How Not To Write A Novel

A look at how my novel comes together, over the next thirty two years.

[outlawserenade]

[bluemorbo-blog]

Adeela, Adeena, and Adeeva are three little newcomers to the world. Unfortunately, these prematurely-born infants will not experience their mother’s warm embrace.

Lily Riyana Lubis, the mother of the triplets, died not long after delivering her daughters. The exuberant Lily died from ...

[bluemorbo-blog]

Skittles

I don't recall the exact moment that I was informed I was special. As a child, I didn't give it much thought. Yet, as I grew into my awkward teenage years, I soon began to have my suspicions that I wasn't like everyone else, and after a slip of the tongue over breakfast, it was only a matter of days before I was being poked and prodded by a whole variety of physicians.

To begin with, they wouldn't tell me what they thought it was. I can recall the chats with my parents behind closed doors whilst I channel surfed in the next room. Then came the books, Lovecraft to Bulgakov, passages I had to read aloud while rolling waves or Yellow Submarine played through noise-dampening headphones.

It was kinda fun at first – I spent a lot of time out of school, and I managed to miss all those classes I didn't enjoy. In fact, I never did have History with Mrs Moorcroft ever again. But then summer came, and there was I wasting those cloudless, indigo afternoons sitting in a sensory deprivation tank at the clinic.

Eventually, they settled upon a prognosis. Synaesthesia or something. Basically, I can taste words and noises trigger a Renoiresque explosion of colour. I told you I was special. So I spend my whole life tripping off the smallest of things, which is why I'm here in my parents' garden.

I like to walk around barefoot, amongst the tulips, violets, and neatly trimmed grass tickling the soles of my feet, triggering fluorescent fireworks before me. A canvas splattered with fuchsia and beryl. Fortunately, my sense of smell is normal, so the pleasant yet subtle aromas from the surrounding flowerbeds are great for relaxing and not so great for my hay fever. I suppose if all my senses were cross-wired, I'd suffer sensory overload and never get anything done.

So who needs LSD when the Sun tastes of oranges and the sound of the wind rustling through the beech trees tints your world pale cobalt?

People dream in colours, I taste them.

[bluemorbo-blog]

Act I Guidelines Part II

Hook Examples

There are perhaps three common opening hooks, starting at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the events.

At the Beginning

Perhaps the most commonplace, the story could start at the very beginning, where the story progresses in a linear fashion. For example:

The row of closed shop fronts merged into a single yet colourful blur as Mark Parker ran to catch the delayed 18:12 service to Hammersmith. As he turned onto the platform, he felt a sudden jolt in his right foot, and tripped over the outstretched leg of a busker.

Here the characters are meeting for the first time. This is the beginning of their story, perhaps Mark Parker is a manager for artists, ready to transform the life of the busker. A genuine "rags-to-riches" story.

In the Middle

Perhaps a more exciting opening would be a story that is already in motion. Here, there can be a sense of action and momentum, throwing the reader into the middle of an action beat.

Logan Baird climbed the wooden panelled staircase and paused behind the curtain. Tonight would be his first performance outside of Tottenham Court tube station.

Here Logan Baird, formerly the busker with stretchy legs has already been given his big break, and is now performing for a paying audience. There's still a long way to go before he has a number one album, but he's made the first steps. The story is in progress.

I've used this approach myself in order to create some questions that the reader will discover later in the story. 

Novel Spoilers

The story opens part-way into the story. Daniel has begun his downward spiral, and his academic studies are suffering as a consequence. The three gentlemen are deciding on the best course of action to protect his future. Here, the reader will question what has prompted Daniel to have such a dramatic change of behaviour, and what happened to Rosalind.

At the End

Alternatively, the story could begin at the end and then jump back to the start. Here, the reader will have to read on to discover how the lead got from A to B. For example, Logan could end up back where he started, busking on the underground.

"Hey Mister, don't you know who I am?" decried Logan. "I'm famous! I've had number one singles and everything!" This caught the attention of the passing stranger. He placed his briefcase besides Logan's guitar and sat opposite. "So how did you get here then?"

"Well, I suppose I'd best start at the beginning."

Reader - Lead Connection

 As covered in my post on Plotting, the story needs complicated yet relatable characters. This is most true for the lead character.

