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 26th novel, working title, Shape, is this: Mrs. Lyons captures a shape-shifting girl in her pantry and rehabilitates her.
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.
One of my blog readers posed these questions. I'll use the next few weeks to answer them.
2. Character presentation (appearance, speech, behavior, gestures, actions)
3. Change, complexity of relationship, and relation to issues/theme
4. Evolving vs static character
5. Language and style
6. Verbal, gesture, action
7. Words employed
8. Sentence length
9. Complexity
10. Type of grammar
11. Diction
12. Field of reference or allusion
13. Tone
14. Mannerism suggest by speech
15. Style
16. Distinct manner of writing or speaking you employ, and why (like Pinter's style includes gaps, silences, non-sequitors, and fragments while Chekhov's includes 'apparent' inconclusiveness).
Moving on to 2. 2. Character presentation (appearance, speech, behavior, gestures, actions)
An author develops a character first and then reveals the character through the plot. Plot revelation is what it is all about. We do not reveal characters by telling. First develop, then reveal.
Appearance, speech, behavior, gestures, and actions are means of character revelation. I really like this list--let's look at each piece.
Actions define a character. Words are actions. Here is an example from the newest novel I'm writing. Essie is the Aos Si. She is also the goddess (guardian) of the fae. The fae don't like being ruled by a creature less beautiful, refined, and intelligent than they. This short conversation perhaps encapsulates the essence of Essie more than any other.
After
Mrs. Lyons picked up her fork from the floor and her jaw from its fully open
position, she choked, “If you are not a person, then what are you?”
Essie
turned her face away and didn’t look up, “My names tell you what I am. That is all I will say.”
“Well
yes,” Mrs. Lyons became suddenly all bustle.
“In that case, you must help me put the pantry to rights, then we will
change your bed linens. After that, you
may scrub my floor where you soiled it…”
“Please
don’t beat me again.”
“I
won’t beat you, child. I only want to
help you. If you do as I ask, there is
no reason for you to fear at all.”
“Perhaps…”
“Well,
yes. Can you stand on your foot?”
“Not
well.”
“I’ll
help you to the pantry. You will help me
clean it up.”
“I
will do as you say…for now.”
“Yes. If you do as I ask, I will not cause you any
pain or threaten you, but I will point out, you broke into my house and stole
my ham.”
Essie’s
eyes flashed, but she didn’t dare glance at Mrs. Lyons, “I was hungry.”
“So
you said. That is no excuse. I intend to give you a proper moral and
ethical education. Even if you don’t
think you are a person, you certainly look like one. If you look like one, you certainly should
act like one. Do I make myself clear?”
“No
one has ever treated me like a person before…”
“I
shall, and that is that. Did you eat
enough for breakfast?”
“Yes.”
“Then
to the pantry.” Mrs. Lyons helped Essie
hobble to the pantry. They began
cleaning up the mess. Mrs. Lyons tossed
the girl a wet rag to wipe the floor.
When they finished, they went to the guest bedroom and changed the linens
on the bed. Then Mrs. Lyons helped Essie
wash and scrub the floor.
More tomorrow.
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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