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.
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 Proposal |
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.
For the purpose of explaining about logic and creativity, I'll explain in detail about the development of a logical framework for sorcery and magic. I'll write about the magical system I designed for my novels. As I mentioned before, it is based on P.E.I. Bonewitz and James Frazer's theories of magic. I won't go into the magical laws--except for a couple of examples. One magical laws is the law of similitude. Similitude says that objects that share common characteristics also maintain a degree of magical contact. The closer the similitude, the greater the degree of magical contact. Thus, a wax model of a person creates similitude. Another similar law of magic is that: objects that once were in contact continue to maintain a degree of magical contact. Thus, if I make a wax doll of you and place one of your hairs in it, the wax doll has two degrees of contact with you. This is the basis for a voodoo doll. You can add magical degrees to the doll in various ways.
Now, first of all, both these magical laws (and all magical laws) are easy to disprove. They just don't exist in the world, but as a basis for a system of magic in a novel--this is a good place to start. In my system of magic, the magic user must have absolute faith in the world for the magic to work--this easily explains failure and success. It also explains why magic won't work for the average person. In my system of magic, a magic user works for a long time to curse the special items she/he uses to accomplish the magic. I play these as critical parts of the process.
Once the magic user has the proper items and ingredients, the next step is to put them together properly. At any step, the magic can fail. There are many more details to the use of magic that is background in my novels. The system I designed for sorcery is a little different.
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
fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic
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