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 |
1. It needs to be pithy. I'm not certain how Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer hits you, but I do intend for it to be pithy and eye-catching. If someone comes across your novel on the web or sees it in a bookstore, you want them to be intrigued and interested in the work. I like single names for my books, and in fact, my publisher proposed that I develop single names for all my novels. I kind of thought about it and did make some, but that went by the wayside. I'll write more about this--that is, publisher and marketing ideas in titles. A single name is intriguing especially an intriguing name like: Valeska, Hestia, Khione, Aksinya, and Lilly. I chose the name Lilly for many reasons--that was a character development concept, but the name itself has simple power. It is a simple, but interesting name. You don't necessarily put it with computer, so there is a dichotomy. There is a further dichotomy with enchantment and computer. You can kind of imagine a Lilly and an enchantment--hard because the name is so innocent sounding, but Lilly and a computer are outside the norm of consideration. When you put them all together, you have multiple odd intersections. These intersections, I hope will interest a reader into picking up the book and thumbing through it.
2. It needs to be marketable.
3. It needs to be unique, but not too unique.
There is more and more to being pithy.
At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.
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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