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 shuttle pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.
Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. Lilly is my 24th novel.
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| Cover Propsal |
My development of any novel begins with a single picture. The picture for Escape (working title) was when I was flying over the Mediterranean in a T-6C while making a delivery to New Zealand. When you fly a single engine aircraft anywhere, your main thoughts are where you might land if the engine quits. Luckily, engines today are very reliable, but every single engine aircraft pilot is always imagining where they might set the aircraft down if the engine fails. I was looking at the Greek islands in the Mediterranean between Greece and Crete. The islands are beautiful and at points covered by white buildings. I saw a very large island and imagined landing on it. Then I thought, what if the pilot was not following the correct flight path over an island like Cuba. Today, you can fly over Cuba, (and I have), but in the past, you had to go around Cuba. I imagined an island nation, like Cuba, where the people are constrained under an evil government, and the pilot cuts illegally across it to save time. Some pilots are like that.
That's when I began to imagine the protagonist (or protagonist's helper) in my picture. What if there was a girl who would do anything to escape that island. I saw a picture of a pilot, breaking the rules, and a girl who wanted more than anything to really break the rules. This girl would do anything to escape her island nation. I saw the two, girl and pilot, come together after the pilot's aircraft engine fails. Can you see, with me, the picture from the pilot's perspective, and from the perspective of the girl? Can you see them coming together? This was the picture that launched this novel. To me, it was a wonderful picture and more than enough to write an entire novel.
More tomorrow.
For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com
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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