Identification

Without turning the character into another Mary-Sue (or male equivalent), one of the possible methods to make the character relatable is to make he or she behave like any normal person would. Had an argument with a domineering parent? The character can storm off. Caught your spouse cheating? Have an argument! Worried about exams? Freak out and decide you're going to fail, regardless of your ability!

Novel Spoilers

Daniel doesn't like his parents interfering with his life, nor the constant criticisms and patronising. His parents think they know what's best, and have decided to move him out of university and into the workplace. This isn't exactly what Daniel wants to hear.

Sympathy

To further improve the likelihood of attachment, the lead could be going through some hard times that encourage sympathy. Perhaps the lead has been made redundant, or has just split with his girlfriend. Here, the struggles faced by the lead will garner sympathy from the readers.

Novel Spoilers

There's been a death in the immediate family, something that is affecting the parents and especially Daniel. A death is always guaranteed to encourage sympathy.

Likability

One of the more difficult methods to utilise, creating a likeable yet interesting character that is witty, intelligent, a good friend etc. can be harder than it seems. However, if your characters are too nice, they'll seen unrealistic. We all have flaws, for example, the animal lover and charity worker that spends their evenings as part of the Animal Liberation Front. Adding complexities and contradictions adds a third dimension, and as a result the reader will want to find out what will this character do next, when they fall in love with the hunky male scientist that tests on animals for a job.

Inner Conflict

We've all had doubts and a voice inside us that suggests we reconsider a decision we're about to make. If the lead struggles with big decisions, the reader will see part of themselves in the character and a connection will be born. For example, if the lead discovers his wife has been cheating on him, does he spend the evening with a colleague who has been flirting with him for weeks, who - until now - had been spurned? 

Novel Spoilers

After Daniel discovers just how dangerous the research is, he contemplates using narcotics. However, he realises that if Virginia was to discover she was engaged to an opium addict, the wedding would be cancelled. So, he has to ask is it worth the risk? Will escaping the horrors of his research help provide for his future?

Present the World

The first chapter should provide the reader with an idea of where the events take place. If you're telling the story of an American submarine playing cat and mouse with a German U-boat, you could open the story in the middle of the Atlantic, with naval officers milling around the bridge.

Novel Spoilers

My story opens up on Thurman Conrad stood in the exuberant dining room of close friend Horace Dillow. After a short talk with John Wilkes, the trio share specially imported cigars from the Middle East. Here, we can see these men are wealthy gentlemen with a high level of sophistication. 

Exposition

Finally, to maintain a story with pace, you should try to limit the length of text that contains exposition. It's better to tease the reader with details. For example, in my story, I know the exact time and place the story takes place. Now, I can either tell the reader precisely:

It is April 1908. The Conrads, together with the Dillows and the Wilkes, live in the Kensington district of London. Daniel, son of Thurman and Hariett is dating Virginia Dillow.

Or, I can tease the details out, and throughout the story, give clues for the details:

Daniel strolled alongside the Thames with Virginia on his arm. Although the horse-drawn carriage was available to them, the late Spring air was an open invitation for a short walk down the embankment.

So we have not only detail about where they are (London), and a vague idea of when (late Victorian / early Edwardian) but also the fact it is Spring (April / May) and he has a close relationship with Virginia. Also, note there is action and movement. This may not be integral to the plot, but they could be on their way home to bad news.

[bluemorbo-blog]

Act I Guidelines Part I

As ever, I'll be making various references to James Scott Bell's Plot & Structure.

The first act has several important tasks to achieve, which will decide whether a reader makes it to the final page or not. These include:

Introduce the lead characters

Establish the world and it's rules (the where and when, people can fly etc.)

Define the tone of the story (light-hearted, dramatic etc.)

Specify the 'hook' (something to capture the reader's imagination)

Introduce the antagonist as early as possible, even if the stakes are as yet unknown

The Hook

The first line, sentence or paragraph of chapter one should make the best first impression possible. If the first sentence is clunky or riddled with grammatical errors, then the reader isn't going to get beyond the first page. You need to make the reader want to know more about what's happening. Consider:

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

The opening line to 1984 immediately sets the tone (serious, set in a future time, or possibly an alternate universe) and the atmosphere (cold - implies dark times are ahead, even though the day itself is 'bright'). The hook is there, because you want to know more about this world, and what else is different from the one we live in. This is why it's one of the best opening lines to a novel ever (and perhaps my personal favourite).

