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.
All novels to one degree or another are mystery novels. We don't consider them or call them mysteries, and they are not necessarily part of the mystery genre, but consider the classics. Where is Treasure Island without the hidden treasure, the mystery of the lost hidden treasure, the secret (mystery) of the pirates on board. What about Robinson Caruso? The entire novel is spend exploring the mysteries of the island, or The Swiss Family Robinson? It is an exploration of mystery after mystery that culminates in a great secret girl hidden in boy's clothing climax. Every novel has mystery within it, and every novel is the revelation of this mystery and the protagonist.
Here's where I am transitioning. Before, I was writing about the revelation of the protagonist--this is the entire point of any novel, but with the revelation of the protagonist is also the revelation of the plot and theme. This revelation comes though the storyline. The question is how should we reveal the plot and theme in the storyline? This is a very important question. The simple answer is through showing, but like the question of character revelation, this is requires a very complex answer.
The best way to approach this is through the eyes of history. We'll look at the past means of plot and theme revelation.
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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