My Favorites

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 446, more Scene Development Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

30 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 446, more Scene Development Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

Let's approach scene development from the standpoint of extrapolation.  In this case, we will be extrapolating the character revelation, plot, and theme of the novel.  That is, to develop scenes (ideas) for the rising action, we take the already developed characters and extrapolate their actions into the future.  The point is to develop the plot and reveal the theme. 

So, in shape what will the characters do?  I already started this down a plot path in the rising action.  The beginning was the initial scene.  In the initial scene, Mrs. Lyons caught a naked girl in her pantry eating her ham.  She confronted and tried to capture the girl in the pantry, but accidentally knocked her out.  This is in itself entertaining and exciting--it's a great initial scene. 

The next scene extrapolates creatively from the initial scene--it also uses the initial scene's output.  The output of the initial scene is that Mrs. Lyons has a naked, unconscious girl in her pantry.  The obvious question is what will she do about that?  A normal person might call the constable and that is that.  Mrs. Lyons is a little different.  She has never had her own children, but she has taken care of many of her friends children and grand children.  She calls them her adopted grands and greats.  Mrs. Lyons has always had a thing about helping children and especially girls get back on track.  Second, Mrs. Lyons' friends are not your regular kinds of people.  Mrs. Lyons has pretended most of her life to ignore the special capabilities of her friends and their children, but she knows...that is the basis for her actions about the girl.           

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Monday, June 29, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 445, Scene Development Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

29 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 445, Scene Development Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

I'm developing the rising action for Shape.  Creativity is a very important part of writing.  The rising action is the largest portion of a novel.  The importance of creativity is in molding each scene to be entertaining and exciting.  The most important part of developing creativity is thinking about it. 

In working on this novel, I've spent much of my time mulling over creative ideas.  I'm trying to determine new and creative ideas for scenes in the rising action and especially scenes and ideas that are different from those I've used before.  I will admit, some of the ideas are similar to another novel I wrote.  My novel, Khione is about a demi-goddess who has fox-like characteristics.  In Shape, the protagonist has cat-like characteristics and in fact, changes into a cat at will.  There are similarities just because of the subject matter, but they aren't really that similar. 

Further, as the novel progresses, Essie, the protagonist in Shape will go to an all girl's school.  She will be joined there by--well I won't say who, but this is somewhat similar to Children of Light and Darkness, an Ancient Light novel.  The difference is Essie will go to the British equivalent of high school.  The ideas for creative scenes comes out of these setups in the novel.  The point is to develop entertaining and exciting incidents that move the plot, theme, and character revelation forward.          

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 444, more Logical Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

28 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 444, more Logical Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

At the moment, I'm in the process of developing a new novel.  The working title of the novel is Shape, because it is about a shape-shifter.  It is much more complex than that--everything in a novel is.

The creativity is building elements (scenes) of the rising action using the characters, plot, an theme of the novel.  The major characters are already developed--they need to be revealed.  The plot is being developed--that's the way I write.  The theme is developed--it could be more solid.  I wrote before that I didn't want to start this novel too quickly, but I did anyway.  I couldn't help myself.  I had an initial scene in mind, and I couldn't stop from writing it down.  I was so happy with it, that I continued.  I like the characters, and I like how they are being revealed.  I want to continue with the development and the revelation. 

The major point for this blog is that I am working on the rising action.  I haven't completely determined what the climax of the novel will be--I'm just writing to reveal and developing creative moments for my scenes.  I'll show a scene development as an example.        

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 443, Logical Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

27 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 443, Logical Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

You can still get away with a lot in creativity by the expansion of logic or reasoning to produce your creativity.  You can see this in many movies and novels.  The history or the science don't matter at all--only the reasoning and the logical base of the created ideas do.  Of course, this doesn't play well for future generations.  I could dredge up many books and movies with completely false ideas created in them.  A great example is Silent Spring.  That book was completely false when it came out and continues to result in the loss of one million people every year.  Another famously questionable work is Coming of Age in Samoa.  It hailed itself as a scientific book, but later research discovered it was mostly fabricated from the ideology of the writer.  These are pseudo scientific works that fooled many with their ideas.  Most bad science fiction or historical fiction is just ignored in the future.  That I why proper historical and scientific extrapolation is very important to the writer. 

Basing parts of your novel on a completely false premise is not only stupid, but shows complete lack of understanding for your subject.  A great example is the famous table ploy.  The number of "ancient" characters who have hidden under furniture in the ancient world as a plot strategy is legion.  The problem is there was generally no furniture in the ancient world and certainly no furniture large enough for a human to hide in or under.  This is not creativity, this is historical ignorance.  At least study your subject matter enough to know the times.  Logic and reasoning can make up for much lack, but only in the face of basic knowledge about the subject matter.        

