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.
I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:
1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary
I added a fourth degree document (artifact) that is quatriary. Quatriary isn't a normally acknowledged degree in historical documents. When I teach classes on history, quatriary is my tongue in cheek name for documents that are one step below tertiary. Tertiary documents claim to be history and in regards can be used to support or help in historical studies. Quatriary documents are documents that happen to exist in history, but that are not historical at all. For example, the Egyptian Book of the Dead does not claim to be history. It contains no history. It is a book of spells to be used when you are dead. Most of the Gitas are also quatriary. They do not claim to be history and although they are historical documents--they are not documents that tell anything directly about history.
The reason I call these documents quatriary is to place them on the radar screen, but to acknowledge that they are not as valuable in terms of historical information as real historical documents. On the other hand, these documents are very valuable in history, but just not as history.
There is another type of tertiary degree document that is used as a historical source. I'll write about that tomorrow.
I'll explain more about tension and first scene development. I'll talk about characteristics that make a bad first scene/chapter eventually.
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/.
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