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: while on assignment in Gdansk, Poland, 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've written about themes. The themes of a novel defines the characters, the initial setting, the plot, and the climax. If we look at the theme statement for Valeska: while on assignment in Gdansk, Poland, an agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed. Okay, I cheated and add the setting. I originally forgot the setting in building the theme statement that I have had at the initial ramblings of this blog. Like I wrote before, the theme statement should allow you to write your initial scene, set the characters, and begin the plot. The theme statement should also contain the seeds (or the whole) of the climax.
Note for the revised theme statement for Valeska, I have enough information to begin to write. The setting is Gdansk, Poland. The initial scene should logically fall out of the protagonist and protagonist's helper or antagonist's meeting. In this case, the primary characters are the protagonist and the protagonist's helper, therefore the novel should begin with their meeting--it does. The two characters mentioned in the theme statement are the protagonist and the protagonist's helper. One is a vampire and the other is an agent for the organization. This gives enough information to begin to develop the characters. Remember, the characters should be fully (or nearly fully) developed by the author before they are revealed in the writing.
The plot is defined by the theme statement--it will be that the vampire girl becomes dependent on the agent. This is what the author should build into the plot. Finally, the climax is there if you look hard enough--the vampire girl is redeemed. That is the plot resolution. I know it is a bit broad, but the theme doesn't define the novel, the theme bounds the novel. The writer has all the boundaries of the theme statement to write within. How is the girl redeemed? What does it mean to be redeemed? These are the questions the author must answer. All we know is that this is the point at which the author is aiming in the writing of the novel--in my opinion, this is more than sufficient.
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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