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 plus one 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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.
I am writing about the extrapolation of science and technology to be able to write science fiction. I made the point that it is almost meaningless to try to fully extrapolate a universe (world) that is 10,000 years in the future (and maybe 1,000 years in the future) without applying some cultural and technological shaping.
By shaping the cultures of your science fiction universe, you can shape the science and technology that is extrapolated. Here is how I culturally shaped the universe of The Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox to make the 10,000 year extrapolation work.
I saw the worst science fiction movie ever last night. It was the new Star Trek-Into the Darkness. I'm not certain why it was called into the darkness, but the reuse of plots and the lack of real science made it pure science fantasy. The plot was a remake of the original Star Trek with the Genesis machine. I don't remember the name of that horrible movie, but in it Spock dies of radiation poisoning saving the Enterprise (he adjusts the Dilithium Crystals) and Captain Kirk gives him a big send off to the Genesis planet where Spock is reborn as a grown man--the planet is terraformed while you watch. Hey, one of the main guys can't die in the undying series. Wish they would. Spoiler--but if you have an IQ of 80, you can guess what will happen in the new movie. Kirk dies of radiation poisoning while adjusting the reactor core (with his feet--he kicks it) and is brought back to life by the miraculous blood of Khan. Yes, it is that Khan from the earlier movie. I feel like Star Trek is moving backward and forward in time and space without any control or reason.
Look just the idea of adjusting the core of a reactor by kicking it is kind of out there, but I guess an audience without scientific knowledge will accept anything. The bringing back to life stuff is really difficult to accept too. The anthropomorphic aliens are hard to swallow too. Star Trek is a B-type movie, but it has started to look like the bar scene from Star Wars with brighter lights.
They really need to get a space scientist to help them with the next one. The number of science gaffs in the movie is legion. I can't begin to explain them all. I wish the writers and the producers would stop feeding the children this kind of fake science crap. As a matter of a fact, a great indicator of the education of a people is how many can pick out the science fantasy in modern science fiction movies.
More tomorrow.
Also remember, I'm trying to show you and give you examples of how to write a science fiction theme statement and turn it into a plot.
For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com
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