Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 204, Gnosticism, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

31 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 204, Gnosticism, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

The way people think about the world is rooted in their religious (spiritual) view of the world--no kidding.  There are four stages in religious thinking (religions):
1.  Animism - gods in everything, man is fated
2.  Pantheonic Paganism - gods rule certain things and both man and god are fated
3.  Mysterium - gods rule and man can know god through rituals and education
4.  Gnosticism - god is there and man can be like him through knowledge

As a culture gains philosophy, it also begins on the long breakthrough of scientific understanding.  Under animism, there are gods in everything that make the living and nonliving things in the world grow and move.  Philosophy brings on mysterium and begins to ask the question, if the gods don't make the world run, then what does.  The answer to this question requires philosophy initially as logic (which we will eventually get to).  The Greeks used philosophy (logic) to design the scientific and the legal-historical methods of knowing truth.  When a culture begins to use the scientific method, it begins to see that natural laws and not gods govern the universe.  When a culture begins to use the legal-historical method, it begins to see that humans and not fate govern the history of the world. 

This is the great understanding that leads to Gnosticism.  Gnosticism still acknowledges a god, but that god is a watch-maker who set the world in motion.  Also, in the ideas of Gnosticism, men can appropriate the power of the godhead through knowledge.  Almost every culture in the modern world has accepted this primus of spirituality.  Gnosticism is the religion of the modern world.  The idea that science will prove man's thinking is entirely chemical based or that science can prove everything, is purely Gnostic.  The idea that man is supreme is purely Gnostic.  The idea of atheism is Gnostic.  Unfortunately, Gnosticism in the modern world was really brought about by Christianity.  It was strongly rooted in Christian thinking for a long time and only broke away in the last century.  Gnosticism claims to allow the discovery of god and humanity through science and logic--unfortunately, Gnosticism tends to ignore the other means to know truth--legal-historical and logic.  Gnosticism tends to stick with empiricism.  In fact, the reason Gnosticism is stuck in empiricism instead of logic is because of who won in the transition from the age of reason to the age of enlightenment.      
 
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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 203, more Mysterium, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

30 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 203, more Mysterium, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

The way people think about the world is rooted in their religious (spiritual) view of the world--no kidding.  There are four stages in religious thinking (religions):
1.  Animism - gods in everything, man is fated
2.  Pantheonic Paganism - gods rule certain things and both man and god are fated
3.  Mysterium - gods rule and man can know god through rituals and education
4.  Gnosticism - god is there and man can be like him through knowledge

At first the Mysteriums were viewed as a cult or an addition to normal paganism.  That's how they usually become powerful in a culture.  Mysteriums don't ignore or reject the other gods, they just focus on one god or on a leader.  This is why Christianity (most properly teen hodos) in the first and second century looked a lot like a Mysterium.  The concept of the Mysterium got its start in the West almost exactly around the time of the beginnings of philosophy--about 500 BC.  As I wrote before, the beginnings of philosophy begins the Mysterium just as literacy begins patheonic paganism. 

You can see many Mysteriums in the modern and ancient world.  Just look for a secret initiation ceremony, monotheism, focus on a leader, a mystery that has to be revealed in stages.  The most obvious Mysteriums are Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, and Masonism.  There are more.  As I mentioned, in the ancient world Christianity looked like a Mysterium, but isn't; therefore, it shouldn't be surprising that you would find Christian Mysteriums.  The Masons are a holdover, but there were many back in the early time of Christianity.  You can also consider Mormonism a Christian Mysterum, but it has a focus on a very different leader and god--Moroni and Joseph Smith.  The name of the group many times points to the focus.  I already wrote that classical Greek Mysteriums are named after the god or the leader--thus, Greek called Christians, Christians after the god and the leader.  Christians originally called themselves teen hodos (the way) in Greek.  Christianity also helped usher in the next wave of religious thinking--Gnosticism.      
 