Novel Spoilers

The novel opens up on Thurman Conrad (Daniel's father) deeply brooding, when he's interrupted by close friend John Wilkes who tells him in hushed tones that they need to talk urgently. Here (hopefully) the user will want to know what's on John's mind. There is a serious tone, to demonstrate this is going to be dramatic.

The Opening Line

Although there are numerous ways to open a book, one personal favourite is that a name is given, and an action. This gives the reader a sense of momentum and quick pace:

John Smith, upon hearing the scream, ran up the stairs and into the bathroom.

Quick! There's an emergency! Let's follow John Smith (up the stairs and down the paragraph) to see who is screaming and what prompted such a reaction. Of course, you can start with a long paragraph of scene-setting. It ultimately depends on the type of novel you're aiming to write. Literary books will have more detail and more grandiose prose, while commercial stories will keep things simple and lively.

It's important to note that the momentum doesn't have to be physical. It could be that someone is in the middle of something:

Jane failed to lift herself from the wooden pew, the subdued atmosphere weighing heavily upon those in mourning.

Here Jane is stationary, but she's in the middle of mourning the loss of someone close. Her husband, perhaps? A child? A parent? What did they die from? Here there is implication that not only has something dramatic happened (i.e. the death of a loved one), but also that things are going to happen (Jane meets someone new and wrestles with her feelings, Jane discovers it was murder, etc.). The only way you'll find out what has happened is by reading on.

Novel Spoiler

N.B. This is work in progress! Yes I'm aware I currently ignore my own rules. This will change by the time I'm finished.

Thurman Conrad rested against the oak book case that groaned under the weight of the leather-bound tomes it held aloft.

The Disturbance

Remember, the ultimate purpose of a story is to detail how the lead character deals with a disruption to his or her world. This disturbance should be introduced early in the story, otherwise the reader may become impatient with the story and replace you with another Dan Brown book. Ew.

Whether the lead receives a knock at the door, is presented with divorce papers or fired for being wrongly accused of sexual harassment, fate (in whatever form) needs to mix up the comfortable life of the lead.

Note that the book does not have progress linearly from A to B. For example, Jane Smith has had the bad news (i.e. disturbance) and is now beginning to deal with the consequences. Alternatively, she could receive a call at work from the hospital saying her husband was badly mauled by a wild puma whilst working in the forest. 

Novel Spoilers

In my novel, although Daniel Conrad isn't introduced until the second chapter, we find his father, the dean of the university (John Wilkes) and future father-in-law talking about his future. They ultimately decide to pull him out of university and offer him a role as an apprentice at Dillow Utilities.

So Daniel's world is disturbed greatly, as he enters the world of work for the first time in his life. This starts him off on a journey that sees him becoming the assistant to a mad Professor, and conducting sinister research. The wheels are now in motion.

[bluemorbo-blog]

Structure

Although there are variations on the original structure to a story, the most common (and successful)  structure is the three acts. Think beginning, middle and end. Firstly, the lead encounters a problem. The second act deals with attempts to handle the problem. The final act deals with a climax and then hopeful resolution. Back to Lord of the Rings:

Problem - the One Ring could destroy Middle Earth unless destroyed

Handling - the journey to Mordor, with conflict and obstacles

Resolution - the ring is destroyed and (nearly) everyone lives happily ever after

This also fits nicely with the overall rising character arc that many stories cover. Of course, a story doesn't have to follow the structure. More gifted writers have played with structure all the time, but this is my first novel so I'll play this one safe.

Beginnings

Here, the reader should be introduced to the lead character and his world, within the tone of the story. We see his current situation, and interrupt his life with the problem or disturbance. Also, to avoid problems that Season 2 of Heroes demonstrated, the antagonist should be introduced here. If there's a bad guy with a clear objective (steal the One Ring to rule Middle Earth), then the reader is encouraged to find out both the what and if. It should probably cover about 20-25% of the novel.

