Writing - part x773, Writing a Novel, Protagonist in the Initial Scene, more Leader

18 February 2019, Writing - part x773, Writing a Novel, Protagonist in the Initial Scene, more Leader

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but my primary publisher has gone out of business—they couldn’t succeed in the past business and publishing environment.  I'll keep you informed, but I need a new publisher.  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 29^th novel, working title, Detective, potential title Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective.  The theme statement is: 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 cover proposal for Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I am continuing to write on my 30^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29^th novel, working title Detective.  I’m planning to start on number 31, working title Shifter. 

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 30:  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 31:  Deirdre and Sorcha are redirected to French finishing school where they discover difficult mysteries, people, and events. 

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:  Why don’t we go back to the basics and just writing a novel?  I can tell you what I do, and show you how I go about putting a novel together.  We can start with developing an idea then move into the details of the writing. 

To start a novel, I picture an initial scene.  I may start from a protagonist or just launch into mental development of an initial scene.  I get the idea for an initial scene from all kinds of sources.  To help get the creative juices flowing, let’s look at the initial scene. 

1.     Meeting between the protagonist and the antagonist or the protagonist’s helper

2.     Action point in the plot

3.     Buildup to an exciting scene

4.     Indirect introduction of the protagonist

The protagonist is the novel and the initial scene.  If you look at the four basic types of initial scenes, you see the reflection of the protagonist in each one.  If you noticed my examples yesterday, I expressed the scene idea, but none were completely independent of the protagonist.  Indeed, in most cases, I get an idea with a protagonist.  The protagonist is incomplete, but a sketch to begin with.  You can start with a protagonist, but in my opinion, as we see above, the protagonist is never completely independent from the initial scene.  As the ideas above imply, we can start with the characters, specifically the protagonist, antagonist or protagonist’s helper, and develop an initial scene. 

If we start with a protagonist, we need some kind of guide.  Here is a general guide for developing a modern protagonist.  We’ll look at examples and explain the ideas.

1.        Normal person (not wealthy, noble, or privileged)

2.      Loves to read

3.      Loves to learn

4.     Unique skill(s), power(s) and/or learning

5.      Pathos (poor, homeless, abused, friendless, ill)

6.     Individualistic and independent

7.      Introspective

8.     Leader

9.     Naturally good

10.  Rejection of the urban

11.   Rejection of the modern

12.  Appeal to the imagination

A great protagonist is a great leader.  A romantic protagonist is a natural leader.

Readers want their leaders to be leaders because of what they know and not necessarily because of position, strength, or overbearing personality.  They want intellectual leaders.  What does this kind of leader look like? 

In the real world, these are the very rare and special leaders whom people are willing to die for and whom they love.  There really are people like this.  I’ve known a few.  I suspect that George Washington was one of these types of leaders.  Ronald Reagan would be this type of person.  General Abramson and General Reimer are these types of leaders.  Most of the people I know who are these types of leaders were or are in the military.  In general, these are empathetic people whom you enjoy to be around, and yet you respect their leadership and guidance.  They support you, and you know their support always is there.  You always enjoy their presence because it means you have less work and not more.  I’ve worked with and for people who are the opposite.  The worst leader is the ones whom you don’t want to be around because it always means your work level will go up.  They get in your knickers for no reason at all.  They make pronouncements that make no sense but that add to your work.  You don’t like to see or hear from them because you know their interjection will just add to your work and not decrease what you had to do anyway.  

In the movies and in plays, these are the leaders whom everyone admires and wants to follow.  Just look at General Patton.  At least in the movie, he is exactly the kind of person whom you would want to follow.  The impression was that he rose by knowledge and battle prowess to be the leader he is.  Harry Potty is not really a good example of a leader.  He isn’t portrayed as a leader and isn’t anyone you would want to follow anyway.  He’s mostly following someone else and simpering about how he can’t do anything.  Most movie and television characters are not portrayed as leaders at all.  Most are romantic and too independent.  Look at James Bond.  He is the least leader of any leader anyone has ever seen—follow him and you either die, end up in his bed or both.  Now, Captain America is a real leader.  He could be stronger, but generally, he is followed because he has empathy and skills.  Ironman is irritating and independent.  No one really likes him—he doesn’t even like himself.  Thor is just stupid and elite—no wonder his girlfriend never came back.  Really, if you are looking for good leader examples, don’t turn to modern movies.  You might find them in older movies, but literally modern characters have turned from romantic to gods and messiahs.  Gods and messiahs of human making aren’t very good leaders. 

In novels, you will find examples of much better and real leaders, romantic leaders.  Johnny Rico from Starship Troopers is a great romantic leader.  He fulfills all the criteria.  There are a number of great leaders in the novel Starship Troopers.  Many romantic characters in novels are great leaders, for example John Galt.  John Galt is an unintentional leader—a leader who never really wanted to lead.  This is typical in many romantic leaders and novels.  I know of many great romantic leaders in novels that will not be very familiar to everyone—you find them in novels by authors who participated in wars or who worked with unusually great leaders. 

I’ve written about the characteristics of great leaders in romantic protagonists, but I’ll put that together next.               

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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