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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 202, Mysterion, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

29 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 202, Mysterium, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

The way people think about the world is rooted in their religious (spiritual) view of the world--no kidding.  There are four stages in religious thinking (religions):
1.  Animism - gods in everything, man is fated
2.  Pantheonic Paganism - gods rule certain things and both man and god are fated
3.  Mysterium - gods rule and man can know god through rituals and education
4.  Gnosticism - god is there and man can be like him through knowledge

When a culture begins to realize that natural phenomena and not gods make things move and grow, there is a natural movement toward mysterium.  A mysterium is a type of religion that is always characterized by secret ceremonies and an initiation.  There are usually levels of initiation.  The levels of initiation, especially the last, is characterized by a mystery that is revealed.  The mystery of the Pythagoreans was the Pythagorean theorem in geometry.  We are not certain today how they did this, but Greeks didn't have algebra, they had geometry.  They showed the Pythagorean theorem as a geometric proof.  This was the mystery of Pythagorus.  The mystery of Osirus was Pi as a geometric proof.  How they did it, we don't know, but that's what it was.  The mystery of Dementer was a seed, a sword, and a phallic symbol in a box.  We know this from eye witnesses.  This is a very simple mystery. 

Mysteries of a mysterium were always something real and usually something that was basic in science and the real world.  The point of the mystery was to show that the mysterium proved a concept that had been once thought to be in the province of the gods--or that characterized a god or an idea.  The mystery was something that could be explained by natural phenomena and not by the "gods."  This is what I meant when I wrote yesterday that with philosophy comes the mysterium. 

A mysterium is characterized by a mystery, a initiation ceremony, a level of initiation, a baptism, a confession, a meal with the deity, a revelation of the deity in the mystery.  Notice that Christianity has many of these characteristics.  Christianity is not a mysterium by definition because it has an open initiation ceremony.  Further, Christianity took on many of its characteristic from the Hebrews and not as a Mystereum.  In any case, mystereums are named for their leader or their god--thus the Greeks perceived Christianity (called teen hodos, the way in Greek) as a mystereum and called the members of teen hodos, Christians.  There are many examples of mystereums in the ancient and modern world.       
 
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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 201, more Paganism, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

28 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 201, more Paganism, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

The way people think about the world is rooted in their religious (spiritual) view of the world--no kidding.  There are four stages in religious thinking (religions):
1.  Animism - gods in everything, man is fated
2.  Pantheonic Paganism - gods rule certain things and both man and god are fated
3.  Mysterium - gods rule and man can know god through rituals and education
4.  Gnosticism - god is there and man can be like him through knowledge

Animism begins to die out when a culture begins to externalize big gods vs. little gods.  In animism things are pretty simple--a god is in everything and the god makes the thing grow or move.  Stuff that doesn't grow or move doesn't have a god or gods in it.  With literacy, there is suddenly god things that are no longer real in the world.  For example, love.  Love is an incredible powerful idea.  It is an idea that is impossible without literacy.  You can imagine the verb love, but love isn't like running or jumping.  Love isn't like sex or fighting.  You can't have love without a written word for love.  In fact, many early cultures even with literacy don't have a word for love.  There is no early Hebrew word for love.  Greek breaks love into about ten different types of love.  Japanese makes love from "more like."  Love is a very difficult concept and a very difficult idea.  One of the first goddesses in a culture is a goddess of wives and fertility.  A wife and fertility are concepts that don't require love--they require sex and marriage, but not love.  In fact, most early cultures don't apply words like love to women, but rather to other men.  Love in this sense is not sexual at all--it is love of a comrade.  Love of a shield brother.  Love of a brother.  This the Greek word for love of a real brother or a shield brother is phileo.  Before you can love man, there must be a love of the gods.  In Greek the love of the gods--only applied to gods--is agape.  Man can't agape in classical Greek.  In early Hebrew, there is no word for love.  There is a word for God's affection for man--it isn't love, and there is a word for man's affection for other men and God--not generally applied to women. 

The point is this--love is a complex idea that must have a goddess.  In Greek, the goddess of love was Aphrodite.  Aphrodite was specifically the goddess of pathos and man's fate.  She seduced men, not to love, but rather to betray their wives and brothers.  Thus her husband was the god of metallurgy and her lover, the god of war.  Pantheism takes very new concepts in literacy (like love) and civilization (like metals, music, etc.) and turns them into gods.  The lessor animistic gods become demigods or small gods.  In Greek culture dryads, nyads, centars, etc.  The new gods take over the roles of force in the culture and suddenly, the culture begins to realize that gods aren't making the world run.  This change in thought begins with the invention of philosophy.  
 