Here, I like James Scott Bell's idea of defining the transition between Act I and II as a doorway. Once the lead can't go back to his old life, then Act I ends. He has to move forwards towards achieving his objective in Act II.

Novel Spoilers

The reader is introduced to Daniel Conrad as a gifted but troubled student who is behaving out of turn at university. Thurman, his father, together with Dean John Wilkes and local businessman Horace Dillow decide it would be best if Daniel is given a job as an apprentice at Horace's business, immediately disrupting his previously leisurely lifestyle.

However, since accounting is definitely not something Daniel has an interest in, his downward spiral continues and ultimately finds himself as a highly-funded apprentice to Charles Ridpath, and eccentric professor. Together they begin to perform strange and illegal experiments, meaning there is no turning back for Daniel. He's now deep in underworld activity.

N.B. As of yet, I've still to work out just how to introduce the antagonist and his objectives without removing a reveal that would have greater impact later in the story.

Middles

Here, minor skirmishes take place between the two characters, and the lead should be defeated. Here relationships can be deepened, stakes raised and At the end of the middle, the lead should be a broken man(/woman), leading to an epic showdown when all the pieces are in place. 

To transition towards the climax, there should be some sort of revelation or discovery - something to set up the final showdown between the lead and his antagonist. After all, the middle can't go on forward, so there can't be small skirmishes going on indefinitely. Until the hero discovers the villain's lair or his key weakness, they'll keep fighting until one of them dies. This discovery and momentum should provide an amplified, Knockout ending.

Novel Spoilers

Through the second act of the story, Daniel begins to escape his rut with his new found wealth allowing him to spend his summer afternoons frittering away money with best friend Ernest Perry (who happens to be quite the buffoon, but a good guy all the same).

The wedding preparations continue, although Virginia remains content to leave things as they are, and Daniel becomes increasingly distant. At night, the experiments get increasingly dangerous and jeopardise hundreds of civilians. As the true motives come clear, Daniel realises Charles Ridpath and his financier are bad news and need to be stopped at any cost.

Endings

Here we have the big show down, we tie up the loose ends, and leave the reader satisfied with the conclusion of the story whether positive or negative.

Novel Spoilers

Having discovered the real motives of Charles Ridpath and the mysterious financier, the danger begins to escalate, climaxing with the attempted arson of Daniel's family home. Riled up, Daniel makes one final push to put an end to the sinister research once and for all.

[bluemorbo-blog]

Plotting

Upon finishing a book or film, there have been times when I've asked myself "What was the point? Nothing happened." Without a plot, the story will leave the reader unsatisfied, and you'll end up like Stephenie Meyer or something.

I kid.

But without a journey of some kind (physical or emotional), the reader has nothing to invest themselves in. So a plot is perhaps the most important aspect of a story.

While there is no one predefined method for formulating a plot, I personally like to employ a method described in James Scott Bell's Plot & Structure, namely the LOCK system:

L - Lead

O - Objective

C - Confrontation

K - Knockout

Lead

At the centre of a plot, we have a lead character. A protagonist need not be entirely sympathetic, but as long as he or she is compelling, and encourages the reader to join them on their journey, then we have a solid beginning.

Novel Spoilers

For the novel, Daniel Conrad is a complicated, troubled character. Suffering from night terrors, vivid dreams and a tormented conscience, he begins to project is issues to those around him. This ultimately leads him towards Professor Charles Ridpath, who hires him as an assistant. 

Daniel is not going to be too happy for the majority of the book, but his arc will hopefully compel the reader to read cover to cover.

Objective

What's a lead character without an objective of kind? What does he want to achieve? What does he want to escape from? These questions can summarise the story as a whole in a single sentence. For example, Lord of the Rings: Frodo wishes to take the One Ring to Mordor and destroy it to save Middle Earth from Sauron.

Of course there is more to it than that, but at it's essence, the lead wishes to get to a particular place. To raise the stakes, if he should fail, the fate of Middle Earth is doomed, so lives are at risk. The greater the importance of the object, the more likely it is you'll grab their attention. This gives the characters motivation.

