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.
Here are my rules of writing:
1. Entertain your readers.
2. Don't confuse your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
If you are willing to let a little creativity flow, the creation of a theme, focusing the theme, and visualizing a plot will pretty much begin the development of your novel. I mentioned yesterday, that a focused theme begins to give you characters. The example is the theme of Aksinya. The theme of Aksinya is: the woman Akinsya is redeemed from the demon she called and from sorcery. This theme gives us a protagonist, Aksinya, and an antagonist, the demon.
I already delved deeply for you in showing how I developed Aksinya's character. I have also shown you how I developed the demon's character. I won't repeat much of that analysis, but let's note the definition of Aksinya's character sets the initial scene for the novel. If you will remember (if you don't, look back through this blog), Aksinya is a child of nobility who was left too much to her own devices. Her family was noble from Russian (her step-father was a Russian Count) and from Germany (her mother was a German Duke's daughter). There was much more to this because Aksinya was also the daughter of a Romanov Prince, which made her a Princess by birth.
Aksinya was a child who longed for affection, and who, for some reason, never received much of it. She was solitary and imagined herself ugly. She likely thought her lack of affection was due to her ugliness. In any case, Aksinya took up sorcery to relieve her solitude and her feelings. She called the demon to protect her family, so in spite of her feelings, she still loved them enough to give her soul for them.
If you have been observant, the very development of the character, Aksinya, has begun to build the scene and the initial plot.
More on turning your themes into plots 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.
The following is a question asked by one of my readers. I'm going to address this over time: Please elaborate on scene, theme, plot, character development in a new novel creation....ie, the framework, the development, order if operation, the level of detail, guidelines, rule of thumb, tricks, traps and techniques.
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, http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.
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