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.
I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly. Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer.
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| Cover Propsal |
For example, Hestia is about the goddess Hestia and was titled, Hestia: Enchantment of the Hearth. The reason was that the hearth is important both in the novel and to Hestia. The enchantment relates to the element that brought about the novel. Hestia is about an accidental enchantment that invoked the goddess Hestia into the modern world.
Lilly is a little different. I'll give you the synopsis later, but Lilly is about a young woman who befriends a Japanese god, kami. The Japanese god wants to endue Lilly with his power and responsibility. Thus, Lilly is the name of the main character and the enchantment relates to the element that brought about the novel (Lilly becomes a Japanese kami). Computer relates to the particular skills of Lilly and her boyfriend, Dane. Lilly is a computer genius.
Now, this is how I named this novel, but I don't think it will necessarily be its title when it is published. Perhaps, if my enchantment novels are published sequentially, it will be the title. Chances are I may write a sequel to Lilly or my publisher may not choose to publish the novels as a set. In any case, I trust the knowledge of my publisher concerning the market and market perception of a title. There is more to setting a title on a work.
The cover proposal is simple--the idea is to provide a starting point and a basis for a website for he novel.
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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