Writing - part x281, Novel Form, Traveling and Tension

14 October 2017, Writing - part x281, Novel Form, Traveling and Tension

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 Shadow of Darkness an Ancient Light novel.  We are moving toward the climax of the novel and of the revelation of the protagonist.  Sveta and Aleksandr have decided to head towards Berlin.  At the time, there is no Berlin Wall that had to wait for JFK to botch it up with the Soviets.  The Soviets and the East German military and police still guard the borders and so does the other remaining allied nations: France, Britain, and the USA.

 

You might be able to guess exactly what the climax of the novel will bring or be.  Sveta started in Berlin with the desire to seek her greatest nemesis and a nemesis for the whole world.  She is returning to Berlin with the hope of escaping the Soviet Union.                      

 

Here is the scene:        

 

        Sveta looked up excitedly, “We can hide in Germany.  I speak German well enough to get us through.”

        “They will expect that, and the border is being sealed off.”

        “Berlin is still relatively open.”

        Aleksandr nodded, “Is that it then?  We head to Berlin and cross into the American sector?”

        “Any of the sectors will work.  Can we get a map?”

        “In the university, but I am afraid to go there.”

        “We can get a map on the way.  Let’s go now.  The papers I cut for us will let us travel.  They are very general and should let us move around all of the Soviet states without much problem.”

        “What about Oba?”

        “Oba is very good at hiding.  He will have fewer problems than we will.”

        “If we are agreed, then let’s pack and go.”

        “Should we wait until dark—are they watching your flat?”

        Aleksandr shook his head, “I don’t know.”

        Oba spoke, his lips formed a half grin, “Mistress, I can seek out those who might watch.”

        Sveta made a gesture, “Go then and see.”

        Oba bowed and disappeared out of the door.

        When Oba was gone, Sveta leaned on her hands at either side of her on the bed, “I kissed you last night, Sasha.”

        “Svetochka, do you feel bad about that?”

        She bowed her head, “I feel a little ashamed.  I am afraid I have lost you as my friend and that you can’t love me any more.  I’m afraid you will take advantage of me.”

        “I would like very much to take advantage of you…”

        Her mouth opened in shock. 

        Aleksandr stood up, “…but I won’t Svetochka.  Because I do love you.”  He stepped over to her and kissed her open mouth.  She responded fervently, but he reluctantly pulled back, “Pack your bag, Svetochka.  We must leave, and we must leave soon.”

        Her eyes followed him across the room.  Aleksandr began to put his few clothes and some belongings in his traveling bag.  Sveta stood and replaced everything back in her small bag.

        Oba returned in about an hour, “No one watches.”

        Sveta stood with her bag, “Good, Oba.  We are ready to go.  We are heading to the Lenin station.  Go ahead and keep an eye out.”

        Oba left the room and Sveta went to the door.  Aleksandr looked around his room, “I spent a long time here, but it feels good to leave.”

        Sveta gazed at him in curiosity.

        “Svetochka, doesn’t it feel like we are making a completely new beginning?  Aren’t you excited?”

        Sveta laughed at him.  She held out her hand, “My father is a dreamer too.  Come on, Sashechka.”

        Aleksandr grasped her hand and they exited his room, through the corridor, down the dark stairs and out into the bright summer sunlight.  They didn’t see Oba, and walked slowly to the station.  It was not very far away.  They heard a long train whistle.

        Aleksandr squeezed Sveta’s hand as they approached the station area, “We should separate and buy the tickets individually.”  They stopped at a quiet corner.

        “Where to Sashechka?”

        “We shouldn’t go too far at each step.  Let’s travel first to Smolensk.  We’ll buy new tickets there for the next stop.  We can’t act like we are in a hurry.” 

        “No hurry and short hops,” Sveta smiled.

        “We shouldn’t speak to each other while we are traveling.  Keep me in sight.  That way if one of us gets caught the other can run.”

        Sveta frowned, “I would never run.  Not without you.”

        Aleksandr kissed her.  She smiled again.  “Svetochka, I’ll go first.  You follow in a few minutes.”  He handed Sveta her bag.

        Aleksandr walked the rest of the way to the station.  He felt uncomfortable amid all the people.  He didn’t feel any anonymity in the crowd.  He felt as though he stood out more than usual.  He went to the ticket kiosk, showed his papers, and purchased a ticket to Smolensk.  Then he went to wait for the train.  Sveta came up a few minutes later.  She also bought a ticket.  Aleksandr bought a newspaper and started reading.  They probably shouldn’t be traveling on the same train.  It was too late now.  Aleksandr recognized he wasn’t very good at these spy things.  There was nothing in Pravda or Krasnaya Zvezda about Sveta or her office—that was good.

        They boarded the train without any problems.  Sveta sat at the back of the car and Aleksandr at the front.  Their eyes met occasionally.  They arrived at Smolensk that evening.  They both ate at a food cart near the station, and only spoke long enough to coordinate the next step.  Aleksandr asked, “Where did Oba go?”

        “He was on the train.  He watches over me now.  Where next?”

        “I checked the train tables—Minsk.”

        She nodded. 

        They purchased tickets for Minsk and entered the train separately.  The evening trains were not too full, and they caught cat naps on the hard train seats.

 

I like traveling transitions and scenes for lots of reasons.  In this case, I can’t use one of my favorite reasons, however, dialog.  Sveta, Aleksandr, and Oba must separate themselves.  They can only communicate furtively as they travel.  Otherwise, they have to give the impression that they don’t know each other. 

 

I’m not as enamored of travel in aircraft, unless the characters are in the crew.  The reason is the time and the experience.  Travel by foot, bike, car, or train allows time and conversation.  You go from place to place, and you see things and experience things (events).  In an aircraft, the passengers usually go willy-nilly to interconnecting places to get on other aircraft.  There is no travel in a logical direction or place to place.  Perhaps the most effective use in describing aircraft passenger flight is the terminals, their contents, and the flight scheduling.

 

In addition, in travel by foot, car, bike, or train, the characters can observe the world going on around them.  History can happen all around them and the author can report about that history.  In an aircraft, the characters overfly the world and don’t interact with it.

 

Boats are a little different.  They are kind of like aircraft and trains.  The author can report on history with some degree of isolation from the events of it.

 

In any case, traveling is a great way to develop tension and then release.  I certainly don’t suggest you write: they got on the train in Delaware and arrived in Ohio.  Travel scenes deserve much more than this.  The creative elements can come from all kinds of sources: oversized baggage, contraband, escape, historical peril, police, border incidents, and all.

 

Perhaps the most intriguing point of describing travel is the ability to show historically how people traveled during a certain period of time.  Simply the historical description of the cars, engines, people, dining, smoking, and a whole host of other considerations.  To record all this in a historical novel in a way that people can begin to understand and see the way the world was in a certain time and place gives me great excitement.

   

I’ll give you more examples.

 

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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