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Saturday, January 29, 2022

Writing - part xx849 Writing a Novel, We are Refining the Protagonist, Mental Details

 29 January 2022, Writing - part xx849 Writing a Novel, We are Refining the Protagonist, Mental Details

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 29th 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 30th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29th 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. 

 

For Novel 32:  Shiggy Tash finds a lost girl in the isolated Scottish safe house her organization gives her for her latest assignment: Rose Craigie has nothing, is alone, and needs someone or something to rescue and acknowledge her as a human being.

 

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 we have filled our mind with all kinds of information and ideas, we are ready to become creative.  Creativity means the extrapolation of older ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form.  Literally, we are seeing the world in a new way, or actually, we are seeing some part of the world in a new way. 

 

I’ve worked through creativity and the protagonist.  The ultimate point is that if you properly develop your protagonist, you have created your novel.  This moves us on to plots and initial scenes.  As I noted, if you have a protagonist, you have a novel.  The reason is that a protagonist comes with a telic flaw, and a telic flaw provides a plot and theme.  If you have a protagonist, that gives you a telic flaw, a plot, and a theme.  I will also argue this gives you an initial scene as well. 

 

So, we worked extensively on the protagonist.  I gave you many examples great, bad, and average.  Most of these were from classics, but I also used my own novels and protagonists as examples.  Here’s my plan.

 

1.      The protagonist comes with a telic flaw – the telic flaw isn’t necessarily a flaw in the protagonist, but rather a flaw in the world of the protagonist that only the Romantic protagonist can resolve.

2.      The telic flaw determines the plot.

3.      The telic flaw determines the theme.

4.      The telic flaw and the protagonist determines the initial scene.

5.      The protagonist and the telic flaw determines the initial setting.

6.      Plot examples from great classic plots.

7.      Plot examples from mediocre classic plots.

8.      Plot examples from my novels.

9.      Creativity and the telic flaw and plots.

10.  Writer’s block as a problem of continuing the plot.

 

Every great or good protagonist comes with their own telic flaw.  I showed how this worked with my own writing and novels.  Let’s go over it in terms of the plot.

 

This is all about the telic flaw.  Every protagonist and every novel must come with a telic flaw.  They are the same telic flaw.  That telic flaw can be external, internal or both.

 

We found that a self-discovery telic flaw or a personal success telic flaw can potentially take a generic plot.  We should be able to get an idea for the plot purely from the protagonist, telic flaw and setting.  All of these are interlaced and bring us our plot.

 

For a great plot, the resolution of the telic flaw has to be a surprise to the protagonist and to the reader.  This is both the measure and the goal.  As I noted before, for a great plot, the author needs to make the telic flaw resolution appear to be impossible, but then it becomes inevitable in the climax.  There is much more to this. 

 

I evaluated the plots from the list of 112 classics and categorized them according to the following scale:

 

Overall (o) – These are the three overall plots we defined above: redemption, achievement, and revelation.

 

Achievement (a) – There are plots that fall under the idea of the achievement plot. 

 

Quality (q) – These are plots based on a personal or character quality.

 

Setting (s) – These are plots based on a setting.

 

Item (i) – These are plots based on an item.

I looked at each novel and pulled out the plot types, the telic flaw, plotline, and the theme of the novel.  I didn’t make a list of the themes, but we identified the telic flaw as internal and external and by plot type.  This generally gives the plotline. 

Overall (o)

1.     Redemption (o) – 17i, 7e, 23ei, 8 – 49%

2.     Revelation (o) –2e, 64, 1i – 60%

3.     Achievement (o) – 16e, 19ei, 4i, 43 – 73%

Achievement (a)

1.     Detective or mystery (a) – 56, 1e – 51%

2.     Revenge or vengeance (a) –3ie, 3e, 45 – 46%

3.     Zero to hero (a) – 29 – 26%

4.     Romance (a) –1ie, 41 – 37%

5.     Coming of age (a) –1ei, 25 – 23%

6.     Progress of technology (a) – 6 – 5%

7.     Discovery (a) – 3ie, 57 – 54%

8.     Money (a) – 2e, 26 – 25%

9.     Spoiled child (a) – 7 – 6%

10.  Legal (a) – 5 – 4%

11.  Adultery (qa) – 18 – 16%

12.  Self-discovery (a) – 3i, 12 – 13%

13.  Guilt or Crime (a) – 32 – 29%

14.  Proselytizing (a) – 4 – 4%

15.  Reason (a) – 10, 1ie – 10%

16.  Escape (a)  – 1ie, 23 – 21%

17.  Knowledge or Skill (a) – 26 – 23%

18.  Secrets (a) – 21 – 19%

Quality (q)