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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 200, Paganism, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

27 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 200, Paganism, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

The way people think about the world is rooted in their religious (spiritual) view of the world--no kidding.  There are four stages in religious thinking (religions):
1.  Animism - gods in everything, man is fated
2.  Pantheonic Paganism - gods rule certain things and both man and god are fated
3.  Mysterium - gods rule and man can know god through rituals and education
4.  Gnosticism - god is there and man can be like him through knowledge

Paganism comes out of animism with the development of literacy.  When a culture becomes literate, it also gains the means to express new ideas that are completely impossible without literacy.  For example, there is no way for a preliterate society to express something like love.  Without a written word, it is impossible to express ideas that are not fully concrete.  Words like "love" can't be expressed without a means to write it.  In a preliterate society, it is impossible to express ideas that are not specific.  For example, if I say the word chair, a literate person sees the word in their mind--there are too many types of "chairs" for a person to imagine a chair without the word.  In a preliterate society, the word chair can only bring up a specific "chair" and not a general word "chair."  It is much worse for a word like love--how can you imagine a word as complex as love without a written word, "love?"

A literate culture also begins to develop new concepts that require new words.  For example, words for music, writing, art, metallurgy, etc.  The pagan culture also needs new gods--gods who represent these new words and ideas.  In animism, there are gods in everything.  In paganism, gods fill very specific niches in the culture.  Gods fulfill the place of very critical ideas: love, music, metal, etc.   Thus, we see in the Greek culture Apollo (the sun god) becomes the god of music and the sun.  The goddess of wisdom (Athena) leaps fully armed from the mind of Zeus.  The goddess of love (Aphrodite) is birthed of sea foam from the Aegean.  The Greeks need a god of metal and a god of literature and a god of weaving.  These gods come directly out of the development of civilization.  There is more, animism means there are gods in everything.  Paganism makes everything more specific.
 
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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 199, Animism, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

26 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 199, Animism, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

The way people think about the world is rooted in their religious (spiritual) view of the world--no kidding.  There are four stages in religious thinking (religions):
1.  Animism - gods in everything, man is fated
2.  Pantheonic Paganism - gods rule certain things and both man and god are fated
3.  Mysterium - gods rule and man can know god through rituals and education
4.  Gnosticism - god is there and man can be like him through knowledge

I'm writing about how animism affects a culture and society's thinking.  In animism, the gods make everything happen.  It means that fire occurs, not because of some understandable scientific process but because of the whims of a god.  It means that things occur because of a god or gods and not because of natural phenomena.  The entire world of the animist is based and occurs because a god makes it happen.  Therefore, before a person can do anything, they must appease and work with the gods.  If you read my novel The Second Mission, you can see how this works to some degree.  The Greeks would not kindle a fire on their own--they had to get the fire from the local temple, which received their fire from Olympus, which renewed their fire from a shield and the sun at the summer solstice.  A hearth fire was never allowed to go out, and before the fire in a home could be reinvigorated in the morning, an alpha symbol and the proper prayers and libation had to be made.  Likewise, before the fire could be prepared for the evening, an omega and the proper prayers and libation had to be made. 

Every action in an animistic culture requires a prayer and a sacrifice, usually a libation.  Every act was considered to be under the control of the gods (fated).  The word for human fate in the Greek is pathos.  Pathos is also the word for uncontrolled emotion especially uncontrolled sexual energy.  In Greek thought, a person who had uncontrolled emotions or action was fated.  In the animism world view, humans can't make decisions and they can't control themselves.  The move from animistic thinking to pantheonic paganism comes with literacy.  As a culture gains literacy (and basic civilization), they begin to need different and new gods.  

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 198, Thinking, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

25 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 198, Thinking, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

