Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 764, Visualizing the Initial Scene

14 May 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 764, Visualizing the Initial Scene

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  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 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.

     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.

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 26th novel, working title, Shape, proposed title, Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si, is this: Mrs. Lyons captures a shape-shifting girl in her pantry and rehabilitates her.

I just started writing my 27^th novel, working title, Claire, potential title Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse.  This might need some tweaking.  The theme statement is: Claire (Sorcha) Davis accepts Shiggy, a dangerous screw-up, into her Stela branch of the organization and rehabilitates her.  

Here is the cover proposal for Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si.  Essie is my 26th novel.

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I’m editing many of my novels using comments from my primary reader.  I finished my 27^th novel, working title Claire.  I’m working on marketing materials.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:

1.  Scene input (easy)

2.  Scene output (a little harder)

3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)

4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)

5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)

6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

 

How to begin a novel.  Number one thought, we need an entertaining idea.  I usually encapsulate such an idea with a theme statement.  Here’s the theme statement from Sorcha.

 

Claire (Sorcha) Davis accepts Shiggy, a dangerous screw-up, into her Stela branch of the organization and rehabilitates her.

 

I start by visualizing the initial scene.  This picture and resulting mental video become the basis for the entire novel.  My picture of the initial scene provides me the primary characters—at least the protagonist and protagonist’s helper or antagonist.  This picture gives me the initial setting.  Because I have a picture of the characters, I have a description and can develop them.  The development of the protagonist results in the telic flaw which also leads to the climax of the novel.  Additionally, the picture of the initial scene allows you to write a theme statement.

 

There you have it—in a nutshell, how to make a creative idea into a novel.  Once you have the initial scene, you can write all the other scenes and the end is a novel.  It really is as simple as that for me.  I realize until you’ve actually done it a couple of times (maybe five to ten), it doesn’t come easy.  That’s why I’m trying to make it as simple as possible for you.

 

For example, in the novel, Sorcha, I initially visualized Shiggy waking in Sorcha’s secret house and the initial confrontation.  I already developed Shiggy and Sorcha.  I was looking specifically for their initial interaction for the initial scene.  I’ve written over and over, the best way to develop the initial scene is the meeting of the protagonist and the protagonist’s helper or the antagonist.  This is exactly what I did.  I already showed you how I developed Shiggy and Sorcha.  The trick was to write their first meeting and confrontation.  You can go to you website and look in new novels to see the marketing page for Sorcha.  Here is the link: http://www.GoddessoftheHearth.com/.  You can read the first chapter and see if this isn’t a fun beginning for a novel.  I’ll try to give you more details on the development of the initial scene though creative elements in the 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  

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