1.     Messiah (q) – 10 – 9%

2.     Adultery (qa) – 18 – 16%

3.     Rejected love (rejection) (q) – 1ei, 21 – 20%

4.     Miscommunication (q) – 8 – 7%

5.     Love triangle (q) – 14 – 12%

6.     Betrayal (q) – 1i, 1ie, 46 – 43%

7.     Blood will out or fate (q) –1i, 1e, 26 – 25%

8.     Psychological (q) –1i, 45 – 41%

9.     Magic (q) – 8 – 7%

10.  Mistaken identity (q) – 18 – 16%

11.  Illness (q) – 1e, 19 – 18%

12.  Anti-hero (q) – 6 – 5%

13.  Immorality (q) – 3i, 8 – 10%

14.  Satire (q) – 10 – 9%

15.  Camaraderie (q) – 19 – 17%

16.  Curse (q) – 4 – 4%

17.  Insanity (q) – 8 – 7%

18.  Mentor (q) – 12 – 11%

Setting (s)

1.     End of the World (s) – 3 – 3%

2.     War (s) – 20 – 18%

3.     Anti-war (s) –2 – 2%

4.     Travel (s) –1e, 62 – 56%

5.     Totalitarian (s) – 1e, 8 – 8%

6.     Horror (s) – 15 – 13%

7.     Children (s) – 24 – 21%

8.     Historical (s) – 19 – 17%

9.     School (s) – 11 – 10%

10.  Parallel (s) – 4 – 4%

11.  Allegory (s) – 10 – 9%

12.  Fantasy world (s) – 5 – 4%

13.  Prison (s) – 2 – 2%

Item (i)

1.     Article (i) – 1e, 46 – 42%

So, what is it about writer’s block?  Many if not most authors and writers will complain about writer’s block.  When I was a younger author, I would get writer’s block very often, but I’ve discovered something very important about writer’s block.  Writer’s block is a function of the plot and not the protagonist.  The correction or resolution of writer’s block comes from centering our writing on the protagonist instead of the plot.  This is what I’d really like to get into as a topic.  Here is an outline of how we will approach this.

 

1.      Problems with a plot focus

2.      Correcting with a protagonist focus

3.      How to figure out a plot with a protagonist focus

4.      Writing development

5.      Fixing or blowing through problems with writing

6.      How to write to prevent writer’s block

7.      The Scene Outline

8.      Exercises

9.      Examples

10.  Conclusions

 

I’ve been spending an enormous amount of time with plots; however, plots, many times, are the problem of writer’s block.  How’s that?

 

Let’s go back to the beginning about novels, plots, characters, and all that. 

 

We start with this: the novel is the revelation of the protagonist.  That means we have a protagonist to reveal, and we have developed our protagonist.  This is very important—that is the development of the protagonist. 

 

The idea of the revelation of the protagonist includes plots, setting, narrative, action, and dialog—it includes everything.  The problem is that first you have to have a protagonist.

 

I don’t think I’m going to give you another example of the development of a protagonist.  What I will do is give an outline of the development of the protagonist            .  Here’s a sketch of just that.  I haven’t tried to do this before, so there might be some development as we do.  Also, this is how I develop a protagonist. 

