Writing - part x220, Novel Form, more Building Tension and Release

14 August 2017, Writing - part x220, Novel Form, more Building Tension and Release

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. 

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.

 

This is the classical form for writing a successful 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 (protagonist, antagonist, and optionally the protagonist’s helper)

d.      Identify the telic flaw of the protagonist (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

              

The protagonist and the telic flaw are tied permanently together.  The novel plot is completely dependent on the protagonist and the protagonist’s telic flaw.  They are inseparable.  This is likely the most critical concept about any normal (classical) form novel. 

 

Here are the parts of a normal (classical) novel:

 

1.      The Initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

2.      The Rising action scenes

3.      The Climax scene

4.      The Falling action scene(s)

5.      The Dénouement scene

             

So, how do you write a rich and powerful initial scene?  Let’s start from a theme statement.  Here is an example from my latest novel:

 

The theme statement for Deirdre: Enchantment and the School 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 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

          

If you have the characters (protagonist, protagonist’s helper, and antagonist), the initial setting, the telic flaw (from the protagonist), a plot idea, the theme action, then you are ready to write the initial scene.  I would state that since you have a protagonist, the telic flaw, a plot idea, and the theme action, you have about everything—what you might be lacking is the tension and release cycle in your scenes.

 

Here is an example of developing or building tension and release in a scene.  This example is from Deirdre:  Enchantment and the School.  In this scene, the girls Sorcha and Deirdre are going to their French class for the first time.  The tension and release events I insert begin with the seats.  Who could imagine the seats being rigged so the girls who would never sit in the front are forced to sit in the front?  Sorcha uses her glamour to get on the class roll.  This is a tension builder and this is expected.  The next add is the incident with Deirdre.  This is an obvious tension add, and an easy setup in any classroom.  Deirdre isn’t listening—well look at the example yourself and see.    

 

The first class on Tuesday was French with Ms. Luna Bolang.  Both of them stood outside the classroom door until just before the bell.  Deirdre watched for Luna—she didn’t want to meet her with Sorcha or alone.  Just before the bell, both girls entered the classroom and rushed for the back seats.  They were unbelievably still open.  When they arrived at them, Deirdre was first, she tugged the seat back, but it didn’t move.  Sorcha couldn’t move her seat either.  The French tinged voice of Luna Bolang came clearly from the front of the classroom, “Ms. Calloway and Ms., who are you, sweet.”

Sorcha trembled.  She didn’t look as if she could or would speak.  Deirdre was about to answer for her, but Sorcha grabbed Deirdre’s arm and carefully pronounced, “Ms. Bolang I’m Sorcha Weir.  I think they forgot me again this year.”

Deirdre felt and smelled the glamour in Sorcha’s response.  She wondered how far that might get her with Luna.

Luna smiled very pleasantly, “I have seats for both of you right here in front of my desk.”

Deirdre and Sorcha sulked up to the front row.  They both sat where Luna pointed.  Luna squinted and pursed her lips.  She took her class ledger, “Ms. Weir, please write your full name at the end—here.”  She pointed.

Sorcha complied.  She wrote in very fine box letters.  It looked to Deirdre like she was trying to hide her handwriting.  Luna began class.  It was French and Deirdre knew exactly how it would go.  All French, nothing but French.  That was the fun part—the grammar, papers, parts of speech, speeches, and endless exercises were the punishment she would have to put up with to enjoy the French.  Deirdre had spoken French since she was three.  Her adopted sisters had insisted—it was one of the languages they assumed their mother didn’t know.  It allowed conversation without eavesdropping.  She took a clandestine look at Sorcha and wondered if there was some language they might be able to speak with one another that others wouldn’t be able to understand.  Gaelic was right out—Luna understood Gaelic as if she was born to it. 

Deirdre mooned deep in thought until she missed her name, and Luna popped her on the back of her head.  In French, Luna admonished her, “Ms. Calloway, pay attention.  I shall not ask you the question again.  I shall instead make your inattention very painful to you.”  She turned around, “Ladies, Ms. Calloway is fluent in French.  She speaks the language as well as I.  As to her writing and parsing of the language, I cannot guarantee, but she can help you with your understanding and your pronunciation.  Hers is exquisite.”

Deirdre turned redder and redder.  Finally she stood and complained in French, “That was a breach of my confidence.”

“Sit down and pay attention, Ms. Calloway.  I’m not a babysitter.  You need to be finished not coddled.”

Deirdre sat.

Sorcha whispered, “Are you really, really fluent?”

Deirdre bowed her head, “Yes.”

“You can help me.  This is great.  I’ve had no one to help me before.”

Deirdre gave a trifling smile.  Things went a little better after that.

At the end of class, the bell rang and the girls began picking up their books and papers.  Luna pointed at Deirdre and Sorcha, “You two, stay just a moment.  I want to speak to you.”

Deirdre and Sorcha packed their bags and stood beside their chairs.  Luna waited until the classroom was empty.  She came close, but stood on the other side of the desks.  She crossed her arms and stared at Sorcha.  Finally, she touched Sorcha’s face, “Did Ms. Calloway do this to you?”

Sorcha gasped.  Deirdre’s mouth fell open.

Luna turned Sorcha’s face to one side then the other, “Ms. Calloway was fighting yesterday.  You have a bruise and a black eye.  Did she do this to you, Ms. Weir?”

Sorcha looked out of the sides of her eyes at Deirdre.  Deirdre wasn’t watching. 

Sorcha took a deep breath, “Deirdre and I are becoming friends.  She wouldn’t hurt me.”  Sorcha looked up at Luna, “Or fight with me.”

Luna gave a tense little smile, “I teach fencing as well as French at this academy.  I expect to see you girls this afternoon after school.”

Deirdre began to complain.

Luna put her hand on her cheek, “Ms. Calloway, you get to poke people with swords.  It’s right down your alley.  As for you, Ms. Weir, may I assume you intend to continue as Ms. Calloway’s friend?”

Sorcha nodded.

“You look like a girl who will not be put upon—not any more than my sweet Deirdre.  I’ll see you both at the Sports Centre right after the last class.”

The Deirdre issue of not paying attention that reveals her skill at French is a setup, but the next to last tension build up is when Luna sees through Sorcha’s glamour and notes her injuries.  This is a huge deal.  I should mention the release in each cycle (build-up of tension with a release).  The first is the girls can’t move their seats out—the release is simple, they have to move to the front.  The next tension is Sorcha wants on the role.  The release is she puts her name on the role.  The next tension is Deirdre’s daydreaming.  The release is the revelation of her French skills.  Then Luna sees through Sorcha’s glamour.  The release is that they make an excuse and Luna lets it slide.  Then we have the focal tension of the scene—this is the purpose of the scene.  The output of the scene is that the girls are forced to go to Fencing.  Luna basically forces them to come to her fencing club.  The glamour issue causes them to feel the need to go.  Thus the result is the release of going to fencing club. 

 

I think this scene is an excellent example of a scene where various tension buildups occur to progress the story and for entertainment.  The tension events are obviously entertaining an produce issues for the girls.  The release if each are underplayed and fun.  The ultimate tension is to build up to get the girls to go to fencing club.  This was Luna’s plan—this is the fun of the scene and the entertainment in the scene.

 

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