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.
All novels have five discrete parts:
1. The initial scene (the beginning)
2. The rising action
3. The climax
4. The falling action
5. The dénouement
The theme statement of this new novel is: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.
What makes a person who they are? A writer, more than anyone else should be able to pin-point this, because all good writers create characters who appear real. They are not "real." They appear real. What makes a character "real" isn't their looks or what they wear. What makes a character from a novel or story appear "real" is how they respond to the world around them and how they responded to the world around them.
If I gave you a vampire like Valeska, and she was a bloodsucking murderous vampire, you might shrug your shoulders in response. Valeska instead is gentle and kind. She wishes only to read, have good conversation, eat fine foods, and drink sweet wine. What in the world could make a vampire act like that? Why would a vampire act like that? I would argue that if there really were vampires in the world, and especially those defined by my "rules for vampires," they would be cautious, reticent, thoughtful, bloodsucking and violent at the right time, but gentle and studious most of the time. If you are a vampire who needs food to live and human blood during a full moon, you would tend to be cautious and careful. If you lived forever, you would want to spend your time in either studious or exciting pursuits. I suspect that after the first hundred years or so, you would get bored with the excitement, and move toward the intellectual. The point is the past is what makes a person. The past is what a character is developed from.
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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