Announcement: There is action on my new novels. The publisher renamed the series--they are still working on the name. I provided suggestions as did one of my prepub readers. Now the individual books will be given single names: Leora, Leila, Russia, Lumiere', China, Sveta, and Klava--at least these are some of the suggestions. They are also working on a single theme for the covers. 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'm not giving this series up quite yet. I'll review some of what I've already described and tie it together.
I'll review the main point about themes and plots. The reason you are writing a science fiction novel is because no other setting will work properly for your theme. Your theme statement must be a science fiction theme statement--that is, it must have a setting placement that places it in the future. Here is where the point of all that extrapolation stuff comes in. The extrapolation of technology allows you to use future technology such that you can write a science fiction theme statement.
As I mentioned before, the theme statement for my Chronicles of the Dragon and Fox novels included the concept of advanced genetic manipulation to allow the development of a leader class of human beings. This was the basis of the theme statements and the basis for the novels. Of course, advanced genetic manipulation doesn't exist today and has not existed in human science or technology. This places the setting for these novels within science fiction.
The idea here is that the science precedes the theme or the plot. I think I made this evident before, but that was the main point of explaining the extrapolation of technology. If you are able to extrapolate technology, you can write a science fiction theme statement, which means you can develop a science fiction plot.
More tomorrow.
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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