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.
It's kind of funny that when I started this series I was writing about Valseka. That novel is long finished, and I've already written one other, Lilly, and started on a third--the dystopian novel I've been writing about. The ideas come almost faster than I can get them on paper. The worst is that in contemplating the novels and the writing, I lose some of the details I've designed in my mind. The reason I mention this is that I'm using my own advice on developing a novel--the advice I've been sharing here for a few years. As I write my techniques down, I gain a greater and greater appreciation for the need to organize and properly develop a novel. I'm showing how you can bring a novel into existence from a simple theme statement. The theme statement I've been using is the one just above. I should probably clean out the Valeska information, but I haven't developed the publishing information yet for Lilly. I haven't had the time to even compile Lilly into a single document for my readers and publisher. When I have an opportunity, I'll show you the advertising and presentation information.
I'll get back to the details tomorrow, but I wanted to mention that using the ideas I've been describing for you allows me to build a novel very quickly. I don't use or advocate any kind of template, but rather, classical design of a novel using time tested methods to organize, develop, and begin writing a novel. I wish I'd known these ideas when I wrote my first novel. As I wrote, these are classic methods for novel development--the only problem is that few people teach how to write a novel. I developed these ideas from classes and experience I had in evaluating classical literature--what worked for the masters certainly can work for you and me. Ill not say writing any novel is easy, but it certainly is easier when you understand the basic elements, how to begin, and where you are going.
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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