Writing - part xx106 Writing a Novel, Creativity Portfolio Dialog

17 January 2020, Writing - part xx106 Writing a Novel, Creativity Portfolio Dialog

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 websites 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

Ideas.  We need ideas.  Ideas allow us to figure out the protagonist and the telic flaw.  Ideas don’t come fully armed from the mind of Zeus.  We need to cultivate ideas. 

1.     Read novels. 

2.     Fill your mind with good stuff—basically the stuff you want to write about. 

3.     Figure out what will build ideas in your mind and what will kill ideas in your mind.

4.     Study.

5.     Teach. 

6.     Make the catharsis. 

7.     Write.

The development of ideas is based on study and research, but it is also based on creativity.  Creativity is the extrapolation of older ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing.

If creativity, especially in writing, is caused by writing—then we better get writing.  Write-on.  Yes, so what does this writing for creativity look like? 

Developing creativity is all about writing.  Well, there are the other six actions you should accomplish.  Then write.  Many ask, what should I write about?  I understand this.  If you don’t know what to write about, then what do you write about?  Random stuff?  Nah.

Let’s write about stuff that will help us both write better and that will build up our writing portfolio. 

We started with descriptive paragraphs and then turned them into action scenes.  The next step is to take two of the characters you described and bring them together for a conversation.  This is called dialog. 

Dialog is the most important part of any novel because it is one of the primary ways we show and don’t tell.  To be specific, we show thought action and dialog.  Action allows us to express the actual minds of our characters—or at least their personal personas.  Dialog allows them to tell others what they want others to hear.  You might ask, is there any truth in showing?  Only if the author wants to tell the truth.

Writing is all about the revelation of secrets.  Some secrets are more obvious than others.  If you remember in the real world we rarely share our whole minds with others.  No one, unless they are mentally disturbed, shares all their secrets and thoughts with others.  Everyone has secrets.  No one wants their secrets to get out.  Let’s start simply with our dialog scenes.

You have a building and an exterior.  You have multiple described characters—that is if you are following my exercises.  Take two characters, one setting, and follow the scene outline. 

Frist describe the setting including the characters.  Next, bring them together through some kind of action.  For example, Jack walks into the parlor from his study, and Jane enters the parlor from her day room.  Just pick one of the interiors or the exteriors and bring any two characters together.  Their conversation will be dependent on who they are and their positions in the household. 

Really, you aren’t limited to a household.  For example, Jack might be the homeowner, and Jane a burglar.  That conversation might be very interesting.  Or Jack might be the butler, and Jane the lady of the house.  Jack might be a knight and Jane a lady.  How about Jane is a scientist and Jack the garbage man.  You don’t have to limit your setting or thinking.  Just take what you already have, but remember, we need some kind of theme.  We need something for the two characters to discuss.  Take your pick, and as I noted, the dialog will be determined by the positions of the characters: who they are and what they are about. 

If Jack is a butler and Jane the lady of the house, then the conversation might be about salary, firing, the poor service, the good service, the cook’s poor cooking, the cook’s great cooking, the need to cut expenses, the problem of the neighbors, perhaps about their affair—take your pick.

The point is that you must determine a theme for the character’s conversation. I do suggest you build the conversation based on the relationship of the characters and their positions in life.  If you don’t, then you must find some degree of connection between the characters. 

In your novel or in a scene written for any fiction, the reason for conversation is based on the mutual need to communicate.  You can write a one sided conversation—between one character who wants to communicate and another who doesn’t, but I don’t recommend it.  That’s an advanced skill.

For now, just take your setting and characters and give them a reason to speak, then write the dialog.        

Next, is how to develop dialog.

Whatever you do, get your writing into electronic files.  We should also write about formatting too.  In any case, tomorrow, I’ll give you ideas about what to put in your portfolio.   

The most important step in creativity may be to just write.  This begins another chapter in this discussion of creativity—notes, records, and documenting.

I need to get to the point of extrapolating creativity, and also finish the thought about event horizon and worldview.  

The beginning of creativity is study and effort.  We can use this to extrapolate to creativity.  In addition, we need to look at recording ideas and working with ideas.    

    

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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