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.
I kind of glanced into the climax without planning to. I mentioned yesterday about overcoming a telic flaw. This is the crux of both classic comedy and tragedy (according to Aristotle). If you trust Aristotle. Look--very few things I write about are absolutely cut and dried--most are based in ideas. They are usually tested ideas either by time or experience, but they are ideas. Heck, if you don't like Aristotle's ideas, you don't have to use them, but you need to know them and consider them. In my day job, knowing the rules and the limits is critical to life and death. If you know the rules and limits, you know when you are intentionally exceeding them. If you know you are intentionally breaking the rules or exceeding the limits, you could be a wise and successful (in my business a live) person. If you don't...well, fools tend to pay for their foolishness one way or the other. It pays to understand Aristotle and classic literary forms.
Aristotle is well known for his treatise on tragedy. We also know he wrote a treatise on comedy. The one on tragedy is still extant, the one on comedy has been lost in time. You should read Aristotle's treatise on tragedy, but let me give you the ten cent outline. Good tragedy comes out of strong tragic characters--such characters must be able to generate pity and fear in the viewer (he was writing about plays--so insert reader). What Aristotle meant by pity and fear is what we call in English: pathos and tension.
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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