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.
Right now, I'm writing this new novel from the point of view (POV) of the protagonist's helper Scott Phillips. Scott is the pilot who's cargo shuttle emergency landed on the island nation of Freedom. Scott is an adventurous character and one not prone to follow rules very well. You can already see he is going to have problems in Freedom--that is if Reb (Rebecka) can't help him control his impulses. Remember, however, that Reb will do anything to escape Freedom. She is very intelligent, but she hasn't had to use her intelligence to do much more than develop colors and scents for Freedom.
That's where Scott comes in. Any protagonist's helper is supposed to showcase and help reveal the protagonist. Scott's purpose will to do that, but also to, for lack of a better word, corrupt her to true Freedom. His job will be to point out the differences between Freedom and true freedom. This won't be hard to do, but the lessons are more than intellectual. The experience of the protagonist and the protagonist's helper will become the experience of the reader in this novel. I want the reader to viscerally feel the horror of Freedom--and I don't mean this allegorically. Freedom, the nation, is the exact opposite of freedom the concept. To the point that Reb's only possession is an ink pen she stole as a child.
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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