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Friday, June 26, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 442, about Technological Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

26 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 442, about Technological Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

I've made this point before, but I'll make it again.  When you write science fiction, you really need to include the science part. The reason I dislike Star Trek and Star Wars is that they are not based in any science.  The writers just made up almost everything without any understanding or regard for actual science.  Maybe that will fly in Hoboken, but it doesn't go anywhere for people who understand real science.  The movies are getting worse and worse, by the way.  If you haven't noticed, the average person has the scientific knowledge of an aborigine from the deepest wilds--in fact, some people actually imagine that the prehistoric, like our aborigine example know more about science than we do.  They just imagine that magic and fate gives you disease.  Oh well, ignorance in the desert is one thing, you just die.  Ignorance in the 21st century is comical, you are just stupid. 

The point of science and creativity is that you must know science and understand science to have scientific creativity.  To write science fiction, you must know science well enough to extrapolate it.  This is the power of science fiction. Creativity flows from this expression.       

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 441, more Technological Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

25 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 441, more Technological Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

In science fiction and science fantasy, you will almost always have technological extrapolation.  The extrapolation might be little or it might be large.  I have in mind Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB) when I think of little.  He used fantastic elements not really related to science to give the appearance of technological extrapolation.  Today, this is a characteristic of the steampunk genre.  Steampunk usually mixes fantasy and science fiction.  It's basis for extrapolation is usually not in any way connected to true science.  It is, however, logically and reason-based.  Remember, I stated before, to have a human system that your readers will accept it must be either logically or reason-based.  Steampunk makes sense in the limited dimensions of the steampunk worlds.  Steampunk is science fantasy.

Star Trek and Star Wars are also science fantasy.  They incorporate non-science elements that are used in the extrapolation of their concepts with logic and reason to arrive at their science fantasy basis.  If you want to write science fiction, do not use steampunk, Star Trek, or Star Wars as examples.  If you want to write science fiction that is more reason based look to Andre Norton and Jack Vance.  If you want to write science fiction that is more logic and science based look to Clark, Heinlein, and Asimov.  If you want a mix, read my science fiction.  I incorporate very strong hard science elements and logic in a reasoned framework that is entirely based in technological extrapolation.  That's because I'm an engineer and a scientist.       

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 440, Technological Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

24 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 440, Technological Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

Although in a historically based novel, you might expect only historical extrapolation in developing creativity, you can find elements of technological extrapolation in modern era novels.  Further, science fiction or future based novels must always (normally) exhibit technological extrapolation. 

I'll put forward my newest complete novel (unpublished), Escape from Freedom, as an example of a novel that has some technological extrapolation but with a historically extrapolated basis.  I'll also add the newest novel I'm working on, Shape, is a modern era novel with some slight technological extrapolation.  This isn't as unusual as it might sound.  Many modern era novels (novels depicting the modern era) are not considered science fiction in their own right, but do have science fiction elements in them.  In many modern novels, the line between science fiction and just fiction has and is blurred.  In fact, for better or worse, the climaxes of some modern novels turn on technology and yet the novels are not considered science fiction.  I'd argue that the boundaries between science fiction, fantasy, and the literary novel have become blurred and will continue to blur.

Thus, in Shape, I have a modern setting with some weapons I proposed in Valeska.  These weapons were possible in the modern era, but they are technological extrapolations.  That may or may not be the extent of the technological extrapolation I make in the novel.  In Escape, there is technology that is obviously extrapolated, but the nation of Freedom in the novel is backward.  Their technology is greater than ours in some regards, but much less in others.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 439, Historical Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

23 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 439, Historical Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

In a historically  based novel, the main focus is historical extrapolation to develop creativity.  The point of creativity isn't necessarily to develop something that has never been seen of known before, but to develop something new from something in the past.  I keep going back to the Bram Stoker example and Dracula.  Dracula was not a new idea.  Tying Dracula with a vampire was not necessarily a new idea.  Writing a gothic horror novel about a vampire was a new idea.  The new idea was making a novel about a vampire. 

You might ask, why didn't anyone else write a novel about a vampire.  Who knows.  Likely no one else was ready, willing, or able to write such a novel.  Bram Stoker just had the idea and put it all together.  The novel itself flowed out of his idea. 

The point here is that with every day in human existence, new ideas for novels are created.  The trick of the novelist is to take an idea and create a novel out of it.  My novels and ideas spring out of mythology.  Almost all of my modern historical novels touch on mythology in the modern world.  My science fiction novels generally touch on way future tech, or like my newest novel, Escape, on retro science fiction.  These novels require technological extrapolation.                 

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Monday, June 22, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 438, more Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

22 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 438, more Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

To use historical extrapolation to get to my "shape-shifter," I researched shape-shifters in Celtic mythology.  I wanted my shape-shifter to be a cat and a witch.(or thought to be a witch).  I found a great shape-shifter in Sith.  Sith is a great black cat who has a white mark on her chest.  She is said to be a woman, but turn into a large black Scottish wildcat at will--usually at night.  There might be an association with the moon, there usually is with women and shape-shifters, but I wanted my character independent of the full moon.  Perhaps affected by the full moon.  Sith is also known as Aos Si--this is pronounced ess shee, thus the girls name would be Essie.  The name Sith is more properly pronounced Sidth.  There is a strong association of Sith with the four fairy courts.  I figured I could roll those into the novel.

