Writing Ideas - Vampire Novel, part 152, more Conversation methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

9 September 2014, Writing Ideas - Vampire Novel, part 152, more Conversation methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: We are in the countdown phase for the publication of my new novels.  The date on the internet is 1 September.  We will see how close we come, or if the publishers meet the deadline.  My Aegypt novels will be titled Ancient Light, and the next two books will be called Sister of Light  and  Sister of Darkness.  These were the original titles.  They will be released individually and as a 3 in 1 volume.  The proposed cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.

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.
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

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

Here is more of the example revelation conversation.  It is from my novel Warrior of Darkness, yet unpublished, but part of the Ancient Light novels.  Here is the second piece: 

Klava sucked in a deep shuddering breath, “I will start.  My mother was born in America and my father in the Soviet Union.  I won’t tell you how they met, but they had me.  I was born in London.  My parents still live there.  I have a twin sister and five other bothers and sisters.  My twin and I are the oldest.  She is married to a military officer.  I went to Oxford and studied languages there.  I graduated two years ago and moved to Ireland.  I’ve lived in Belfast all that time.  Now it’s your turn, Niul.”

“You don’t sound British at all, Klava.  You sound like you have lived all your days in Ireland.  How can that be?”

Klava shrugged.

“I’d be guessing, I thought you couldn’t work for the Brits, not and do what you do, but I’m getting the distinct feeling that you do work for them.”

“I didn’t tell you about my life and family so you could attack me about it.”

Niul’s voice rose, “I didn’t think you were a traitor to the Irish cause before.”

Scáth shushed him.  Klava put he finger to her lips, “You are much too loud, Niul.  You know my job is to stop the bombs from hurting innocents.  I stop Ulster bombs.  I stop PIRA bombs.  I frankly don’t care about your cause—I just want to protect the people.”

“You’re Catholic aren’t you?”

“What of it?”

He laughed, “I took your confession.  You should be on our side because of what you believe.”

“I am on neither side—because of what I believe.  I protect life—that is my purpose.”

“But you are the one dragging around a living-dead.”

“She was the one your PIRA killed.  She was only a child, a girl of fourteen.  She was raped and left out on the streets.  I gave her back some dignity in her life.  My actions were a momentary weakness brought on as a result of your assassins.”

Niul shook his head, “You should lower your voice.”

“Sorry.  She would not be here except for you.”

“And you would not be here except for me.”

Klava raised her head, “That same night you took the life of my servant, you also robbed me of my virginity.  I didn’t ask you to steal either of them, but now I am trying to regain some of what you took from me.”

“How will you do it?”

“I have been advised to kill you.”

Niul jerked back.  Scáth snarled at him, “She could do it too.”

“Hush, Scáth.”  Klava turned to Niul, “I will not kill you.  My purpose is to protect.”

“What will you do?”

“That is just what I am determining now.  You said I should join with PIRA because of what I believe, because I am Catholic.  Yet you have put your trust entirely in the world otherwise you could not make magic.  You are not Catholic at all.  Why join yourself with those who oppose your core beliefs?”

“The actions and beliefs of PIRA are not so far from mine.”

“Then what are your beliefs?”

“You are right when you say I trust entirely in the world, that is the core of magic.  I’m surprised you know that.”  He shrugged, “The PIRA trusts in the world too or they wouldn’t believe that they could change it by taking the souls of others.”

Scáth grinned, “My Mistress knows all about magic.”

“Hush, Scáth.”

“Aye,” Niul squinted, “You must know much about magic.  You turned my spell, and you killed the other one.”

Scáth hissed, “Instead of reflecting your spell, she could have killed you just as easily.”

Niul tuned pale.  “Just who are you, Klava?”

Klava wrinkled her nose, “I already told you about me.  It is time for you to tell me about you—that’s only fair.”

Niul gazed at her for a moment, “Very well, I’ll tell you a bit.  I was born in Armagh.  My mother and father owned a farm.  They were stanch Catholics and the troubles hit them hard.  The Brits bivouacked on our land for months.  In spite of that we were able to take in the orchard crop that year.  I think they still have the farm and live content, but I haven’t seen them in years.  In Armagh I had my first taste of a woman and of the magic.  They came in the same wrapper for me.  I was always good in school.  She, my first, wanted a young man with patience and wisdom.  Because of the studies, I went to Queen’s University and studied Gaelic History and Language.  I took a Masters and was awarded a Doctoral degree in the same.  I taught for a while, but the time required for the magic became too great, and the PIRA approached me and told me they would pay me for that alone.  I was happy to spend my time in study especially in the study of magic.  I am very good at it.”

 

Here is the second part of a revelation conversation.  The conversation is between Niul, the antagonist, Klava, the protagonist, and Scáth, the protagonist's helper.  There is much more going on in this conversation than meets the eye.  I would like to draw your attention to the repetition of the events that already occurred in the novel.  There are some very strong reasons for repeating this in conversation.  The first is the entertainment value.  Niul doesn't know what really happened the night Scáth was made--this allows the reader to see his reaction and to also get a heading on the truth.  It is a measure of truth because the reader already experienced it.  In this case the reader can relive that experience with the characters.  More than that, it is entertaining from the standpoint of the telling.  The jokes on Niul.  He didn't know what he was getting into by his actions.  The second point is the repetition itself.  In some cases, it is reasonable for the writer to write: she told him all about that night.  On the other hand, it is really fun to relive or rehear that night through the conversation of the characters.  I have found this to be the best way to handle this kind of repetition.  Finally, this builds the tension in the scene.  Niul entered this scene cocky and entirely sure of himself.  He is a man who has met few men or women who were better, stronger, wiser, more intelligent, and more powerful than him--Klava is all of these things.  The tension is seeing this point gradually forced into his brain.  This is exactly what Klava and Scáth envisioned.  This is what the reader gets to see.  Niul doesn't give in, but the reader realizes that Klava is making points.  This is the power of revelation in conversation--plus you get to see the revelation of the characters.  That is entertainment in any novel.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com