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.
If you are familiar with my novels, you know I always have some spiritual theme or subtheme in them. My Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox novels probably have the least spiritual theme in them. They are my early novels and before I really began to understand the craft. They are still a fun read and have strong ethical elements in them.
The reason I want t include spiritual themes in my fiction and especially my science fiction is because this is an area most science fiction and modern writers ignore. More than 80 percent of the people in the Western World believe in God, and a relatively high percentage of those either have or participate in some kind of worship of the deity or a deity. As a young person, the assumption about the future is that everyone will be an atheist--science will disprove God. I think this is a very foolish idea. The future, just like the past, will have gross similarities with today. You find a very vibrant religious environment in modern America and the world. That environment will not dry up just because of he future and new technology. I suspect it will become more and more important as people become disconnected from others and their families. Prisoners become more attached to the spiritual, why shouldn't isolated people do the same?
For these reasons, I want to bring a spiritual element into this new science fiction novel.
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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