The way people think about the world is rooted in their religious (spiritual) view of the world--no kidding.  There are four stages in religious thinking (religions):
1.  Animism - gods in everything, man is fated
2.  Pantheonic Paganism - gods rule certain things and both man and god are fated
3.  Mysterium - gods rule and man can know god through rituals and education
4.  Gnosticism - god is there and man can be like him through knowledge
Societies and cultures that are based in animism believe that gods make everything happen, therefore everything that has life or motion in nature is controlled by gods.  Each tree has a god (dryad), that makes the tree grow.  Each river has a god, that makes the river move.  Every living and moving thing grows, lives, and moves because of the god within it.  This doesn't apply to humans.  Humans, in the view of the animist, have self-will and self-consciousness to a degree.  The animist sees humans with an eternal aspect that is not like the gods, but that allows humans to interact with the real and spiritual world.  If a person acted without restraint (madness or mental illness), they believed the person was controlled by a god.  In fact, animism sees all human illness as the result of gods either punishing or controlling the person.  In animism, humans must placate and please the gods to prevent bad things from happening.  Therefore, when humans take the fruit of a tree, they must pray and give a gift to the tree.  When an animal is killed to be eaten, a sacrifice must be made of the animal.  This is why all meat that was eaten in the ancient world was sacrificed to the gods. 

Animism also sees both humans and gods as fated.  The Greeks called this pathos (fate of man) and chronos (fate of the gods).  If you think about what I've written about animism, I think you can begin to understand how most people thought in the ancient world.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 197, Miracles, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

24 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 197, Miracles, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

Many people ask me: what about the miracles in the New and Old Testament documents?  Anyone who has any experience with ancient documents knows that almost all of them talk about the gods, prophecies, and/or miracles.  Caesar, Plato, Zeno, Hippolitus, Aristotle, Josephus, and all write about miracles either ones they saw with their own eyes or ones reported in their knowledge of history.  If you want to throw out historical documents that talk about miracles, you need to get rid of almost every document in antiquity.  It's kind of like that and the bibliographical test too.  The New Testament documents pass the bibliographical tests (number of documents and the closeness to the original) magnitudes better than any other document in antiquity.  If you throw out the New Testament documents, you must throw away all other documents in antiquity.  Likewise, if you don't like miracles, get ready to dump almost every document in antiquity. 

The problem with people in the modern era, is they do not understand how people in the ancient world thought or lived.  This is something I strive to express in my novels: how people from the past think and act in the world.  In our world view, their actions sometimes seem illogical, but it is only because you don't think like they did. 

In the modern world, there are extensive examples of groups that don't think the same a Western Civilization.  Western Civ thinks like the Greeks--that is logic.  The Greeks invented the three means to know truth: scientific method, legal-historical method, and logic. If you grew up in the Western World or generally in modern nations that have accepted these means to know truth, you are most likely a Greek thinker.  The ancient world and other groups in the modern world don't use logical means in their thinking.  This idea is very important to both writing and understanding.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 196, more External Test, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

23 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 196, more External Test, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

If a document passes the bibliographical test, it is considered accurate and a historical document.  The next step is the internal test.  First, we look at the witness.  If the witness claims to be primary, that is accepted automatically (unless another better source contradicts it).  A primary witness automatically trumps any other document of a lessor witness.  Next, you look at documentary claims.  If the document claims to be history--it is automatically considered history--that is unless another source of equal or better bibliographical claim is available.  Or if the document is not primary or secondary, then claims that can't be verified can't be accepted without some proof.  Here is a great example, the Torah (first five books of the old testament) claim to be history; however, the witness is tertiary until Moses comes on the scene.  Once you have Moses, who claims to be the author (and must be accepted unless an equally old and accepted document claims otherwise), the document is primary or at worst secondary (someone could have told Moses about his family).  The problem with the historicity of the Torah before Moses, is there is no primary or identified secondary witness.  This makes the document tertiary at best.  It is no better than a modern history book.

The value of the early parts of the Torah (specifically Genesis), isn't historical in the sense of the other writings of Moses, but rather, as literature and to know about the thinking of the Hebrew people at the time.  It has great value as a historical document, but it can't be used to prove any historical event--unless you can show corroboration with other historical evidence.  Christians, Jews, and others need to understand this about the Torah--it is very valuable as a historical document, but until Moses, it is only a tertiary witness.  It has the same authority, in history, as a history book.  After Moses, the witness is primary--that makes it a very credible and irrefutable historical source--unless you can prove with another document (or evidence) that Moses was not a primary witness.  What about those pesky miracles?

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 195, External Test, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

22 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 195, External Test, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  We covered the bibliographical test and the internal test.  The external test evaluates the document in terms of other evidence.  So, when we compare other documents of the same witness to our document, we are looking for similar or different information.  We can also compare other evidentiary evidence.  For example, there is a dedication to Pilate on a stone in Caesarea Maritama.  This provides external evidence of the existence of Pilate.  You really didn't need any--there are too many documents in antiquity that name him, but the additional archeological evidence bolsters many points.  In antiquity, there is literally very little hard evidence of many people and events.  The corroboration by multiple sources makes the evidence near irrefutable. 

