12 March 2017, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part x65, Creative Elements in Scenes, Plot Devices, MacGuffin
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
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 Sorcha:
Enchantment and the Curse.
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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 also working on my 29th novel,
working title School.
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: transition from input to output focused on the telic
flaw resolution)
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.
For novel 28: 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.
For novel 29: Sorcha, the abandoned child of an Unseelie
and a human, secretly attends Wycombe Abbey girls’ school where she meets the
problem child Deirdre and is redeemed.
These are the steps I use to write a
novel:
1.
Design the initial scene
2.
Develop a theme statement (initial
setting, protagonist, protagonist’s helper or antagonist, action statement)
a.
Research as required
b.
Develop the initial setting
c.
Develop the characters
d.
Identify the telic flaw (internal
and external)
3.
Write the initial scene (identify
the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)
4.
Write the next scene(s) to the
climax (rising action)
5.
Write the climax scene
6.
Write the falling action scene(s)
7.
Write the dénouement scene
Here is the beginning of the scene
development method from the outline:
1.
Scene input (comes from the previous
scene output or is an initial scene)
2.
Write the scene setting (place,
time, stuff, and characters)
3.
Imagine the output, creative
elements, plot, telic flaw resolution (climax) and develop the tension and
release.
4.
Write the scene using the output and
creative elements to build the tension.
5.
Write the release
6.
Write the kicker
Below is a list of plot
devices. I’m less interested in a plot
device than I am in a creative element that drives a plot device. In fact, some of these plot devices are not
good for anyone’s writing. If we
remember, the purpose of fiction writing is entertainment, we will perhaps
begin to see how we can use these plot devices to entertain. If we focus on creative elements that drive
plot devices, we can begin to see how to make our writing truly
entertaining. I’ll leave up the list and
we’ll contemplate creative elements to produce these plot devices.
Deus ex machina (a machination, or act of
god; lit. “god out of the machine”)
Flashback (or analeptic reference)
MacGuffin – Current discussion.
Story within a story (Hypodiegesis)
Secrets
MacGuffin: Here is a
definition of a MacGuffin from the link-- A plot device in
the form of some goal, desired object, or other motivator that the protagonist
pursues, often with little or no narrative explanation as to why it is
considered so important.
Objects that serve as MacGuffins are familiar in narrative fiction. For example, a small statuette provides both the eponymous title and the motive for intrigue in The Maltese Falcon. The name "MacGuffin" was coined by the English screenwriter Angus MacPhail,[4] although it was popularised by Alfred Hitchcock in the 1930s, but the concept pre-dates the term. The World War I–era actress Pearl White used weenie to identify whatever object (a roll of film, a rare coin, expensive diamonds, etc.) impelled the heroes, and often the villains as well, to pursue each other through the convoluted plots of The Perils of Pauline and the other silent film serials in which she starred.
The MacGuffin is an interesting
device. As noted, it does predate the
movies, but it is primarily a device of modern creation. I think the writer of the article doesn’t
understand the MacGuffin
or the concept of the Holy Grail. The
Holy Grail, at least, is what we term a sufficient or a satisfying MacGuffin.
A satisfying MacGuffin is one that is
important in itself to pursue. In other
words a satisfying MacGuffin
is just a normal creative element. A
creative element is an item that starts as a setting element but then when used
by the protagonist or another character becomes a creative element—an element
important to the plot. In some ways a
creative element is the opposite of a true MacGuffin. A true MacGuffin is also an unsatisfying
MacGuffin. A creative element is more
akin to a Chekov’s Gun. A Chekov’s Gun
is a critical item (creative element) that is necessary to the plot. A MacGuffin is also critical to the plot, but
in itself is not critical to the entire plot.
In other words, what the MacGuffin is doesn’t matter to the plot.
Back
to the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is
important because of what it is. It is important in itself. The search for the Holy Grail was made into a
MacGuffin in the Monty Python movie of the same name, but to the writers of the
Middle Ages, it was a self-evident item of importance. In a sufficient MacGuffin, the item is
important to the plot. In an
insufficient MacGuffin, the item is not important.
The
MacGuffin is not a good plot device. I do
not use it, and I consider it a bad device to use in a novel. It holds together poor movies and makes an
exciting story, but it isn’t a good plot device. It is an insufficient plot device. If you desire to use this type of plot
device, ensure the one you choose is important in itself. I’ll give you an example of such a device,
but not really a MacGuffin from my writing:
Dr. Yosef unlocked
the top of the drawer and opened it up.
He pulled open the velvet lining and began removing pieces from it. As Dr. Yosef laid each artifact before her,
Leora read and evaluated them. They were
all trivial and unimportant artifacts until the Doctor pulled out a small golden
breast piece. It was round with a
stylistic eagle below and a sun above.
Leora said nothing. She allowed
no outward indication that would reveal her thoughts. Her sister would not want this, it was the
disk of Ra. Literally a piece that
encapsulated the power of Ra so that the sun’s energy could be later recalled.
When all the pieces lay on the table,
Leora worked painstakingly through them.
She meticulously evaluated each of them and studied their
inscriptions. She was careful not to touch
the Ra piece. When she was done she
glanced up at the expectant Doctor.
Dr. Yosef made a face, “Well, Madam
Bolang, what are we dealing with here?”
“The Osiris Offering Formula is not
here.”
The doctor slowly let out his breath,
“Are there any critical pieces?”
Leora almost said, “There is one
critical piece, but the Germans will not want it.” Instead she stated, “There are no significant
pieces here. The Germans would not bomb
your palace for any of these.”
“That is good to know. Could you document these and translate their
hieroglyphics?”
“I will.
You will call on me when you receive more?”
“We will.”
Leora spent the remainder of he
afternoon documenting each piece and translating their message into English and
French in the notebook Dr. Yosef provided.
The next day Leora received a letter
from the palace:
23 November 1941
Dear Madam Bolang
Your
help in identifying some specific antiquities of Egypt
Sincerely,
King
Farouk
Again, most of the
page was filled with seals, marking, and titles. Leora wondered if the full-time job of some
poor underling was to ensure the proper proportion of wax to ink was applied to
a king’s letters.
Leora immediately penned a response:
British Embassy
24 November 1941
Your Highness
The
simple gift of the Ra pendant from your collection of antiquities would be more
than sufficient payment for my services.
Although the Ra pendant is not a significant piece, it is important to
me because it represents the beautiful nation of Egypt
Sincerely,
Madam
Leora Bolang
Leora was certain King Farouk would not
send the piece to her. She was so
certain that when a courier from the palace called for her, Leora was
astounded. She took the box from the
courier and thanked him then quickly returned to her room.
The box was heavy. She untied it and pulled open the flaps. Inside a velvet bag held something very solid
and heavy. It was the correct shape and
the weight. As she slipped the contents
of the bag into her hand, Leora held her breath. It was gold and beautiful and exactly like
the piece she saw in the king’s vault.
The moment she touched it, she knew it was a fake. Likely pure gold, but it was not the Ra
pendent. She could not feel the burst of
power she expected from it. She could
not pull a single thread of Ra’s energy from the gold. “It is a fake.” Leora almost threw it from her. But she stopped, “Two, King Farouk, can play
at this game.”
I also have used the Osiris Offering
Formula and the Ra Offering Formula as items to pursue in my novels. These are not MacGuffins, but more akin to a
Chekov’s Gun. We will see what these are
a little later.
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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