Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 322, more First Paragraphs Initial Scene

26 February 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 322, more First Paragraphs Initial Scene

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  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 website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to 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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene.  I'm writing about the initial scene of my newest novel, "Escape."  Escape is the working title.  I'll decide on the proposed title when I finish the novel.  I'm at the eleventh chapter right now.  That means I've written about 220 pages.

The entertainment (and excitement) should start with the first sentence and paragraph and grow to envelope the first scene.  Let's compare the excitement and entertainment I'm recommending with some of my published novels.  As I grew as a writer, my awareness of the importance of the first paragraph grew.  It's one thing to be taught or realize and another to implement.  Next example the first paragraph from, Shadow of Light:

A low clicking sound awoke Marie Bolang Hastings.  Having children made her very sensitive to noise—the motion of a child awake in the night, the soft sound of distress before little Leora began to cry.  Marie sat up on the bed without waking her husband.  She was a slight woman, petite and exquisitely beautiful.  Her skin was the color of cappuccino.  Her hair was black, long, and silky.  Her eyes, more appropriate on an Egyptian tomb painting were large and brown and exotic.  She was, by rights, an English Lady, the Lady Hastings in waiting.  She stole a glance at her sleeping husband, George, and sighed.  She pulled on her robe and walked out their door to where she heard the strange sounds.  Down the hall, Lumière Bolang, Marie’s sister, sat in the darkness of the small living room.  Marie knew it was Lumière.  She couldn’t tell why, but her soul and spirit told her Lumière sat on their mother’s couch and mumbled in French, the sound of clicking came incessantly from Lumière’s hands.  Lumière appeared very much like Marie.  They were sisters, after all.  Any difference was due to Lumière’s slimmer build and brilliant emerald eyes.  Where Marie’s face was round and her figure full; Lumière was thin, still curvaceous, but thin, perhaps too thin.  She looked strikingly like their mother.

Shadow of Light is a yet unpublished and uncontracted novel in the Ancient Light series.  It is the novel that follows Shadow of Darkness.   

This novel begins with contrasting action.  There is subdued action and focused character revelation.  There is scene setting--but more character description.  This beginning drives into the major point of the novel--the problem of Lumière Bolang. 

The main point of this beginning is mystery and set up.  There should be more action, but the point is to create action in a scene that has little action.  I guess you could describe it as intellectual action.  I perhaps should have moved the initial scene up one scene to the next--there Lumière Bolang has a fight with her love and he leaves--that is the event that starts the novel.  For my readers and for those who are new to this series, I wanted to introduce an reintroduce the characters.  In any case, the example is that you should go for more action and adventure for your first paragraph and scene.
 

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