Afterthoughts Part 4 Assembling An Opening Scene

Afterthoughts

Part 4

Assembling An Opening Scene 

Afterthoughts haven't been indexed yet.

Part 1 

https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2021/04/afterthoughts-part-1.html

Part 2

https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2021/06/afterthoughts-part-2-good-and-evil.html

Part 3 

https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2021/06/afterthoughts-part-3-grimdark-in-genre.html

One description of a novel: "Johnnie gets his fanny caught in a bear trap, and has his adventures getting it out." 

That type of plot starts with who Johnnie is, and what there is about him that needs the lessons getting his fanny out of the bear trap will teach him, (e.g. what he ever did to deserve this) -- then what he DOES (start with the action) that results in fanny getting caught.  What character trait caused him to make that specific mistake at that particular time.  

Thing is, the writer might not KNOW the answers to those questions -- and is writing the book to find out. Those are the kinds of books I like - journey of discovery, of innovation, and of character-arc.  Why is this happening to that character? 

At the end of the novel, the reader should understand the connections between apparently random events and the deepest elements of human character that attract those events out of the cosmos. The nature of that connection is the THEME, and the theme is the reason a particular reader, at a specific time in life, will enjoy reading this unique book.  

The theme is the reason you want to write the book, and the reason you want to write it is the reason the reader wants to read it. Craft that into the SHOW DON'T TELL symbolism of page one. 

Writing is a performing art - an ART.  The artist's job is to reveal hidden meaning.  

Here is an example from one of my own novels, DREAMSPY, that encapsulates a lot of information by unfolding an overheard comment - and the action the Main Character undertakes is to pretend she didn't overhear.  Here is a link to the LOOK INSIDE feature on Amazon.

https://amazon.com/Dreamspy-Tales-Luren-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B00OWCFSIG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Dreamspy&qid=1621634434&sr=8-2&asin=1434445704&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1

Jacqueline Lichtenberg

http://jacquelinelichtenberg.com

Afterthoughts Part 2 Good and Evil

Afterthoughts

Part 2

Good and Evil

See? I told you there'd be more afterthoughts. 

Part 1 is:

https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2021/04/afterthoughts-part-1.html

Part 2 is in response to an observation on a Facebook writer's thread asking how you show a Good Character turning to the Dark Side. 

The discussion thread got all wrapped up in the writer's view of one specific character, but to solve the writing craft problem you need the underlying principle, not the surface decoration.  

Here's the basic PRINCIPLE: 

"Good" respects the Free Will and Personal Integrity of others, and will not use power of any sort to over-ride the Free Will choices of others (by lying or by withholding information). 

"Evil" is so focused on gaining (whatever - money, power, relief from fear, pain etc) that the Free Will (both the power of Will and the Freedom to choose to act differently than Evil wants) of others is not important enough to make Evil hold back on use of force, and tediously explain and teach and illuminate until the other changes their mind OF THEIR OWN FREE WILL.  

Evil has no patience. Good has nearly infinite patience. 

Evil has no recourse other than FORCE - while Good has a life-time-created stockpile of various options.  

So just show your GOOD character taking pain to avoid forcing another -- then in later scenes show that character oblivious to another's right to choose their own actions.  

For more clues, read Blake Snyder's 3 book screenwriting series SAVE THE CAT!  

Previous mentions of SAVE THE CAT! include:

https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2019/11/worldbuilding-from-reality-part-10-does.html

https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2019/11/worldbuilding-from-reality-part-10-does.html

https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2019/08/index-to-posts-about-using-real-world.html

https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2019/06/theme-worldbuilding-integration-part-21.html

"Saving the cat" is the description of how to formulate an opening scene establishing the main character as "good" -- someone who would take a risk to help an innocent. See the SUPERMAN movies. 

First establish the "good" -- then the imperative reason that "good" has to impose his "good-ness" on another despite the resistance of the other -- then redeem your MC by showing the epiphany where he internalizes the difference in when to use force and when NOT to.  

If you need more clues - read some books on Martial Arts and/or training to use a Gun.  Law Officer training manuals.  

In Tarot it's called THE LORD OF SHORTENED FORCE - 5-Swords.

https://smile.amazon.com/Not-So-Minor-Arcana-Books-ebook/dp/B010E4WAOU/

Jacqueline Lichtenberg

http://jacquelinelichtenberg.com

Afterthoughts Part 1

Afterthoughts 

Part 1

In anticipation of there being more afterthoughts - plus a number of reviews and commentaries on long series of books - I put PART 1 in the title.  

At the moment, my everyday task list to keep life going smoothly takes up most of my time and all of my energy, but it is all getting done.

I have maybe 20 minutes of reading time a day -- not getting through books as fast as the best ones are published.  My life is very un-organized right now.

I have a bunch of Kindle books in to-be-read-and-reviewed.

I also did manage to watch (in short snatches) Episode 2 of Season 3 of HAWAII-5-O (the original series), which is about an astrologer -- but presents phony astrology along with a bit of actual factual astrology.  

I do love that show, but mostly for the casting. 

The watchword here is adding sex to science doesn't make it Science Fiction Romance. 

Jacqueline Lichtenberg

http://jacquelinelichtenberg.com