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.
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:
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.
My original point in discussing the means to know (or prove) truth was to show you how to provide credibility to those ideas you want to express as truth in your novels. Likewise, if you wish to express an untruth, you can use the opposites to show untruth. The supporting concept is "other's conversation," but any of the primary means of revelation will work.
Let's see how this works. Speaking specifically about other's conversation as a revelation method. If I am writing about a scientific subject, I could easily bring up a scientific method process or proof to make my point. With a vampire as a protagonist, I could bring up in conversation the fact that when she was examined at a hospital, her blood was unusual. A blood test would represent a sample compared to a standard. The standard represents the use of the scientific method to develop a repeatable blood test for normal blood--it won't work properly on blood that isn't normal.
In this same example, the fact the vampire has unusually large incisors, a very low body temperature, an oddly pointed tongue, and perhaps some other strange characteristics would be the use of the legal-historical method to document unique characteristics.
The discussion by the individuals in the conversation would then possibly use logic to define the being who was examined. You can imagine the logical arguments presented to bring about some degree of understanding about the person who was examined. There is also the ability to dissuade or misdirect the understanding of the observers (and readers) in a similar manner.
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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