That is the point of the external test.  When we compare documents or other evidence and documents, we only consider a document to be wrong if there is overwhelming evidence from another source of a similar witness.  So, a primary document that passes the bibliographical test always trumps any secondary or tertiary source.  Likewise, an archeological source isn't necessary, but it always proves another source.  It is highly unlikely that archeological evidence would disprove any source--it can only prove a person, place, or thing (event) occurred.  It can't do otherwise.  A documentary source, on the other hand, proves events, people, and places.  We use these tools to prove history.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 194, more Documents Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

21 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 194, more Documents Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic.  So, if you didn't already guess, I teach classes in the scientific method, the legal historical method, and logic.  You can find my classes on You-tube. 

The first evidentiary test is the bibliographical test.  This test relates to the quality and accuracy of the text itself.  It really doesn't tell us anything about the contents or claims of the document.  However, claims of authenticity go down sharply when a document that has been entirely unknown suddenly appears.  Numerous manuscript copies that are close to the original define the authenticity--that lack brings the document's antecedents quickly into question. 

There are two other evidentiary tests.  The next is the internal test.  The internal test looks at the document's claims and contents.  All written evidence must pass the bibliographical tests.  Once it has passed that test, a document claims are accepted unless contradicted.  So, if a document claims to be a first person account, it is always accepted as a first person account unless there is another overriding claim or problem.  For example, a document that passes the bibliographical tests, but has internal contradictions or incoherent parts might be rejected to a degree.  Remember, if the document passes the bibliographical tests, it must have some strength as an historical document.  A document such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead is a book with good bibliographical antecedents.  We have 7 extant copies that are all wildly variant.  They are from different eras.  They do not claim to be historical but rather to be spells used by the dead to enter the afterlife.  In this regard, the Egyptian Book of the Dead is a quatriary source.  It is not history in any way shape or form.

On the other hand, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is a primary source document that does recount some miracles and sacrifices.  It is considered a primary historical document.  We have a few copies and those are about 1000 years from the original.  It internally claims to have been written by Marcus Aurelius and also that it is a history of his thoughts.  There is another test for historical documents.       

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 193, Documents Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

20 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 193, Documents Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic.  All documents in antiquity are judged by a process that can be used for all evidence.  This process allows the historian to grade and qualify historical evidence.  As I mentioned, all documents in antiquity go through this process, however any piece of evidence can be judged using it.  There are three steps in validating historical documents.  The first is the bibliographical test.

The bibliographical test measures the quality and the accuracy of the document that we have.  Usually, the bibliographical test is only applied to manuscripts.  Manuscripts are hand-written originals or copies of documents.  The method can also be used for printed documents.  In the bibliographical test, we look first at the number and type of manuscripts that have been passed down to us.  The most important thing that most people don't know is that there are no extant originals of any document written in antiquity.  All the documents we have are copies.  Antiquity is variously defined as from about 700 to 1400 AD.  700 is when we begin to get some originals.  1400 is when the printing press came into use.  The number of manuscripts allows us to compare the differences between copies to determine the most accurate and approximate original.  For most documents in antiquity, we have only one copy.  That's too bad, but that's the way it goes. 

The second bibliographical test is the nearness of the copies to the original.  If the earliest copy is only 200 years from when the document was originally written, this is considered excellent.  The average time of the earliest copy to the original in time is 1000 years.  That's too bad too.  Here's how the bibliographical test is used.  Josephus' Wars has about 51 copies extant.  The earliest copy is about 900 years from the original written in the first century.  Compare that to the book of Luke.  There are over 200 copies extant of the book of Luke.  The earliest copy is about 200 years displaced from the original.  Both of these documents were written in the first century.  Josephus is a secondary to tertiary witness, while Luke is a primary to secondary witness.  Compare these to Pliny the Youngers History which is a tertiary document with 3 copies and about 900 years from the original.

Your history professor should be giving you this data for every primary, secondary, and tertiary source she/he uses in your classroom.  And remember, a tertiary source is not considered good history unless there are no other sources.

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