Novel Spoilers

Daniel has several objectives throughout the story. Dealing with his conscience and get out of his rut, marry Ginny Dillow (daughter of Horace). Perhaps his bigger challenges are to juggle two separate worlds: his night time research and his day time social events. As the story progresses, it would be to stop Professor Charles Ridpath from continuing his research. 

The minor objectives threaten to ruin Daniel's future career and love life, so he obviously wants to come out of his downward spiral. However, on a grander scale, he also has to deal with a nihilistic Professor hell-bent on opening a portal to Yoggoth. If the Professor succeeds, humanity as a whole will be at risk.

Confrontation

In pursuit of his goals, the lead character shouldn't have it easy. There should be conflict and obstacles. If Frodo can just walk up the side of Mount Doom and throw the One Ring in, then that's all too easy and the reader is underwhelmed. However, if there is a huge army in the way that makes things a bit more difficult and suddenly there is conflict and the reader will begin to worry. How will he ever get out of this one?

Novel Spoilers

At the beginning of the novel, the conflict for Daniel is self-created. His downward spiral is beginning to be felt by his family and loved ones, straining the relationships. This is amplified when he begins working as Professor Ridpath's apprentice, as he then begins to deceive others. 

When Daniel discovers the true nature of Ridpath's research (and his beneficiary) after a tragic accident, he re-evaluates the last few months and decides to cease the experiments before he is successful. Then you've got Ridpath and others all trying to defeat Daniel, jeopardising Virginia, his family and his own life.

Knockout

As the story comes to a close, it needs a powerful ending. One with closure, that ties up the loose ends and leaves the reader satisfied. It should deal with the lead achieving his objectives and defeating the antagonists. Alternatively, the lead could fail, and everything could fail apart. Whether the story is commercial or literary is up to you.

Major Novel Spoilers 

The third act begins when Daniel realises the truth regarding Ridpath and his research. He decides to put a stop to his work, but in doing so creates a very dangerous antagonist with powerful allies. So they take the offensive which leaves to a deadly climax.

Peel back the layers of romance and Lovecraftian horror, the novel covers obsession and dealing with grief, situations that we can all relate to. How the character comes out the other side, is the question the novel will answer.

[bluemorbo-blog]

Character Names

One aspect of stores I tend to enjoy are characters that work on multiple levels. For example, in mysterious island TV show Lost many of the characters share names with important characters from the Old Testament to foreshadow their destiny. Unfortunately, sometimes it was a little too obvious - see Christian Shepherd for one perfect example. 

Now I don't believe that every character in a story should have a referential name where the author winks at the reader, in fact it may become too distracting and take the user out of the story. So, I intend to do it with a few foreground characters.

Novel Spoilers

As I was creating my protagonist, I knew that he would suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders due to a tragedy that occurred prior to Chapter I. So after some research I discovered that vivid and incomprehensible dreams were common amongst suffers. From here, I began looking through late Victorian census data, to find common baby boy names - one of which was Daniel. Daniel the interpreter of dreams. It had a nice ring to it.

Between Biblical and superficial names, lay characters whose names reflect their personality or destiny. Since Daniel begins the story studying at an esteemed university, he should have a teacher. However, since he is having problems at home (due to the previously mentioned tragedy), the teacher should hold a senior position at the school and be consulting with his parents. So, I went with a Dean John Wilkes who is a childhood friend of Daniel's father. To highlight a strong contrast between the nihilistic views of characters such as Charles Ridpath, I decided he should be a devout Christian with a strong Christian name.

Coincidentally, the name John means "God is Merciful", which implies his personal philosophy. 

As a second example, Anthony Dillow (brother of romantic interest Virginia), suffers from a similar coincidence. I wanted to give Daniel not only emotional and intellectual antagonists, but also a physical one. Most of the characters in the story are either middle aged or slim, and therefore posing little threat to your average 18 year old male. So as I was deciding upon a year to set the story (see a future entry), I discovered that London (the setting of my story) held the Olympic games in 1908. Who better to be physically domineering than an Olympian? And so a highly competitive and protective physical teen was born.

The meaning behind the name Anthony? Worthy of praise, ideal for someone who excels at something they're passionate about.

Of course, the casual reader will not pick up on the sly winks and subtle nods scattered through the book - but it will not affect the story. It's merely there as a secondary layer for those that are more observant or knowledgeable.

