Announcement: My novels Sister of Light and Sister of Darkness are about to be published. I write this blog about 2 months prior to its publication. I just heard that the proofs will be here soon--likely before the end of the week. My publisher also wants to put the entire set of novels based on Aegypt on contract--that's 5 more novels for 8 total. They also want to put my other novels on contract. The release schedule should be one novel every 2 months. I'll keep you updated.
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.
The four basic rules I employ when 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.
Inspiration! Just how do you get it, and what is "good" inspiration. If you want to be inspired--write. That's it. Inspiration is enveloped in the process or writing. I see writing as cathartic. You fill up your brain with good things and out comes great writing. This means you can't write well unless you are steeped in good stuff. Your mind needs to be filled with positive and powerful words, music, images, and energy so when you get in front of a piece of paper, what flows onto the paper is rich and luscious. Let's put it this way, if you spend your time reading Dick and Jane, you will write Dick and Jane. If you spend your time reading Hawthorn and Dickens, you will write Hawthorn and Dickens. We haven't begun to speak about your individual voice as an author. So I want to fill up my mind with powerful stuff that then turns into powerful words on a page. So what were those initial words about "just write?" I was speaking about inspiration. If you wait around for inspiration to hit you in the head, and then you write, you'll never write anything (or very little). I find inspiration comes from the experience of writing. Since I write in scenes, I do try to imagine the scenes as a focus to the writing and that provides much of the inspiration. You might ask, where did the original inspiration for the overall novel or writing come from? Generally, it comes out of the process of writing. In other words, I imagine a scene I would like to write, I write to develop the scene, and that provides the inspiration. Sometimes the scene I write has nothing to do with anything else in the future (like a novel), sometimes it does. Sometimes the scene develops into a short story. The point is, I don't wait around for inspiration, I just start writing and see what comes of it. If you need some guidance in your writing, use a text book or figure out some kind of template. Write about descriptive scenes or simply describe the room you are in right now. If you can't get anything going from any of that--then writing may not be your thing. Or just wait for some inspiration.
For more information, you can visit my author site www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com, www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, thefoxshonor, aseasonofhonor.
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