Announcement: We are in the countdown phase for the publication of my new novels. The date on the internet is 1 September. We will see how close we come, or if the publishers meet the deadline. My Aegypt novels will be titled Ancient Light, and the next two books will be called Sister of Light and Sister of Darkness. These were the original titles. They will be released individually and as a 3 in 1 volume. The proposed cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com. 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 my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.
Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:
In modern writing, we set the scene and then we use the conversation and narrative to reveal details about the characters and the place. The point is first to set the scene. Your readers can't stare at a blank stage for very long before they dup your book. Set the stage immediately for every scene. Start with the place (that is the stage). Add in the details. Give the time (time, date, year, etc.). As the characters come on the stage, describe them. Like I have written before, a novel is like a play. Imagine a play presented while you are wearing a blindfold. That is a novel without sufficient description. At least give your readers as much as they would see--that is showing. I always worry about writers who do not give sufficient description. What then is their writing about?
Set the stage in time, place, and character description. You don't need Victorian levels of detail, because if you are writing well, you can use the conversation and narration to give us more details. For example, if I describe a park with a path, I can further describe the path as pebbled through either a character's remark, a narrative description that adds to the path description, or an action narrative. Here are some examples:
A fine path meandered through the low trees and short grass.
Jane stumbled as she stepped onto the path, "I hate pebbles."
Jane lit her cigarette. The path was pebbled and tugged at her light shoes.
Jane stepped onto the pebbled path.
If you want to add to the description to enhance and expand the scene setting, these are some ways to do it.
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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