Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 215, more Proof Logic and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

11 November 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 215, more Proof Logic and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

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 you remember the mathematical proofs you had to do in geometry, you know how to develop a logical proof.  You start with definitions.  It looks like this:

1.  Define the terms
2.  State assumptions
3.  Produce proof
4.  Logical conclusion

I hope you realize that the major purpose of philosophy into the early 20th Century was to prove God.  Almost every proof was based on this as an argument.  The big problem is that you can't prove a true, you can only prove a not true.  If you remember your Geometry, you will remember this very important dictum--you can prove it in logic.  The proof of God was resolved with Kant.  Kant's proof of not true that proves the true of a God is perfect and has not been refuted.  This is one of the reasons modern philosophy gave up on the proof of God--it was proved (in favor of God).  In the other hand, modern philosophy has given up over 10,000 years of human thought to conclude (without proof) that God is dead--because they say so.

In any case, the major use of logic, beyond, and with mathematics was to prove sticky things that could not be directly measured in the physical world--like the existence of God.  The ultimate focus of this is the way to prove and know truth for yourself and in your novels. 

So, if you intend to prove a repeatable event in your novel--use the scientific method.  If you want to prove a non-repeatable event--use the legal-historical method.  If you are looking at mathematics, classic philosophy (as opposed to Greek philosophy), and ideas outside of the physical world--use logic.  You can additionally use logic for ideas within the physical world, but not provable by other means--for example, inductive and deductive reasoning (think Sherlock Holms) are both types of logic.  The key is the ability of the author to present truth to her readers in the most appropriate and correct fashion and to not use the wrong means (unless it is intentional).  We'll discuss this next.
             
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