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 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: 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.
More small digression: I'm now on a demo tour in the AT-6 to Paraguay. I'm writing from Paraguay.
On the colony world of the novel, working title, Escape, there are numerous continents and at least one large island. The large island is a fascist nation that is based in pure extrapolated communism. This nation is called Freedom. Freedom has three groups of people on it: the Party Members, the citizens, and the armed citizens.
Communist societies assume labor is free, but "there never is a free lunch." Labor, even government labor is never free. Slave labor is never free. In the island nation of Freedom, the citizens and armed citizens are fed, clothed, and housed. They are provided the basics of life. They are taught that life is work and work is life--they never get to taste the fruit of their labor.
The citizens of Freedom are also tracked--that means they are bred and evaluated as children for the purpose of training for specific technical and artistic (developmental work). The protagonist of the novel is a girl/young woman who was bred, traced, and trained specifically for visual acuity and scent acuity. She is unique and very effective in her work. She has no idea that her skills provide a piece of artistic development to the Party Members of Freedom. Indeed, Reb's work is similar to that of a fashion house and perfumer. She designs color and scent patterns that are used for clothing, furniture, art, designs, etc. She has no idea how her work is used--except that she did design the colors for the blue and the green drug given to citizens.
Isn't it interesting that socialist (Nazi for example) and communist (USSR and China for example) fascist societies focus so much on art. Soviet Realism was the official art form of the Stalin regime. Mao even had his own cultural revolution. Hitler collected, burned, and commissioned art all over Europe. The extrapolation of Freedom is that the entire Party is focused in art and sensuality--in many ways. This is a simple extrapolation of their society and culture.
By the way, Merry fifth day of Christmas--this is my gift to you: art and technology.
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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