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:
What is truth? I've written about this before. The modern character is identified by a question of truth. In the past, the revelation came from the narrator--the omniscient voice. Today, the good writer uses the words of the characters or others to reveal the characters. The question then is one of truth. When god tells you something, the assumption is that that is true. The narrator or the omniscient voice is god for a novel. What god says should be true. On the other hand, if a character says it, there is always the question in the mind of the reader (or there should be a question in the mind of the reader)--what is true.
I find this problem the reader caught between truth and not truth to be real and exhilarating. In most of my novels, I want the reader to wonder "what is true?" This entire question in the revelation of characters gives mystery and mystery is entertainment. Additionally, it allows the writer more control over the characters. For example, once Dickens told you in the omniscient voice who Oliver Twist was, there could be no variation--none at all. On the other hand, if Dickens had revealed Oliver Twist through the words of Oliver, there was always the opportunity to tell us that Oliver lied. What if some of those things and ideas were not true? One of the great powers of an author is the question of truth.
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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