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.
2. It needs to be marketable.
3. It needs to be short, but not too simple.
4. It needs to be unique, but not too unique.
5. It should not be too similar to works with negative connotations.
6. It should encapsulate some measure of the theme.
7. It should build mystery. Your title must be able to get the potential reader to want to look closer at your novel--this means the title must immediately build interest. I wrote mystery because that is ultimately what you want. You want the potential reader to be intrigued. Let's look at some of my titles. First the newest.
Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. The name Lilly isn't so great a pull although, as I mentioned before, tying it with computer and enchantment does convey some mystery. The question in the potential reader's mind is: what does this girl, Lilly, have to do with enchantment or computers? I noted the name pitch. I chose the name, Lilly, intentionally because it sounds gentle and innocent and the protagonist is gentle and innocent, but acts the opposite. Lilly as a name does convey some degree of interest and matched with enchantment and computer gives mystery.
The words computer and enchantment in the same sentence and the context of a computer being enchanted or a enchantment and a computer do indeed convey mystery. The potential reader will think: what does enchantment and computer have to do with each other? The book doesn't disappoint because the title is ted directly to the theme. Lilly isn't published--yet--so I should use some examples of mystery from my published novels. The point is to choose a title that conveys mystery.
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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