So that's how characters can have different levels of meaning, depending upon the importance of their role.

[bluemorbo-blog]

Lovecraftian Themes

I figured since I omitted some archetypes of Lovecraftian horror in yesterdays post, I'd cover them in a second post. These examples will give me guidance with some of the character development in my story, especially with regards to Professor Charles Ridpath. 

Just to be clear, Lovecraft himself encouraged others to expand the Cthulhu Mythos in their own way. So I'm taking him up on his suggestion, paying homage, and drawing it out into novel (or at least novella) form.

Often, Lovecraft's characters are academic (see At The Mountains of Madness) and regularly isolated not only from others in their field but also from the general public. Generally, they begin with a rigid philosophy that is soon shattered upon encountering the likes of Shoggoths and Great Old Ones. Ultimately, the character usually dies; suicide, insanity and being devoured have all featured.

Rarely, the character will escape not only with his life, but with a minor success over the being(s). However, to demonstrate the futility of it all, it is a set-back rather than outright victory. Essentially, the beings will do as they wish, and ultimately we are powerless to stop them.

Novel Spoilers

Here is where the inspiration for my novel began - I wanted to write my own Lovecraftian story, featuring Great Old Ones and the cliché academic. However, to make it 'new', I decided to make the protagonist an understudy, a gifted apprentice and thus Daniel Conrad (the reasoning behind this name will be covered in another entry) was born. 

However, a strong protagonist needs an adversary that is at least his equal - which is where the Professor comes in. In this story, the antagonist is Professor Charles Ridpath, the man who hires Daniel as an assistant as the two begin their arcane experiments.

So we have our good and evil. A naive understudy has to defeat his wiser teacher, to prevent him summoning a great evil. So there you go, that's my story in one sentence.

[bluemorbo-blog]

WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO VISIT ON YOUR PLANET?

A little cliché perhaps, but there are several places I'd love to visit. Luxor, Egypt would be top of the list. Then there is the Arctic, because it's so different from England, and Tokyo because of how different it is to the West. So everywhere, really. 

[bluemorbo-blog]

Weird Fiction

Whilst I enjoy reading, my biggest passion is a rather under-appreciated genre known as Weird Fiction. It peaked at the turn of the 20th Century, pioneered by the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Machen and my personal favourite H P Lovecraft. You could say I have a minor obsession with all things Lovecraftian and Cthulu.

The aforementioned masters skilfully mixed the supernatural and scientific into stories of the bizarre and horrific. Many of these authors - none more so than Lovecraft - often crossed over into the realm of Cosmic Horror (sometimes known as Cosmicism).

Essentially, Cosmicism can be define as existential nihilism. To those who share this philosophy, there is no supreme being, there is no meaning. Humanity is meaningless, and vulnerable from greater forces that view our efforts as insignificant. These outside influences view us with indifference, like we would view an insect or other minute being.

Lovecraft himself described weird fiction as:

The true weird tale has something more than secret murder, bloody bones, or a sheeted form clanking chains according to rule. A certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknown forces must be present; and there must be a hint, expressed with a seriousness and portentousness becoming its subject, of that most terrible conception of the human brain--a malign and particular suspension or defeat of those fixed laws of Nature which are our only safeguard against the assaults of chaos and the daemons of unplumbed space.

As demonstrated by M R James, utilising the mind's ability to fill in missing detail, the reader can shape the imagery into something that has deeper resonance than:

DCI Wilkes pulled back the black canvas to reveal the atrophied remains of a badly beaten adult. Several cranial pieces lay scattered amongst the shallow soil, and a nest of matted hair appeared to be home to a wriggling mass of larvae.

Sure, it's graphic but it doesn't scare you compared to a passage of suggestion:

The dull foot steps appeared to slow as it approached. John remained motionless, transfixed upon the light that poured in from the hallway. The movement ceased. All that separated him from it was a single piece of oak. And then the handle turned.

For additional effect, the atmosphere works better if a character is isolated, or at least far removed from their normal surroundings. Help should be far, far away whether through distance or time.

Of course, since my novel is situated in Edwardian London, this will prove to be more difficult. However, as long as I feature the a purposeless humanity and beings indifferent towards our race, the story shall stay true to the genre.