 

1.      Define the initial scene

2.      At the same time as the above—fit a protagonist into the initial scene.  That means the minimum of:

a.      Telic flaw

b.      Approximate age

c.      Approximate social degree

d.      Sex

3.      Refine the protagonist

a.      Physical description

b.      Background – history of the protagonist

                                                      i.      Birth

                                                    ii.      Setting

                                                   iii.      Life

                                                   iv.      Education

                                                     v.      Work

                                                   vi.      Profession

                                                 vii.      Family

c.      Setting – current

                                                      i.      Life

                                                    ii.      Setting

                                                   iii.      Work

d.      Name

4.      Refine the details of the protagonist

a.      Emotional description (never to be shared directly)

b.      Mental description (never to be shared directly)

c.      Likes and dislikes (never to be shared directly)

5.      Telic flaw resolution

a.      Changes required for the protagonist to resolve the telic flaw

                                                      i.      Physical changes

                                                    ii.      Emotional changes

                                                   iii.      Mental changes

b.      Alliances required for the protagonist to resolve the telic flaw

c.      Enemies required for the protagonist to resolve the telic flaw

d.      Plots required for the protagonist to resolve the telic flaw

e.      Obstacles that must be overcome for the protagonist to resolve the telic flaw

 

In my novel, Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer, I envisioned an initial scene where a super genius hacker girl who was impoverished so she could go to school, was caught using another person’s account credits and was saved by the protagonist helper.  That’s the initial scene.

 

1.      Define the initial scene - a super genius hacker girl who was impoverished so she could go to school, was caught using another person’s account credits and was saved by the protagonist helper.

2.      At the same time as the above—fit a protagonist into the initial scene.  That means the minimum of:

a.      Telic flaw – redemption (reformation) of the protagonist

b.      Approximate age - 16

c.      Approximate social degree – impoverished and likely homeless

d.      Sex - female

3.      Refine the protagonist

a.      Physical description

b.      Background – history of the protagonist

                                                      i.      Birth

                                                    ii.      Setting

                                                   iii.      Life

                                                   iv.      Education

                                                     v.      Work

                                                   vi.      Profession

                                                 vii.      Family

c.      Setting – current

                                                      i.      Life

                                                    ii.      Setting

                                                   iii.      Work

d.      Name

4.      Refine the details of the protagonist

a.      Emotional description (never to be shared directly)

b.      Mental description (never to be shared directly)

c.      Likes and dislikes (never to be shared directly)

 

We have the initial scene and the basics that fit the protagonist into the initial scene.  Now, we refine the protagonist, and the first step is the physical description.

 

Here is how I describe Lilly:

She looked terrible, especially for this part of the city.  She wore a baggy old sweatshirt and an over-large pair of worn-out, not stone-washed, jeans.  She had a ragged backpack on her back.  Her hair was matted and her clothing filthy.  Her face and hands always looked clean, but Dane couldn’t vouch for the rest of her.  He never got close enough to smell her—he figured that would be much too close.  He only knew her from his side of the cash register.  She carried an inexpensive tablet computer in one hand, and her shopping in the crook of her arm.  The tablet had a broken screen and was taped across one corner.  Dane was surprised it worked.

 

This is just the initial description.  Here is a more detailed description from the novel:

Under the lights of the restaurant, Dane got a better look at her.  She was really petite for her height, and she wasn’t all that tall.  She looked undernourished.  Her face was thin and kind of plain.  Her eyes were very large and blue.  They looked like an almost transparently blue.  Her cheek was turning a dark shade of purple already.  Dane guessed that was where Billy hit her.  He didn’t think it was that hard.  Her hair was long and kept falling into her eyes.  It was blond, but how blond was hard to tell—the dirt and, he guessed, grease discolored it.  Her eyebrows were so light they were almost invisible, so her hair must be really dirty.  Dane looked at her hands again.  They were clean and the nails were clean.  That was odd.  When he was close to her, he did note she had a scent.  It wasn’t that bad a scent, but it was like a mix of dirty clothing and unwashed body.  He asked quietly, “How old are you?”

 

Additionally, I love to add an extra description later in the novel.  Here’s what I did with Lilly:

When they arrived at Mortvedt Library, Dane found them a place before the large windows.  It was still early--they staked out a couch for themselves.  Lilly sat next to Dane and he noticed she didn’t stink quite as badly as she had before.  There was still the smell of over-worn clothing and rotten tennis shoes, but her hair was somewhat clean and her body didn’t waft of old locker and sweat.  Her hair was almost golden blond—a translucent color like her eyebrows.  Their computers came on the moment they raised the screens.  They logged on almost immediately.  There was no break that Dane could detect.  He asked, “How did you get the wireless to respond so fast?”

