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. What I described for you was simply the tip of the iceberg of a system of magic. I am especially dedicated to accuracy in my depictions of history, science, and culture--the magic must be exact and appear real to the reader.
The same is true for sorcery. Why have two different systems? Chiefly because there are many views on magic and sorcery and second because I needed a different system for some of my novels. I actually brought the ideas of the systems together in one novel, Valeska.
In the design of the system of sorcery, I made the assumption that both systems worked using the same laws and principles. The difference was that sorcery required words of a certain language spoken exactly and properly along with the proper magical ingredients. Also, I postulated that blood from the sorcerer was required to achieve the sorcery. In sorcery, when a spell went wrong, the sorcerer would be injured in proportion to the action. When a spell went right, the injury (cut) required to produce the blood would immediately heal and form a scar. In this way, in my novels, you can identify sorcerers--successful ones tend to have many small healed scars on their hands and arms. Unsuccessful ones have terrible scars on their bodies--a result of the incomplete sorcery.
My main point to you about these two examples, magic and sorcery, is simply to point out how creativity works. Both magic and sorcery come out of the imagination and the history of cultures. The use of both becomes a creative means to move an entertaining idea forward in a novel--this is the entire goal of creativity.
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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