Writing - part x421, Developing Skills, Types of Protagonists, Anti-Hero

3 March 2018, Writing - part x421, Developing Skills, Types of Protagonists, Anti-Hero

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.

These are the steps I use to write a novel including the five discrete parts of 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

I finished writing my 28^th novel, working title, School, potential title Deirdre: Enchantment and the School.  The theme statement is: 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.  

Here is the cover proposal for Deirdre: Enchantment and the School. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I continued writing my 29^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 28^th novel, working title School.  If you noticed, I started on number 28, but finished number 29 (in the starting sequence—it’s actually higher than that).  I adjusted the numbering.  I do keep everything clear in my records.  I’m just finishing number 30, working title Detective. 

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 29:  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 30:  Lady Azure Rose Wishart, the Chancellor of the Fae, supernatural detective, and all around dangerous girl, finds love, solves cases, breaks heads, and plays golf.

Here is the scene development 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

          

Today:  Many people would like to write, but writing is hard work.  I’ll express again, if you want to be a skilled and potentially a published author, you need to write about one million words.  That equates to about ten 100,000 word novels.  When you look at it this way, it is a daunting goal especially if you haven’t written a single novel.  

To become a good writer, you need two specific skill sets first reading and writing.  Without these skill sets, I really can’t help you much.  I provide advanced help and information on how to write great fiction. 

Characters are the key to great writing.  Entertainment is the purpose of fiction writing.  The key to entertainment is character revelation.  If we want to be a successful writer, we must aim for great protagonists, and I would say, great protagonist’s helpers.

What are the characteristic of an entertaining protagonist?  Below is a list of six types of protagonists developed by Rebecca Ray.  This is one of the most comprehensive and best list I’ve seen:

• Classical Hero – Romantic Protagonist
• Everyman Hero – Everyman Protagonist
• Superhero – Superhero Protagonist
• Tragic Hero – Tragic Protagonist
• Epic Hero – Epic Protagonist
• Anti Hero – Anti-Hero Protagonist

The romantic hero is the classical hero—we’ll look at that one last.  Let’s evaluate the others for entertainment effect.  In the case of each of these heroes, they must match the plot and theme of the novel you are (intend) to write, but let me go one further.  If the protagonist determines the novel, then by developing a romantic protagonist, you will be automatically designing a novel based in a romantic theme and plot.  This might sound like a stretch, but it isn’t much.  The character of the protagonist develops the novel.

I’m going with Ray’s definition and ideas on this.  Here is her definition of the Anti-Hero:

“Anti Heroes begin with traits that are very uncommon or unbecoming of a hero. They display qualities that are more in-line with a villain's characteristics. With traits such as conceitedness, immorality, rebellion, and dishonesty, they are not viewed with admiration. Like many of the other heroes, anti heroes start out as average people who are controversially flawed and inherently good at the same time. An anti hero, by definition, is a central character who lacks conventional heroic attributes. These characters can range from a good person with an unattractive vice to a criminal mastermind who has a heart of gold.”   

I’m going to go with this, but I don’t buy it and I don’t accept it.  This definition is too goody and mixes the concept of the point of a protagonist.  Let’s look at the protagonist.

The protagonist must—and this is a necessary point—must have a telic flaw.  The telic flaw is the reason for the novel.  The telic flaw is the point of the novel.  The telic flaw is the problem the protagonist must solve to resolve the plot.  No telic flaw, no protagonist.  A protagonist without a telic flaw is just a character. 

Now, the idea called the telic flaw may not be a flaw at all, however, in most complex and adult level literature the telic flaw (problem the protagonist must solve) is directly related to the protagonist’s character.  This is specifically why Aristotle called this concept a flaw.  In the view of Greek literature, the flaw of the protagonist was fated—it was born into the character.  It was something the protagonist could never escape.  In modern literature, mostly comedies, we have moved well away from the concept of fate but the idea of a telic flaw still holds.

I usually use the example of a detective novel to describe a telic flaw.  The telic flaw of most detective novels is the crime.  The antagonist is the criminal.  The detective’s telic flaw is the crime.  The detective must solve the crime to resolve the plot and this usually involves the capture of the antagonist.  In any case, this is one of the simplest examples.

In a more complex example, let’s propose the protagonist has a problem (telic flaw) that prevents the resolution of the plot.  Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice.  A misunderstanding along with the personality and assumed knowledge of the protagonist and Darcy prevent the resolution of the plot.  In the case of Elizabeth, she must change and her information and perception of Mr. Darcy must change to properly resolve the novel as a comedy.  You could go for a tragedy in this case, but the novel would not be nearly as good.  Pride and Prejudice is just not set up properly to be a tragedy.

What does this have to do with the anti-hero?  The idea of the anti-hero as proposed by Ray is not an anti-hero at all.  A true anti-hero does not change and does not resolve an apparent telic flaw.  Let’s examine this a little deeper.  Elizabeth is obviously not an anti-hero, but she is not as pleasant a character as you might like.  She has a definite flaw—a flaw that must be resolved to resolve the plot of Pride and Prejudice. A true anti-hero would indeed have characteristics we would not accept as normative for a hero, but would not change them to resolve the problem.

Here’s my conclusion—anti-heroes really don’t exist.  There are heroes we admire in every degree—some are wonderful and lovable.  Some are hateful.  All are flawed.  However, in every comedy, the protagonist, no matter the character, must resolve their flaw to resolve the plot.  That doesn’t mean they have to become suddenly a different person or character, but think about Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.  Scrooge is a radical change, a redeeming change.  His telic flaw is avarice and greed.  The telic flaw of the novel is Scrooge’s avarice and greed.  He changes and is redeemed.  Here I’ll state it—the most powerful plots are ones in which the protagonist is somehow redeemed from their flaw.  You might say this is the archetype of every great novel.  

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  

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