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.
I mentioned art as one of the focuses of the fascist nation of Freedom. Art comes into play because the Party seeks entertainment as a function of their rule. Therefore, the arts of the "Development" Center are: colors and scents, movies and programs, music, books and photography. This should seem odd to you if you imagine the purpose of a development center in a market based society. Shouldn't a development center be focused on technology? Not on Freedom. Freedom is a nation without any competition. It doesn't worry about military technology or military competition. It only has to keep its citizens occupied and under control.
The Freedom Party is completely interested in entertainment and self fulfilment. There is no consideration of the citizens. There is no need to invent new technology except to help the party. The main technology investment by the Party is for medical intervention and longevity. They accomplish this through transplants and the use of human endocrine fluids and compounds.
The technology of Freedom is all about, first, maintaining the lives of the Party Members. To do that, let's assume a technological extrapolation based on preventing death. In Freedom, with lots of citizens and few Party Members, there is an opportunity to experiment with human subjects and human tissues outside of any human mores or ethics. The Freedom Party has discovered how to keep their Party Members alive with nearly perfect organ transplants and the use of other human hormones and fluids. Any of this would be considered illegal anywhere else. Freedom has people and lives to spare. When the value of a citizen is less than their organs, snip snap, the organs are harvested and stored or used to maintain the life of a Party Member.
The Party Members of freedom have discovered was to use hormones and other human tissues and fluids to tone and reduce the effects of aging. The citizens provide all of the required ingredients.
By the way, Merry sixth day of Christmas--this is my gift to you: medical 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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