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.
When you write anything, but especially a novel, you write in scenes. Each scene is cohesive and fits into every other scene. I recommend an approach to writing where each scene is the input and output to every other scene. In any case, no matter how you write, you must set each scene. The scene input and the scene setting should be the easiest part of the scene. Once you have the input and the setting. The next step is the output. What do you want to come out of the scene. Where is the scene going.
Every scene must have a purpose in a novel--there can be nothing extraneous. Your scene must have a purpose. It must move an idea or a person or a thing from here to there. It must process the novel in some way. I know the output of every scene--that is the goal I am writing toward. For example, in my vampire novel, out of the first scene, I knew I wanted an interaction of the agent with the vampire and I knew I wanted the agent to live. With this as the goal or output of the scene, all I had to do is connect the dots--literally to write from one point to the end point for the scene. That can't be so hard--can it? The next step is the development of the element of 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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