Scenes – Scene Setting, Who, yet more Examples

10 March 2013, Scenes – Scene Setting, Who, yet more Examples

Introduction:  I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.  This was my 21st novel, and on 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–start with https://ldalford.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/daemon-installment-1-the-incantation/.

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.  At this moment, I’m showing you the creative process I used to put together the novel.

Today’s Blog:  To see the steps in the publication process, go to my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select “production schedule,” you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

Here are my four rules of 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.

A scene outline is a means of writing a novel where each scene follows the other with a scene input from the previous scene and a scene output that leads to the next scene. The scenes don’t necessarily have to follow directly in time and place, however they generally follow the storyline of the protagonist.

A storyline outline is a means of writing a novel where the author develops a scene outline for more than one character and bases the plot on one or more of these storyline scenes. This allows the scenes to focus on more than the protagonist. This is a very difficult means of writing. There is a strong chance of confusing your readers.

Whether you write with a scene outline or a storyline outline, you must properly develop your scenes.  All novels are developed from scenes and each scene has a design similar to a novel.  Every successful novel has the following basic parts:

1. The beginning 2. The rising action 3. The Climax 4. The falling action 5. The dénouement

Every scene has these parts:

1.  The setting (where, what, who, when, how) 2.  The connection (input) 3.  The tension development 4.  The release 5.  The output

There are lots of approaches to scene setting.  That means there are about a million plus ways you can set a scene.  The main point is you have to clearly get across the where, when, who, what, and how.

Here is the beginning introductions and who setting of the major characters from the novel Sister of Darkness. This novel is on contract and should be published soon. Paul Bolang is a major character in the novel. Leroa Bolang is a major character. The children are secondary characters except Lumière. Lumière is a major character in the novel.  Here is another example from the novel.  In this case, the introduction is Major Lyons who is an important secondary character in many of these novels.

      The winds whipped the rain savagely against Leora as she hurried toward the cliff side.  At the cliff, she regained her breath, and then ran east until her foot sunk in a small freshwater creek that cut through the cliff side.  At the touch of the cold water, she complained under her breath, but her feet and shoes were already soaked.  She felt along the side of the cliff to the deep v-shaped cut where the stream flowed down and began to climb up to the top of the cliff through the cut.  As she gained the top of the cliff, a hand reached down to help her up the rest of the way.  Breathlessly she gasped, “I told you, Robert, to take everyone to the old fence.”

A man’s voice answered her, “I’m not Robert.”       Leora pulled away her hand and shrank back.       “Don’t go.  We have the children and everyone is safe.  I’m Major Lyons.”       “Major Lyons,” Leora collapsed to her knees and squinted in the darkness.  Leora had met the British officer before when he was a Captain.  Lyons slouched slightly and held himself like few officers Leora had known.  His voice was refined but clipped.  A long scar crawled across his forehead and gave his right eye a slight droop.  He was an officer in the Empire’s military intelligence, MI, structure—a member of the predecessor of the British Special Air Service.  He spoke perfect French and German as well as English.       “The same,” Lyons replied. I use a similar description in setting my characters for each of the novels.  The description allows a standard for those who read the novels to have a continuity in imagining the characters.  This also provides tags for the character that are used throughout to set the character in later scenes.

Try these exercises, and I’ll give you some direct examples tomorrow.

My Notes: once you have a theme, you need to begin to visualize your plot, focus your theme, and define your characters. More tomorrow.

I’ll move on to basic writing exercises and creativity in the near future.

A note from one of my readers:  Speaking of which, I am awaiting for you to write a detailed installment on identifying, and targeting your audience, or audiences…ie, multi-layered story, for various audiences…like CS Lewis did. Just a thought.

I’ll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Aksinya Cover Proposal