10 July 2016, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part 821, Falling Action, Examples
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
finished writing my 27th 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.
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|
Cover
Proposal
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The most important scene in any
novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising
action. I started writing my 28th novel, working title Red Sonja.
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. Since I’m
writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement. Here is an initial cut.
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.
How to give a coherent example of
the falling action? In most novels, the
falling action is shorter than a chapter and usually a single scene. In rare novels, it might be a couple of
scenes. I’ll write about Aksinya since you can read it for
yourself on this blog.
In the falling action for Aksinya, Dobrushin undresses Akinsya, they
have sex, they discuss what they will do next, and they go to sleep. One scene.
Short, sweet, and off the stage.
The next scene is the dénouement.
The dénouement shows you what happens to close out their lives in the
novel. Not with their deaths, but with a
completion of the plot. That is the dénouement—I’ll
get to that tomorrow.
Perhaps a little closer example
might help. You can read Akisnya, but you can’t read this
novel. Here is a short falling action:
Unbelievably, at the beginning of
summer, on the twenty-second of June, the air suddenly cooled, and began to
snow. Just lightly, at first, but the
snowfall grew quickly in the weakening sunlight.
The Unseelie court held their heads low
to the ground.
A sudden blaze of light shone at the
back of the borrow. It brightened and
there stood a woman clothed in a white gown.
Fiery red shadows moved through the gown. The woman’s hair flashed a brilliant scarlet.
Kathrin didn’t turn toward her,
“Brigitta.”
“Ceridwen, Your Majesty. I am here to robe you.” Brigitta carried a fine white robe before
her. She reverently took the caldron
from Kathrin’s hands, and placed it at her feet. She draped the robe over Kathrin’s naked body
and helped her don it. The robe looked
magnificent but utterly simple. It was
white, a white so pure and perfect, its like might have never been seen on
earth before. Brigitta wrapped a belt of
pure silver chain around Kathrin’s waist, and finally placed a crown of green
heather on her head. She knelt before
Kathrin.
Morgan la Fey waved her hand. Immediately the males of her retinue
reappeared. They fell on their
faces.
“Call the others,” Brigitta was
exultant. “They will all attend, Your
Majesty.”
Kathrin raised her hands again, “Come
all the fairy courts to me. Come and
swear your fealty.”
The air filled with swirling
bodies. They appeared fairies from all
over the Celtic and Gaelic lands. They
were all there. The fen was covered with
them. They all bowed on their faces to
Kathrin.
Kathrin raised her hands, “Come, my
friends the gods and goddesses of these lands.
Come to me and help me rule.”
Men and women stood around Kathrin. James saw Kathrin’s father. He saw her mother. There appeared beings he had never heard of
before. They all fell to their
knees. Kathrin motioned to James, and he
came to her. She motioned to Klava and
Sveta, and they came to her. Kathrin
arranged the girls on one side and James on the other. Kathrin kissed James gently and whispered,
“Stand here beside me.”
Kathrin looked out over the many, many
beings who knelt before her and called, “Rise.
Rise all of you. Morgan la Fey,
where is my child?”
Jubilant, Morgan la Fey held Seumas in
her arms. She handed Seumas to Kathrin,
“We could never let harm befall this child.
He is our promise as much as yours.”
Morgan la Fey lowered her head as though she expected Kathrin to strike
her.
Kathrin puzzled over that statement, but
she could not for long. They all stared
at her. Kathrin looked at Seumas and
knew he remained whole and well. She
kissed him. She gazed at those all
around her, “That was a terrible trick you played to make me take my place, but
in spite of that I forgive you all for the sake of my son.”
“You forgive us?” Morgan la Fey raised
her head. “That was never Ceridwen’s way
in the past. She would have punished us
all. Me particularly. That is why I was chosen.”
Kathrin handed Seumas to James. She lifted Morgan la Fey and kissed her, “I
will not punish you. I wronged you. I bowed my neck to the Dagda, but not to His
purpose. You made me take on the role I
was made by Him to do. I wish for you
all to accept they yoke of the Dagda just as I did, but I will not coerce or
demand this from anyone. I ask you. Look at my babe. Look at what I have become. Decide for yourself.
“For the fairy courts, I will leave open
the gate to my garden, but you must swear to never harm my friends or guests
there.”
Morgan la Fey fell again at Kathrin’s
feet, “I swear, Your Majesty, all my forces to guard your houses and lands.”
Kathrin smiled, “I accept your offer,
but in the middle of London
“Yes, Your Majesty. I understand.”
King Oberon bowed low before Kathrin, “I
will accept the obligation of Queen Morgan la Fey.”
Morgan la Fey lifted a smile, “That is
the first time you have granted me any boon, Oberon.”
Oberon twitched his lips, “It may be the
last, but it seemed appropriate at this time.
The snow of the White Lady is falling.
The coronation of Her Majesty, Ceridwen has come. We will revel together for this time and
celebrate this strange beginning.”
“So we shall.”
The fairy courts each summoned a
banquet. The gods and goddesses in
Kathrin’s train brought forth their blessings.
Kathrin raised a wood and a great warm area above them. The snow still fell. They all celebrated until the morning light
began to dawn in the east.
Kathrin greeted each of her subjects
with a blessing and a kiss. Near the
end, the Welsh fae, the Tylwyth Teg,
came privately to greet her. Their
King, Pryderi fab Pwyll wore robes of a plainer cut than Oberon and his lady or
Morgan la Fey and her consort. A
filigree of gold and green covered the front and sides. His consort, Cigfa, wore a plain blue robe of
gossamer. Pryderi fab Pwyll stood
slightly away from Kathrin, “Your Majesty, I must report that one of your
subjects did not answer your summons.”
Kathrin didn’t know how to respond. She stuttered, “Who might that be Pryderi fab
Pwyll.”
“The Aos Si intentionally did not come.”
“Who is the Aos Si?”
Pryderi fab Pwyll squinted, “A creature
of great darkness and danger to your realm and to your subjects. It is a creature of enormous power who can
act against humans and the fae.”
“What would you have me do Pryderi fab
Pwyll.”
“If you wish, we will confine this
creature to protect you and all the land.”
“That is then my decree. I do give you leave. By the One and All to confine the Aos Si and
protect the land.” The air crackled and
Kathrin’s hair frizzed slightly. Power
rose around her.
Pryderi fab Pwyll smiled with a bow,
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Your will
shall be done.”
When the Tylwyth Teg returned to their place,
Kathrin felt slightly ill at ease, but she soon forgot about it and joined in
the merriment of the moment.
This example is from Children of Light and Darkness. It is the sixth of the Ancient Light novels. The
novel was resolved when Kathrin took her place.
The falling action completes the novel and gets the characters off the
stage. It doesn’t close the
curtain. There are a couple of new ideas
enclosed in this falling action. One is
the status of the Aos Si. I included
this to set up another novel I’ve already written: Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si.
The other new idea that I haven’t used yet directly is the idea that the
Seelie Court guards Kathrin’s Rosebush House.
Just to be clear, the climax of the
novel was that Kathrin took her place—she is the Celtic goddess over all. The falling action completes the loose
threads of the novel and moves the characters off stage. The dénouement may give us a last look at the
characters before the curtain closes, but the dénouement is where the curtain
comes down. I’ll give you the dénouement
from Children of Light and Darkness
tomorrow—and I’ll repeat the dénouement from Aksinya.
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
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com
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