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.
The major areas in warfare technology are:
1. Software
2. Weapons
3. Countermeasures
4. Defense
5. Communications
6. Robots
7. Vehicles
8. Environments (personal equipment)
What happens if military and government technology doesn't get passed into the civilian population?
One of the greatest safety mechanisms and historically, the most important transfer of technology was from governments (especially the military) to civilians. This is the way horses and oxen were used for transportation, and the advent of modern farming. Quickly, when chariots were overcome by the phalanx (organized troops), the horse teams and the chariots were absorbed into the civilian population. These horse teams and chariots became the means of plowing and transportation for generations. That led to modern farming because until humans began using animals to plow (their manure fell into the soil) only alluvial soil (river wash like the Nile) could be used year to year to grow crops. After the advent of the use of animals to plow, the world changed. That change was directly due to military technology getting into the hands of the people.
Further, as the ages as in bronze age to iron age to steel age occurred, the weapons of the previous age became the staples of the people (civilians). They used those weapons effectively for defense and against their enemies. The first step by any conqueror was to disarm the populace. The first step of a modern nation bent on assuring the complacency of their population is to prevent military weapons from getting into the hands of civilians. This also impedes the flow of technology. Just as the movement of technology from the military to civilians in the era BC, likewise, technology from the military to civilians has direct effects on future technology. Nations, like the Soviet Union, caused themselves undue harm by holding to technology that might have made their people's lives better. In the free world, there have been less horror stories, but as nations clamp down on military technology, they prevent more than their enemies' acquisition of new technology--they prevent their own society from using and expanding that new technology.
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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