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.
In the land of Freedom, the fictional country where my newest novel is set, the people are controlled through a death-punishment concept with an incentive of addicting drugs and small awards. If a citizen's value becomes too low, or they commit a crime, their organs and/or endocrine fluids will be harvested. They don't use anesthetics. The point of the society is to keep your value high enough so you are worth more than the value of your organs. We will also discover that organs are harvested based on blood and genetic type for transplants to the Party members. In this case, value may have little effect. What the Party members want, they get. You can see his is the typical socialistic society where the winners are chosen through political connections. In this case, like the Soviet Union or Communist China, the Party members are born to their positions.
Death-punishment is the punishment side of the incentives--you go to the hospital and don't return. The incentive side is very simple. At the bottom end, each citizen is provided a euphoric drug. The drugs are of a few types, but have the same basic addictive properties. They also have other drugs in them to effect population and social control. For example, the greens provide birth control, removal of sexual desire, passivity, and the euphoric effects. All normal citizens get the greens. Browns are for specials and provide increased sense acuity and the euphoria. Blues are given t the reproducing partners. They get rid of the birth control and removal of sexual desire, but keep the passivity and the euphoric effects. The small awards are given to only the top performers in the nation--patriotic medals.
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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