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 started writing on my newest novel. Here is the theme statement: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.
This theme statement lends itself well to each part of the development of a novel. Note, there is a setting, an initial scene, protagonist, protagonist helper, antagonist, and the climax is obvious. Let's talk about each.
I plan to make the girl in my novel the protagonist. I want a really edgy protagonist--not that my other protagonists aren't very edgy. They all are. I want this one to be really out there. She will do anything to escape the place she is in. The nation is called Freedom and it has anything but Freedom. I decided to name my protagonist V10+S10537 Rebecka. The name means visual acuity ten plus scent acuity ten number 537, and her given name is Rebecka. Rebecka because all the children in her series were named with an R. Rebecka works at the development center. Her specialty is the ability to match colors to a ten plus accuracy and a scent to a ten. This means that she was bred for these skills. In her society, the "citizens" are all bred and developed for specific skills.
I wanted her name to be Rebecka so her nickname is Reb. She is a kind of rebel. Unfortunately, in her society, rebellion and rebels are handled very easily, they are sent to the hospital. Anyone who goes to the hospital doesn't return. It is a place like the people's asylums of the Soviet Union--except--the hospital puts out organs and human endocrine fluids. When you go to the hospital, you either end up being harvested for organs or being harvested for your fluids and tissues. Not so nice a place to go. The culture's motto is recycle, reuse, reduce, and they take it very seriously.
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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