 

And here too:

Dane found his black silver and gold embroidered hō and the white hakama on their frame.  He quickly stripped out of his clothing and put them on.  He took his shaku from its peg and he was ready.  It took Kuro a little longer to prepare Lilly.  When Kuro finished, Lilly’s hair and face had been made up wonderfully.  Her white-blond hair was curled and bound in a noshi around one side of her head and then over her shoulder.  She wore an ornament in her hair on the opposite side that depicted a gold and a silver dragon intertwined.  Her face was made up so her eyes looked larger than ever.  Kuro hadn’t put any whitening on her face because she was so pale to begin with.  Kuro masked the light scar of the cut on the left side of Lilly’s face.  Dane found himself staring in spite of himself.

 

With the physical description, we can move on the development of the protagonist.

1.      Refine the details of the protagonist

a.      Emotional description (never to be shared directly)

b.      Mental description (never to be shared directly)

c.      Likes and dislikes (never to be shared directly)

 

The following information must never be shared directly with the reader.  It can be shown or approached in dialog.  You can have other characters talk about this information, but you should never use it in any description or narrative writing.  Definitely never use omniscient voice or omniscient narration to tell us about these qualities of the protagonist or any other character you develop.  The purpose of all of this information is to be secrets only to be revealed in the action or dialog as showing.

 

Let’s put it this way, if you do tell this information, you will ruin part of the entire purpose of the revelation of the protagonist.  I’ll tell you some of this information about Lilly—you might have already guessed it from her physical description.

 

I hope you realize that everyone has an emotional description and a mental description.  In describing Lilly’s emotional description, I basically told you how she thinks about things.  This is a huge loaded part of a human being. 

 

In most cases, we never know the emotional part of a person.  Many people completely hide what they think and believe.  This was more true in the past—in fact, it was considered in good taste not to tell what you thought about everything—even when asked.  In many cultures, especially Asian cultures, you don’t ever tell another what you really think—it is considered the epitome of bad taste.  Thus, you should never do this either.  However, we are writing about the mental description of a person at the moment.  This is much different, or should be much different than the emotional description.

 

How does a person think and how do they make decisions.  If you haven’t thought about this, you are likely not a writer.  As a writer, this is most of my thinking about a character.  I imagine my characters and see them acting and speaking in my mind before I put their actions and words on paper.  Their mental and emotional state is exactly what I take into consideration. 

 

These ideas and considerations are never told in a novel.  They must be shown.  Lilly is a super genius.  She is constantly thinking about the next problem.  Some problems are super simple for her.  Where she lives, taking a shower, or getting a meal.  The reason is that she lives in a cardboard box, never takes a shower, and gets her meals out of the garbage or by hacking Fastbucks from Fastmart.  Then Lilly’s outlook begins to change.  She takes Dane’s opinion into consideration.  Now, her mind must process new thoughts and information.  The mental question is what does she do with that information.  How does she use it and what does she do about it.

 

In some characters and books, they wouldn’t do anything—that would be their mental makeup.  Lilly acts on every thought—she makes things happen.  She thinks ahead of everyone else.  In almost every case, Lilly has thought out the result of her actions and the actions of others.  This gives her a wry wit and attack mode. 

 

At the same time, Lilly thinks a lot about others.  You might ask why such a self-controlled and independent person does this—the answer is that Lilly is a leader in spite of herself.  This is a characteristic of the Romantic protagonist, but it is also a great mental quality for any strong character.  I’m not into ambivalent protagonists.  I don’t mind protagonists who stand back and observe until they can act, but I don’t like wimps or protagonists who can’t make up their mind.  In any case, we can expect Lilly to act and act decisively.  Her only problem comes near the end of the novel when her own decisions have led to a terrible outcome and she must find help. 

 

All of this comes from her way of thinking.  In designing a character, figure out how they will think and act because of their thinking.  Apply this to the character, and realize, the novel itself may hinge on the thinking.  Plus, never tell us, only show us.   

 

Likes and dislikes are next.

 

In the end, we can figure out what makes a work have a great plot and theme, and apply this to our writing.     

      

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  

fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic

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