aksinya slept through her
classes. She and Natalya finally arrived
at dinner. Aksinya did not look very
well. She ate listlessly.
Fraulein
Trauen couldn’t remain quiet, “Well Countess, how was your evening? Did you drink too much again?”
Aksinya
played with her soup, “I was provoked.”
“Provoked?”
Natalya
didn’t look up from her bowl, “Herr von Taaffe declared his undying love to her
and announced his challenge against any other suitor.”
The
women around the table stared at her.
Fraulein Trauen swallowed.
Fraulein
Pfaff sighed, “Right in the middle of the opera? How romantic.”
Natalya
nodded, “At intermission.”
Fraulein
Pfaff stretched her arms toward Natalya, “How did she accept it…?” She immediately thought better of her
address. She turned toward Aksinya, “Did
you accept his love, Countess?”
Aksinya
rolled her eyes and gave Fraulein Pfaff a disdainful scowl. No one spoke.
Finally, Aksinya stated in unequivocal terms, “I took Ernst’s confession
under advisement. For now, I will allow
him to continue to court me.”
Fraulein
Pfaff’s mouth hung open, “Do you love him?”
Aksinya
ran her fingers through her short hair, “Love him? I’m not certain I desire him.”
Fraulein
Trauen cried out, “What a shameful thing to say. To desire him? What are you thinking?”
Aksinya
pushed her soup out of the way and lay her head at her place. She plucked at the tablecloth, “What would I
want with a man. I have everything I
need right now. The only reason I would
want one is to satisfy my desires.”
Fraulein
Trauen’s ears reddened. Her mouth opened
and closed a couple of times finally, she choked out, “There is certainly much
more to a man than to satisfy your desires.
No proper woman should have any desires at all.” Fraulein Trauen glanced around, “At least
that’s what my mother says.”
Aksinya
glanced up at her, “Your mother is a fool and so are you. The purpose of men is to fulfill a woman’s
desires. That is the only reason I would
have one, and Ernst von Taaffe must prove his willingness to meet my needs
before I will consider anything else.”
Fraulein
Pfaff asked, “Is that what love means to you?”
Aksinya
smiled. She sat up so the fish course
could be placed in front of her. When
they were served, Aksinya picked at the small piece of salmon on her plate and
answered, “Yes, truthfully, that is love to me.
A man should meet my needs and desires—to me that is love. What else could love be?”
Fraulein
Pfaff surveyed the table. Fraulein
Trauen wouldn’t meet her eyes. Fraulein
Vogt stared at her plate. Natalya’s gaze
was steady, but she remained silent. Only
Aksinya would look directly at Fraulein Pfaff, and Aksinya’s opinion was the
last one she wanted to hear. Finally
Fraulein Pfaff asked, “How would you love a man then?”
Aksinya
smiled a very broad smile, “I would meet his every need and desire myself.”
Fraulein
Trauen’s hands moved up to her mouth, “You don’t mean every desire, even
those…”
Aksinya
grinned, “Even those. That’s what I’d
expect from him.”
The
nun at the table finally took notice of the women in her charge. She raised her head in time to catch Aksinya
with a very smug look on her face, Natalya with a bored look, and the others
with their hands over their mouths.
Aksinya’s
appetite improved considerably, but the conversation at the table didn’t
continue at all that evening.
The following is a question asked by one of my readers. I'm going to address this over time: I am awaiting for you to write a detailed installment on identifying, and targeting your audience, or audiences...ie, multi-layered story, for various audiences...like CS Lewis did. JustTake care, and keep up the writing; I am enjoying it, and learning a lot.
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, www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, thefoxshonor, http://www.aseasonofhonor.
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