Finally, I mentioned it before, Ceridwen has two white cats who do her bidding in the world. I didn't mention them in my novels.  Perhaps I should.  The association of  Ceridwen with white and white cats makes too much of a possible crossing of Sith and Ceridwen.  I will, of course have Sith and Ceridwen meet...an possibly fight.  Ceridwen is the high goddess of the Celts and the head of all the Celtic courts including the courts of the fairies--at least in my novels.                  

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 437, Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

21 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 437, Extrapolation Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

Historical extrapolation is a key basis for creativity.  You take a historical idea and flesh it out or turn it into a new concept.  Inventing new ideas in human culture is usually not as productive or powerful as taking historical ideas and modifying them.  For example, Bram Stoker took human mythos about vampires to create his Dracula.  The creation of Dracula simply extrapolated on older culturally historical myths to create the great gothic horror creature, Dracula.  With that creative idea, the concept of the literary vampire was born.  An author who uses a vampire or a vampire-like character can only copy and extrapolate from Bram Stoker's character. 

We see the idea of the vampire in many modern and not so modern novels.  The vampire might be true to Bram Stoker's ideas or a variation.  They are all extrapolations--just as Stoker's vampire was an extrapolation.  Too much of a good thing equals market saturation.  I admit, I wrote a vampire novel, Valeska.  I extrapolated my vampire directly from Stoker with a few twists rolled in. But my vampire was a real vampire not a sparkly skinned goody two shoes. 

Likewise, in Shape (working title), I'm extrapolating the idea of a Celtic shape-shifter in the modern world.               

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 436, more Shape Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

20 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 436, more Shape Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

I'm going through a creative process right now in the writing of a new novel, Shape (working title).  This novel is about a shape-changer.  It is specifically about the Celtic creature Sith, also called the Aos Si.  In the novel, the young woman, who is the human manifestation of Sith (Aos Si) is called Essie.  Aos Si is pronounced eesh she, thus Essie.  Should I tell you about the Sith, the Aos Si?  I guess it won't hurt.  The Sith, actually pronounced more like shidth, is a black cat from the Scottish Highlands.  It is black but with a white splotch on it's breast.  The Sith is the animal manifestation of a Celtic witch or a minor deity.  In my novel, she shall be both.  That is an unbound goddess that has witch-like characteristic and can manifest as a woman or a black Scottish wildcat. 

The great part about this entire idea is the contrast between the Sith and Ceridwen.  My Ancient Light novels feature Ceridwen, the Celtic goddess as a major character.  She is pictured in my novels as an unbound goddess who rules the pantheon and the courts of the Celts.  Ceridwen has two white cats who serve her.  I never had the cats in the other novels, but I can bring the idea into this one.  She had cats in the past, she doesn't now.  I wrote that my Sith/Essie character isn't very bright.  That is part of he problem.  She has been abused her entire life and isn't really very bright.  She understands the world through a prism of suffering and abuse.  Essie believes Ceridwen will hate her because she is a black cat--this was actually true in the mythology of the Celts.  Ceridwen represents the great white, the purity of the people and culture represented by winter and snow.  She was called the White Lady.  Sith represents the wildness of the Celts and is in many ways opposed to the White Lady.  The mix of the two should provide some fun excitement.  This is the development of creativity through historical extrapolation.                

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic 

Friday, June 19, 2015

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 435, Shape Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

19 June 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 435, Shape Creativity and Entertainment in Scenes Developing the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More 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.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

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 ComputerLilly is my 24th novel.
Cover Proposal
The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I've just started on the next major run-through of my novel, Escape.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:
1.  Scene input (easy)
2.  Scene output (a little harder)
3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)
4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)
5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)
6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

I can immediately discern three ways to invoke creativity:

1.  History extrapolation
2.  Technological extrapolation
3.  Intellectual extrapolation

Creativity is like an extrapolation of what has been.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing. 

How did I get the creative ideas for this new novel, Shape (working title)?  The simplest answer is by significant thinking.  I took the time to think about the ideas and the characters in the novel.  This is specifically what I mean by intellectual extrapolation.  When writers say they have "writer's block," I say they haven't thought about their topic long enough.  I'll admit, when I sit before a proverbial white sheet of paper, the words always flow, but I always spend enormous amounts of time defining the scenes and ideas in my novels.  This may sound trite, but before I go to sleep, I run ideas for scenes through my mind.  I retain those worth retaining.  I wrote before that creativity is an intellectual process.  It is also a time consuming process.  You must be willing to supersede many common but worthless activities for writing and creativity.

The first thing you should get rid of is TV.  TV ruins the soul and pollutes the muse.  If you imagine you will find creativity in TV, you are fooling yourself.  You will only find a time sink that will give you back nothing.  Pretend you discover a creative idea on TV--how many others discovered the same idea.  How many times will it be reused and how much are people willing to spend on old ideas from TV in the first place.  Your time would be better spent in reading, thinking, or writing.  If you want to be a writer, then start writing.  Anything else is rubbish.                 

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:


fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic